Director, Offline Buying

We are Brainlabs, the High-Performance media agency, on a mission to become the world's biggest and best independent media agency. We plan and buy media that delivers profitable and sustained business impact. And what’s our formula? Superteams of Brainlabbers, fueled by data and enabled by technology.

Brainlabs has always been a culture-first company. In fact, from the very beginnings of the agency a set of shared principles, philosophies and values was documented in The Brainlabs Handbook, helping us create our unique culture.

As with everything here we always seek to adapt and improve so The Brainlabs Handbook has been fine-tuned to become The Brainlabs Culture Code.

This Culture Code consists of 12 codes that talk to what it means to be a Brainlabber. It’s a joint commitment to continuous development and creating a company that we can all be proud of, where Brainlabbers can turn up to do great work, make great friends and win together.

You can read The Brainlabs Culture Code in full here.

So you’re interested in becoming a Director, Offline Buying? Let's dive into what that means:

Classification: Full Time
Reporting to: Managing Partner
Location: Onsite in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Offline Media Director to join our team in Toronto. This individual will lead the planning, negotiation, and buying of offline media channels—including TV, radio, print, out-of-home (OOH), cinema, and direct mail—while driving performance through data-driven tactical planning and measurement.

The ideal candidate brings 10–15 years of progressive offline media buying experience, deep vendor relationships across Canada, and a proven track record of delivering high-impact campaigns at scale.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Tactical Planning

• Lead the development of offline media strategies and tactical plans rooted in audience and performance data.
• Translate marketing objectives into media plans with clear KPIs, channel mixes, and budget allocations.
• Identify emerging offline media opportunities and evaluate their ROI potential.
  
  

Media Buying & Negotiation

• Negotiate rates, packages, and added value with national and regional media vendors.
• Oversee insertion orders, inventory management, scheduling, and budget reconciliation.
• Maximize media effectiveness while maintaining cost efficiency.

Campaign Execution & Optimisation

• Manage full lifecycle of offline campaigns from briefing through post-buy analysis.
• Coordinate trafficking, delivery, and reporting with vendors, agencies, and internal stakeholders.
• Continuously monitor campaign performance and optimize in-flight as needed.

Data, Measurement & Reporting

• Use market research, first-party and third-party data to inform planning decisions.
• Build dashboards and reporting frameworks to evaluate campaign ROI.
• Deliver detailed post-buy analyses and insights to senior leadership.

Required Qualifications

• 10–15 years of experience in offline media planning and buying in Canada, ideally in an agency environment
• Deep knowledge of the Canadian media marketplace (TV, radio, print, OOH, cinema, and emerging offline formats)
• Strong capability in data-driven planning, analytics, and performance optimization
• Demonstrated ability to lead planning across national and regional campaigns
• Advanced negotiation, vendor relationship, and budget management skills
• Proficiency in media planning tools and MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint); familiarity with Numeris, Vividata, COMMB is preferred
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and leadership skills
• Experience at an independent media agency is a plus

Preferred Attributes

• Experience managing and mentoring junior planners/buyers
• Bilingual (English/French) is an asset
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment

What happens next?

We know searching for a job is tough and that you want to find the best career and employer for you. We also want to ensure that this position is the best fit for both you and us. Therefore, you will participate in a comprehensive interview process that includes skills interviews with our team. The goal of this process is to allow you to get to know us as we learn more about you.

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Brainlabs actively seeks and encourages applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and identities. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace: we are committed to equal opportunity for all applicants and employees regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, or belief, and marriage and civil partnerships. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation during the application process, please let us know!

Please note that we will never ask you to transfer cash or make any other payment to us in order to apply for a role or to work for Brainlabs. Any such asks are fraudulent and should be reported to the appropriate authorities in your area.