Associate Vice President, Digital (North America)

Manhattan, NY, US (Hybrid)
✓ Dental Insurance ✓ Disability Insurance ✓ Health Insurance ✓ Life Insurance

Description

Associate Vice President (AVP), Digital 

 

Who We Are

Mekanism is a full-service modern agency making unexpected ideas unstoppable through the power of Soul & Science. We partner with brands to unleash breakthrough creativity and drive impact across the entire customer journey, delivering brand building at full volume.

With eight offices spanning markets throughout the US and Canada, we serve as collaborative business partners to some of the world’s best North American brands, including Alaska Airlines, Jose Cuervo, Quaker, Ben & Jerry's, and Amtrak in the US, and CAMH, Koodo Mobile and Public Mobile in Canada.

Named a Top 10 Most Effective Independent Agency in the US by the Effie Index, Mekanism has been profiled by The New York Times, Fast Company, and ABC’s Nightline. Our campaign methodologies are studied by Harvard Business School. For more information, visit Mekanism.com. 

 

About the Role

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Associate Vice President (AVP) North America to join our dynamic team. The Associate Vice President (AVP), Digital will be a key contributor and senior leader responsible for driving the strategy, execution, and performance of all digital media initiatives for their assigned client portfolio(s) at Mekanism Media across the US and Canada. This role represents a key progression for leaders moving into the senior ranks, focusing on building competencies required at the Vice President (VP) level.

The AVP, Digital role is pivotal in driving our clients' business results by conceptualizing, selling, and ensuring flawless, market-leading execution of cutting-edge digital media strategies. The AVP will serve as a key client advisor and team mentor, ensuring our strategies are innovative, data-driven, and meticulously implemented across the full digital ecosystem.

The AVP is essential to the agency’s growth ambitions, supporting the structure required to make 2026 a pivotal year for the business. They will blend strategic, big-picture thinking with hands-on operational expertise.


Key Responsibilities

 

Strategic Leadership & Client Management

 

  • Lead Digital Strategy: Develop and champion comprehensive digital media strategies across all paid channels (including Display, Video, Search, and Social Media) for a portfolio of major Mekanism clients in the US and Canada.
  • New Business Pitch Leadership: Serve as a lead strategist and presenter for new business pitches, crafting compelling, customized, and innovative digital media proposals
  • Client Consultation: Serve as a trusted strategic partner to senior-level clients, presenting digital strategies, performance analyses, and thought leadership with clarity and executive presence.
  • Drive Digital Vision: Act as the agency's definitive voice on the evolving digital media landscape, contributing to thought leadership, defining and optimizing our service models, and collaborating with other agency leads to build consistency in our offering and processes.
  • Business Growth: Identify and pursue new revenue opportunities with existing and prospective clients, contributing to the agency's overall growth targets.

 

Excellence in Execution, Optimization & Analytics

 

  • Flawless Campaign Launch: Oversee and ultimately own the precision of all campaign launches, ensuring strict adherence to media plans, technical specifications, tagging requirements, and budget pacing across all digital platforms, with a critical focus on paid social media.
  • Technical Compliance & QA: Direct and implement robust Quality Assurance (QA) protocols for all creative assets, tracking links, ad placements, and media buys prior to activation to eliminate errors and ensure maximum data integrity.
  • Performance Oversight & Optimization: Ensure all digital campaigns are executed flawlessly, on time, and within budget, consistently meeting and exceeding client KPIs (e.g., ROI, engagement, conversion). Lead the team in proactive, real-time optimization efforts based on performance data.
  • Budget Management: Maintain rigorous control over campaign spend, reconciliation processes, and forecasting to ensure 100% budget accuracy and client confidence.
  • Data-Driven Decisions: Direct the team in utilizing advanced analytics tools to track campaign performance, derive actionable insights, and develop sophisticated attribution models.
  • Innovation & Testing: Champion a culture of test-and-learn, pioneering new ad formats, targeting capabilities, and beta programs, particularly across social platforms.

 

Team Leadership & Mentorship

 

  • Team Development: Lead, mentor, and manage a team of digital specialists across the main digital media channels, instilling a commitment to execution excellence and fostering a high-performance, collaborative environment.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner effectively with creative, analytics, planning, and business leadership teams to ensure integrated, holistic campaign strategies and seamless implementation.
  • Act as a key contributor to the business unit's success, with input and ownership on topics such as team structure, operational decisions, and team FTE management.

 

Qualifications & Skills

 

 Embody the Mekanism Values:

  • Believe in bold
  • Bring your weird
  • Practice optimism
  • Have each other’s backs
  • Pursue what’s next
  • Give a sh*t

 

Required Experience

  • 8+ years of progressive experience in Digital media, with a significant focus on strategy, execution, and operations, preferably within a media or advertising agency.
  • Demonstrated success leading strategic responses and presentations for competitive New Business Pitches.
  • 5+ years of direct team leadership and people management experience.
  • Proven track record of success in managing multi-million dollar digital budgets and delivering measurable results for large, complex clients.
  • Deep expertise in the US media market and a strong understanding of current media trends, privacy regulations, and platform governance.

 

Essential Skills

  • Presentation & Strategic Acumen: Exceptional ability to articulate complex strategies in a clear, compelling, and persuasive manner, especially in high-pressure new business and client review settings.
  • Execution Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-platform media implementations, managing technical dependencies, budgets, and deadlines with zero tolerance for error.
  • Digital Media Expertise: Expert-level knowledge of all major social media ad platforms, DSPs, other ad platforms, including their ad operations interfaces, tracking mechanisms (e.g., pixels, APIs), and campaign setup best practices.
  • Analytical Thinking: Exceptional ability to synthesize complex data into clear, strategic narratives and present compelling recommendations to executive stakeholders.

 

Regarding compensation, the range below represents the low and high end of the base salary someone in this role may earn as a full-time employee of Mekanism in the United States. Salaries will vary on the basis of various factors, including but not limited to professional and academic experience, training, associated responsibilities, and other business and organizational needs. Salary decisions are dependent on the circumstances of each hire. 

Salary: $150,000 - $155,000



Apply to this Job

Apply

Add your application documents from your computer, phone and/or one of these online services

Apply with Indeed

For US Residents Only: EEO Voluntary Self-Disclosure

We are an equal opportunity employer and are subject to certain non-discrimination and affirmative action record keeping and reporting requirements. We request your voluntary cooperation to assist us in meeting out legal obligations and in analyzing the effectiveness of our equal opportunity efforts.

Pleae note the submission of this information is completely voluntary. You will not be subject to discharge, discipline, or any adverse treatment if you elect not to disclose this information. This information will not be used in reaching a hiring decision. Information obtained will be kept confidential and may only be used in accordance with the provisions of applicable federal laws, executive orders, and regulations, including those which require the information to be summarized and reported to the Federal Government for civil right enforcement purposes.

Residents outside the US should select "I choose not to disclose". US Residents please choose any applicable option.

Select Race/Ethnicity:

OFCCP Questionnaire

As a federal contractor we develop, maintain and implement Affirmative Action Plans to enhance opportunities for women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans, pursuant to the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended (VEVRAA).

Protected Veterans Definitions:

Recently separated veteran

A veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

Disabled veteran

A veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veteran Affaris, or who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

Armed Forces service medal veteran

Any veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service, participated in a United Stated military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985 (61 Fed. Reg. 1209).

Active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran

A veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized, under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

Submission of this information is voluntary and choosing not to provide it will not subject you to any adverse treatment. The information will be kept confidential and will be used for reporting and statistical purposes.

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do I know if I have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury

Please check one of the boxes below:

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Powered by Talent Pool Builder