Senior Associate, Digital Media & Paid Strategy

## About PQP
Penn Quarter Partners (PQP) is a public affairs and strategic advisory services firm with deep expertise in helping healthcare innovators navigate complex policy, regulatory, political, and business challenges. Our core competencies span analytics, communications, and advocacy, with a particular focus on public policy issues that directly affect the biopharmaceutical industry. We have a proven track record of delivering successful outcomes for clients on issues impacting patient access, coverage, and affordability of medicines, while protecting the future of medical innovation. For additional information please visit pennquarterpartners.com.

## Position
We are seeking a Senior Associate, Digital Media & Paid Strategy to join our growing team at the intersection of paid media, public affairs, and healthcare communications. This role is an exciting opportunity for a digitally savvy professional with 2–4 years of experience who is eager to apply media buying expertise in a high‑stakes, mission‑driven environment.

You will work directly with senior strategists to plan, execute, and optimize paid media campaigns on behalf of healthcare and life sciences clients—supporting public affairs objectives, advocacy efforts, and issue‑based communications that shape policy and drive access to care.

The ideal candidate has hands‑on experience across digital, programmatic, search, and social advertising platforms; a comfort with data and reporting; and the organizational rigor to manage multiple client engagements simultaneously. You bring a collaborative spirit, a learner’s mindset, and an ability to translate complex healthcare policy issues into well‑executed media strategies.

## Key Responsibilities

### Campaign Planning & Execution
– Support the development and execution of paid media plans across digital, programmatic, search, and social platforms for healthcare and life sciences clients, ensuring campaigns align with public affairs and advocacy objectives.
– Assist in the research, negotiation, and coordination of media buys, including vendor communications, insertion orders, and budget tracking, under the guidance of the Senior Director of Digital Engagement and Strategy.
– Collaborate with internal strategy and communications teams to ensure paid media activity is integrated with broader campaign narratives, messaging frameworks, and stakeholder engagement goals.
– Help develop and maintain media flowcharts, editorial calendars, and campaign timelines that keep client work on track and on budget across simultaneous engagements.

### Analytics, Reporting & Optimization
– Monitor and analyze campaign performance data across platforms, pulling reports to identify trends, surface actionable insights, and contribute to optimization recommendations that drive measurable outcomes for clients.
– Build and maintain clear, client‑ready performance dashboards and post‑buy reconciliation reports, translating data into accessible narratives for non‑technical stakeholders.
– Track delivery, pacing, and spend against budget benchmarks in real time, escalating variances and recommending adjustments to ensure campaigns stay on track.
– Contribute to the development of post‑campaign analyses, synthesizing findings into strategic takeaways that inform future planning and demonstrate value to clients.

### Client & Team Support
– Serve as an organized, reliable point of coordination for partner relationships, platform accounts, and media documentation, managing day‑to‑day account operations.
– Participate in client meetings and internal strategy sessions, contributing media and digital perspectives that complement public affairs and communications planning.
– Maintain a working knowledge of the healthcare and biopharmaceutical policy landscape, incorporating industry trends and regulatory developments into campaign context and client reporting.
– Support new business development by contributing to media landscape analyses, channel recommendations, and budget frameworks for proposals and pitches.

## Qualifications
– Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, political science, public affairs, or a related field.
– 2–4 years of relevant experience in digital media buying, paid advertising, or media planning, ideally within an agency, political campaign, advocacy, or public affairs environment.
– Hands‑on experience with digital advertising platforms including Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, programmatic DSPs (e.g., StackAdapt, Simpli.fi, etc.), and/or LinkedIn Campaign Manager.
– Experience with traditional or linear media buying, including cable television or broadcast, is a plus but not required.
– Proficiency in campaign reporting and analytics; experience building performance summaries and translating data into clear recommendations for clients or internal stakeholders.
– Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with demonstrated ability to manage media budgets, reconcile buys, and maintain accurate documentation across multiple accounts.
– Familiarity with or strong interest in healthcare, biopharmaceutical, or public affairs subject matter; ability to quickly develop working knowledge of complex policy issues.
– Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize technical media information for non‑specialist audiences.
– Collaborative team player who also thrives when working independently; proactive, solutions‑oriented, and comfortable managing competing deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
– Experience working at or with advocacy organizations, trade associations, government affairs teams, or public affairs firms is a plus.

If interested, please email your resume to [email protected] with your name and PAC in the email.