Planning Manager

Edelman is a voice synonymous with trust, reimagining a future where the currency of communication is action. Our culture thrives on three promises: boldness is possibility, empathy is progress, and curiosity is momentum.

At Edelman, we understand diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) transform our colleagues, our company, our clients, and our communities. We are in relentless pursuit of an equitable and inspiring workplace that is respectful of all, reflects and represents the world in which we live, and fosters trust, collaboration and belonging.

The Planning Manager is responsible for turning insight into measurable business impact.

This role goes beyond gathering research - it connects data, culture, audience behavior and brand ambition into strategic direction that drives performance across channels. The Planner ensures every brief, recommendation and idea is anchored in clear business objectives and defined success metrics.

You will play a key role in shaping effective campaigns that strengthen brand equity, influence behavior, and contribute to clients’ commercial growth.

Key Responsibilities

1. Drive Insight That Delivers Results

• Conduct rigorous primary and secondary research to uncover actionable insights

• Translate competitive audits, category analysis and cultural trends into clear strategic implications

• Identify audience opportunities based on behavioral, attitudinal and market data

• Synthesize complex data into concise, persuasive narratives tied to business outcomes

• Ensure all insights ladder up to defined KPIs and measurable success indicators

2. Strengthen Brief Quality & Strategic Clarity

• Co-develop strong, outcome-driven creative briefs aligned with client business objectives

• Define clear problem statements, target priorities, and success metrics before campaign development

• Support the development of “living briefs” that evolve based on performance learning

• Help set parameters for campaign effectiveness across paid, earned, shared and owned channels

3. Connect Strategy to Performance

• Investigate and evaluate client marketing channel usage and effectiveness

• Monitor consumer trends, sentiment and campaign performance to refine strategy

• Align insights with channel selection and engagement platforms based on measurable impact

• Support post-campaign analysis by identifying key learnings and optimization opportunities

• Ensure recommendations are evidence-based and commercially sound

4. Collaboration & Execution Excellence

• Present insights and strategic recommendations clearly to internal teams and clients

• Partner cross-functionally with account, creative, digital and media teams

• Manage multiple assignments in a fast-paced environment while maintaining strategic rigor

• Advocate for insight-driven thinking throughout the creative process

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of relevant experience in communications, marketing, research or related fields

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business, or related disciplines

• Experience in an advertising, marketing, or PR agency planning function

• Strong ability to combine data and insights into a clear, defensible point of view

• Experience working with primary and secondary research tools and synthesizing findings

• Strong analytical capability with commercial awareness

• Proficiency in PowerPoint and strong storytelling ability

• Excellent presentation and written communication skills

• Experience supporting integrated, multi-channel campaigns

Core Competencies

• Outcome-oriented mindset - links strategy to measurable results

• Analytical rigor combined with creative thinking

• Strong stakeholder communication and influence skills

• Intellectual curiosity and cultural awareness

• Ability to balance speed and strategic depth

• High integrity and commitment to excellence

We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t perfectly align with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.