OVERVIEW
The across above-the-line (ATL) Planner supports the development, coordination, and delivery of best-in-class media plans across ATL channels including TV, radio, print, and out-of-home. The role focuses on operational excellence and data-informed planning that ensures seamless campaign delivery, accurate implementation, and performance tracking. The ATL Planner is accountable for precision in execution, collaboration with internal teams, and proactive contribution to campaign optimisation and client satisfaction. This role supports the ATL Planning Lead in translating strategy into actionable plans while mastering planning systems and processes
CLIENT CONTEXT
· Industry: Telecommunications (Telco)
Market: Nigeria + Pan-African footprint
· The Nigeria business represents one of the largest and most competitive telecom markets on the continent. The client holds approximately 35% market share (over 50 million active subscribers), and Nigeria remains their largest business unit globally. This market presents high complexity, short turnaround times, and significant visibility, but also unmatched opportunities for growth, innovation, and impact.
· We’ve recently won the account and are assembling a high-performance team to deliver best-in-class strategy, execution, and client partnership. The Nigeria operation will serve as the blueprint for excellence across 12 additional markets. Success in this role depends on precision, speed, and a proactive mindset capable of navigating fast-paced, high-stakes client environments.
CORE IMPACT
· Operational Excellence: Deliver flawless ATL campaign implementation, ensuring quality control, adherence to timelines, and compliance with internal processes.
· Client Delight: Support the Account Director and Planning Lead by anticipating client needs, ensuring responsiveness, and maintaining the highest standard of professionalism in every deliverable.
· Commercial Performance: Support accurate budgeting, tracking, and reconciliations, contributing to financial efficiency and profitability of campaigns.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
· Planning: Develop and support the delivery of strategic ATL media plans in collaboration with the Planning Lead and Account Director. Incorporate the planning principles which drive both incrementality and scale for the client brand. Align plans to client objectives, budgets, and audience insights.
· Placements: Ensure that all media plans and channel executions are aligned to the strategy put forward to client ensuring the audiences are adhered to. Proactively manage placements, timelines and material.
· Campaign Diversity: Demonstrate strong experience in establishing, implementing and managing different campaign channels such as radio, television, out of home, print, email and telephone marketing etc.
· Budget Management: Maintain up-to-date campaign budgets, track spend against plans, and assist in reconciliation processes. Escalate discrepancies proactively.
· Optimization: Understand analytics tools to track and measure campaign performance in real time and be able to analyse data for client delivering on measurable outcomes. Generate regular reports and optimize media channels, platforms, and formats to reach the target audience.
· Reporting: Present comprehensive campaign reports alongside client teams that include analysis on key performance indicators (KPIs) and provide data-driven insights aligned to the strategies presented.
· Compliance: Close off campaign or project and ensure all campaign documentation, proof-of-posting, and billing information are correctly logged. Follow internal billing protocols and consistently observe financial, legal and ethical compliance across all campaigns and markets.
· Through The Line Acumen: Upskill yourself to become a master of through the line campaign management. Support data gathering for pitch work or strategic recommendations. Curiously stay up-to-date with emerging digital marketing technologies, tools, and trends, and integrate them into campaigns to enhance effectiveness. Demonstrate proficiency in utilizing popular digital and above the line marketing platforms.
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
· Professional working proficiency in English (essential) and local language (advantageous).
· Deadline-driven. Demonstrate good project management skills and effectively lead projects with cross-functional colleagues or external partners.
· Communicate timeously (calls, emails, texts, calendar invites).
· Uphold Simply Black’s ways of working and meets all delivery timelines.
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT
· Strong understanding of ATL media principles, reach and frequency modelling, and media mix strategy.
· Technical understanding of how media platforms operate when targeting audiences and be familiar with how consumers interact with the platforms.
· Knowledge of the client's business, including competitive activity, local and global industry, and consumer trends.
· Display cross-cultural sensitivity and understanding. Able to match market offering with client objectives and collaborate with in-market expert to ensure best outcomes for business unit and client.
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND INFLUENCE
· Put the client at the heart of every encounter and proactively foster ‘Client Delight'. Develop and nurture trusting client relationships.
· View suppliers as strategic partners in delivering excellent client service.
· Develop positive cross-functional internal relationships. Collaborate with internal teams to deliver unique media experiences and ensure they align with client expectations.
· Actively participate in group conversations, using correct tone, grammar and spelling.
· Use the appropriate channels to escalate and address stakeholder concerns timeously.
COMMERCIAL ACUMEN
· Identify opportunities to drive and implement digital first and through the line objectives.
· Supports accurate budget management and reconciliation.
· Knowledge of basic financial terms and metrics (e.g. CPM, CPA).
· Understand the basics of an invoice: quantity, tax types etc and the cost structure related to advertising campaigns.
· Comply with regional currency and tax requirements.
INNOVATION
· Demonstrate curiosity. Contributes new ideas for improving planning quality or efficiency.
· Learns from post-campaign reviews to improve future recommendations.
· Think creatively. Come up with innovative and unique ideas.
· See problems as innovation opportunities and approach challenges with a solutions mindset.
· Able to interpret data and display sound data-driven decision quality.
PERSONAL MASTERY
· Thrive in fast-paced media environment.
· Show determination. Sets SMART goals and persists in the face of setbacks.
· Take accountability and own mistakes. Deal with issues when necessary.
· Demonstrate agility. Respond effectively to change. Adjust plans and priorities as needed.
· Aware of strengths, weaknesses, and emotions. Actively seek and deliver feedback.
· Pursue growth and development. Look for opportunities to enhance skills and knowledge.
SPECIAL PROJECT
Each employee is expected to take on a special project that a) contributes to growth in business unit, b) streamlines processes or c) positively impacts workplace happiness. This will be determined by the employee and their leader on an annual or bi-annual basis.
VALUE ALIGNMENT
Simply Black Group’s values are more than words on a wall, and we hold all members of the Tribe to the same high standard. Living the organisational values is crucial to your success at the company and this is measured throughout the year.
GROWTH PHILOSOPHY
At Simply Black Group we value holistic growth. The primary focus is personal mastery, but growth in the form of organisational movement such as a role change is dependent on three key factors:
(a) Success in Current Role: Demonstrated, consistent excellence in a) Triangle of Focus b) Core Responsibilities and c) Success Drivers
(b) Business Readiness: Alignment with operational, commercial, and strategic priorities.
(c) Industry Need: Agility to adapt as the media and marketing landscape evolves.