OVERVIEW
The Digital Planner is responsible for developing and implementing best-in-class digital media strategies that drive measurable performance and align with client business objectives. This role combines analytical rigour, creative thinking, and attention to detail, ensuring campaigns are flawlessly executed, optimized, and reported. The Digital Planner will work closely with the Digital Account Manager, local Account Director, and cross-market teams to deliver digital excellence for one of Africa’s largest telecommunications brands.
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.
· This role will operate at the centre of a high-performance hub responsible for setting the gold standard for media delivery and execution excellence across the region. The Digital Planner will thrive in a fast-paced environment requiring precision, collaboration, and strategic agility to deliver measurable results.
TRIANGLE OF FOCUS
· Operational Excellence: Ensure flawless campaign implementation, optimization, and reporting accuracy across all digital platforms.
· Client Delight: Deliver best-in-class service through attention to detail, insight-led recommendations, and proactive issue resolution.
· Commercial Performance: Maximize campaign efficiency and ROI while supporting cost control and revenue growth through smart buying and optimization.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
· Strategic Planning: Develop and deliver digital media plans grounded in data, insight, and client objectives. Champion audience-first planning and performance measurement through the funnel, from awareness to conversion. Champion performance marketing, with a strong command of biddable media, audience-first planning, and outcome-based KPIs. Craft scalable and innovative plans across platforms (Meta, Google, DV360, programmatic, etc.) aligned to customer journeys and user behaviours. Integrate cross-market planning, leveraging Client’s pan-African footprint and audience data.
· 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. Support trafficking, QA, and ad verification; ensure correct tagging and tracking for measurement.
· Campaign Diversity: Ensure constant, measurable innovation in the plan for channels, platforms and units across all digital entities such as mobile, gaming, app strategy, branding, lead generation, video ads, etc.
· Performance: Ability to drive performance marketing with emphasis on ROI, acquisition, and customer value delivery. Strong knowledge of attribution, tracking, and conversion optimization. Constantly tests new formats e.g. gamification, WhatsApp campaigns, integrations, driving measurable innovation and learning.
· Client Service: Proactively anticipate client’s evolving needs. Support strategic decision-making with data and insight. Work seamlessly with account managers, creatives, analysts, and media partners to deliver cohesive campaign experiences.
· Optimization: Track campaign performance daily, optimizing toward KPIs such as CTR, CPA, ROI, and engagement rate. Use analytics tools to generate actionable data and improve campaign ROI. Contribute to optimization learnings shared with cross-market teams during quarterly reviews.
· Reporting: Prepare mid- and post-campaign reports with insights, learnings, and next-step recommendations. Present comprehensive reports alongside client teams that include analysis on key performance indicators (KPIs) and provide data-driven insights aligned to the strategies presented.
· Compliance: Ensure all campaign documentation, media authorizations, and billing processes follow internal finance protocols. Maintain accurate records on PlanIt and ensure all projects are properly closed out. Uphold financial, legal, and ethical compliance across all digital channels.
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).
· Upholds Simply Black’s ways of working and meets all delivery timelines.
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT
· Strong understanding of planning principles, reach and frequency modelling, and media mix strategy.
· Technical understanding of how digital 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 awareness and regularly collaborate with in-market expert to drive best outcomes for client.
· Strive to maximize Simply Black integrated offering with client objectives.
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.
· Be respectful to all colleagues. Cultivate constructive working relationships. Positively engage and collaborate with internal community members.
· 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.