Media Strategy & Planning Specialist - Sonic

The Specialist, Media Strategy & Planning supports the planning, activation, and financial stewardship of paid media for the SONIC brand.

About Inspire

• Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,300 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants worldwide.
• We’re made up of some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands, but we’re much more than just a restaurant company.
• We’re a team of hundreds of thousands who individually and collectively are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather around the table.
• We know that food is much more than a staple—it’s an experience.
• to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.

Responsibilities

• This role coordinates creative asset delivery and trafficking, maintains accurate planning and budget documentation, supports reporting needs, and helps ensure campaigns launch accurately and on schedule.
• The Specialist works closely with the Associate Manager and partners across internal media, finance, creative, agency, and vendor teams.
• Media Strategy & Planning (70%) Maintain media planning flowcharts, budget trackers, and supporting documentation in partnership with the Associate Manager, helping ensure information remains accurate and current.
• Coordinate creative asset intake, delivery, and trafficking across traditional and digital channels, including linear television, radio, OTT, online video, social, and digital audio.
• Enter and validate campaign taxonomy and messaging inputs within creative grids, traffic sheets, and related planning documents.
• Track campaign deliverables and deadlines across national, regional, and local media activity, proactively communicating risks or missing information.
• Gather media spend, campaign details, and other inputs needed for recurring and ad hoc reporting.
• Assist with identifying and resolving reporting, invoicing, and billing discrepancies, escalating issues to the Associate Manager when appropriate.
• Support recurring financial and planning deliverables, including the Consolidated Marketing Calendar, cash-flow management, and accruals.
• Maintain process documentation, weekly status materials, meeting notes, and action-item trackers.
• Contribute relevant SONIC learnings and best practices to the broader Media Strategy & Planning team.
• Agency & Cross-Functional Internal Teams Collaboration (30%) Coordinate with media agencies, Biddable team, finance, creative teams, and other partners to support accurate and timely campaign execution.
• Track invoice status and validate that invoice details align with approved flowcharts and budgets.
• Coordinate creative asset delivery from internal and external creative partners, confirming that assets meet required specifications and trafficking deadlines.
• Communicate project status, outstanding needs, and potential execution risks to the Associate Manager and relevant partners.
• Participate in agency, vendor, and cross-functional meetings, documenting decisions and following up on assigned actions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing , Advertising, Communications, or related field
• 0 – 2 years of relevant experience in marketing and/or media

Preferred

• Internship or entry-level experience in paid media planning, campaign activation, creative trafficking, or advertising operations
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Strong organizational and project coordination skills.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments and meet established deadlines.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across internal teams, agencies, vendors, and other external partners.
• Foundational quantitative skills and ability to interpret basic media, budget, and performance data.
• Working proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to learn media planning, trafficking, financial, and workflow-management systems.
• Ability to identify discrepancies, communicate risks, and escalate issues appropriately.
• Curiosity and willingness to build knowledge across paid media channels.
• Sound judgment, accountability, and a collaborative working style.