Why this role is on the menu

Media is one of Instacart's most powerful growth levers, and the team is actively evolving its operating model to serve multiple lines of business through a mix of in-house and agency-managed media. Without strong operating infrastructure, the media team risks spending its time on coordination and manual workarounds rather than strategy, innovation, and campaign performance. This role exists to design, own, and continuously improve the core mechanics of how the media team plans, executes, and optimizes work. Twelve months from now, the media team will operate with a clear, scalable, and trusted operating system that makes it easy to do great work without reliance on tribal knowledge.

What you'll cook up in your first year

• Media's planning frameworks, templates, and cadences are redesigned and adopted across the team, driving clarity and accountability in annual and quarterly planning cycles.
• A scalable media operating system is in place: budget pacing, performance reporting, campaign enablement, and process automation are governed by clear standards and a maintained roadmap.
• Intake, automation, and workflow tooling are simplified and reliable, with manual double-entry eliminated through well-scoped AI and automation solutions.
• Cross-functional operating rhythms, including business reviews and integrated campaign program management, run with transparent workback schedules, strong stakeholder communication, and consistent follow-through.
• Change management for new systems and processes is executed effectively, with documentation, training, and communication plans that drive adoption across media and partner teams.

The secret ingredients we're looking for

Must-have pantry staples (Minimum Qualifications)

• 7 to 10 or more years of experience in Marketing or Media Operations, Program Management, Business Operations, or a closely related field within complex, cross-functional organizations.
• Demonstrated experience as a senior individual contributor with real decision authority and ownership over cross-functional operating systems.
• Fluency in program management: workback schedules, risk management, project velocity, and hands-on ownership of project management tooling for non-technical teams.
• Systems mindset: proven ability to take fragmented or inconsistent processes and make them clearer, simpler, and more reliable, with a track record of building standardized templates and driving adoption across multiple teams.
• Strong understanding of how media teams plan, intake, prioritize, and execute work at scale, including familiarity with media tech stacks.
• Excellent written communication and structured thinking, with the ability to turn complex inputs into crisp narratives and leadership-ready materials.
• Analytical fluency: comfortable working with performance metrics and basic financial concepts, and able to pressure-test assumptions and identify gaps.

Optional garnishes (Preferred Qualifications)

• Practical experience using automation and AI tools to streamline workflows, such as meeting prep, intake triage, and template population.
• Experience in retail, consumer tech, or marketplace businesses.

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