Associate Vice President, Agency & Media Strategy

About Tunnl

Tunnl is building a future where artificial intelligence enables organizations to connect meaningfully with the people who matter most. We help organizations conduct research at scale, define the right audiences, surface real-time insights, identify optimal communication channels, and measure changing attitudes over time.

Tunnl serves brands, agencies, and advocacy groups alike - organizations navigating complex communications, reputational, and regulatory landscapes. These teams need smarter, faster ways to make audience-informed decisions that stand up to scrutiny and resonate across stakeholder groups. Whether you're building a brand, shaping public opinion, managing risk, or launching a new initiative, Tunnl empowers you to move from insight to impact with clarity & confidence.

The Role: AVP, Agency & Media Strategy

Tunnl is seeking an AVP, Agency & Media Strategy to lead how we support agency and media clients — translating research, data, and audience insights into real-world campaign strategy and execution. This role reports to the VP of Client Experience and Insights and will directly manage members of the Account Management team supporting our work with agency, media, and activation partners.

You will define how Tunnl connects insights to audience creation and activation, ensuring our outputs go deeper than reporting to directly inform our partners’ media planning, targeting, and campaign decisions.

You will bring deep experience in media planning and buying, a strong understanding of the programmatic ecosystem (DSP/SSP), and a track record of growing agency relationships across accounts and portfolios.

This is both a strategic and leadership role. You will shape our agency approach, coach teams to operate as strategic partners, and build the systems and capabilities needed to scale this work across Tunnl.

DC-area strongly preferred. Candidates outside the DC-area will be considered for exceptional fits, given the hybrid team environment and frequency of in-person client and stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic approach for how Tunnl supports agency and media clients

• Translate research, audience insights, and data into actionable media strategies

• Establish best practices for audience building, client messaging, and activation strategy

• Ensure all work drives real campaign decisions, not just reporting

• Connect research outputs to audience targeting and media execution

• Partner with Strategic Research to ensure audiences are optimized and activation-ready

• Identify and resolve gaps between insights and campaign execution

• Apply survey data and audience insights to inform targeting, messaging, and media planning

• Serve as a senior strategic partner to agency and media clients and holding companies

• Expand relationships across accounts, teams, and portfolios within agencies and media entities

• Identify and drive opportunities for account growth and expanded scope

• Shape how Tunnl packages and delivers offerings to agency partners

• Directly lead and develop team members across Account Management, and educate Sales and Research teams to become better agency and media partners

• Coach teams to think strategically and translate data into recommendations

• Provide clear, actionable feedback to ensure high-quality client deliverables

• Act as a senior escalation point for complex client and strategy challenges

• Develop playbooks, frameworks, and standards to scale agency and media work

• Improve consistency, quality, and repeatability across client engagements

• Partner with Account Management, Strategic Research, and Product teams to drive alignment

• Influence product direction to support audience activation and campaign execution

What Success Looks Like

• Agency and media clients expand their partnerships with Tunnl due to your strategic leadership and relationship depth

• Tunnl deliverables are consistently connected to activation, driving real campaign decisions for clients

• Account Management teams operate as stronger strategic partners under your coaching and direction

• Playbooks, frameworks, and standards are in place and actively used across agency engagements

• Internal stakeholders — across Research, Product, and Sales — see you as a reliable, cross‑functional leader

• Tunnl's agency and media practice grows in both revenue and reputation under your ownership

Required Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in media planning and/or buying (agency or in‑house), including work with large or complex agency environments

• Experience in public affairs, advocacy, brand strategy, or political campaign environments

• Demonstrated ability to build credibility and influence with C‑suite executives and senior agency leaders — someone who walks into a room with senior stakeholders and commands their attention and respect.

• Proven track record of growing client relationships and expanding scope across accounts or portfolios

• Strong commercial instincts, with experience shaping client offerings or solutions

• Experience leading and managing teams, including coaching and developing talent

• Experience translating research, data, or audience insights into campaign and media strategy, including activation and execution

• Experience working cross‑functionally across client, research, and product or technical teams

• Experience building or scaling internal processes, playbooks, or frameworks, with strong communication skills to simplify complex topics

• Domestic travel required approximately 2-3 days per month for agency client meetings, industry conferences, and internal team engagements

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with survey research, segmentation, or audience development methodologies

• Exposure to data onboarding, identity resolution, or audience matching workflows

• Strong understanding of the programmatic ecosystem, including DSPs, SSPs, and targeting workflows

• Experience contributing to product direction, roadmap prioritization, or platform improvements

• Experience working within or across large agency holding companies

Why You Should Apply

• Lead and define a critical function at a company connecting data, research, and campaign execution

• Work with leading brands, agencies, and public affairs organizations on high‑impact problems

• Build and scale a capability that directly influences real‑world decisions and outcomes

• Join a collaborative, high‑performing team that values initiative, curiosity, and ownership

• Gain the opportunity to shape both client strategy and internal systems as the company grows