VP, Marketing Planning & Operations, CNN

CNN Marketing is seeking a strategic, highly collaborative and dynamic VP, Marketing Planning & Operations to lead cross-functional planning and execution of holistic marketing programmes. Reporting directly to the Head of Marketing, the role serves as the critical cross-functional bridge and owns the end-to-end marketing planning and operating model that connects all marketing verticals. It acts as the central point for cross-functional planning and operational modernisation, driving internal efficiency and alignment through standardised workflows, upgraded planning and campaign documentation, and the adoption of automation and AI efficiency tools.

• Track official intake, timing, dependencies and troubleshooting for all tiered marketing initiatives tied to measurable business objectives, defining data-backed prioritisation criteria with marketing and content leads and communicating rolling updates.
• Act as the primary cross-functional touchpoint to unify marketing verticals, ensuring on-strategy and on-time campaign execution and maintaining alignment from planning through optimisation.
• Oversee the planning architecture so that all marketing verticals are fully synchronised from brief to execution to post-mortem, defining and enforcing standardised campaign timelines and key milestones.
• Establish and lead structured governance forums, including campaign readiness reviews and weekly orchestration meetings, to drive alignment and mitigate risk.
• Ensure clear, streamlined approval processes across all campaign stages, enabling timely decision-making and minimising bottlenecks across stakeholders.
• Facilitate seamless, accurate and timely campaign delivery, ensuring all assets and deliverables meet defined quality assurance standards prior to launch.
• Lead standardised post-campaign reviews to capture process and key learnings, improve future planning and drive continuous performance improvement.
• Build and scale the Marketing Planning and Operations function over time, including defining existing and new functions, day-to-day team management, active mentoring and career growth opportunities.
• Continually assess team bandwidth and capacity across planning and integrated execution, working with the Head of Marketing and Marketing Leads to address known gaps and support shifting business priorities.
• Define, implement and enforce modernised, agile ways of working and operational KPIs and performance benchmarks across the marketing ecosystem, breaking down departmental silos and driving consistency and accountability.
• Establish and scale unified templates for strategic briefs, campaign frameworks, marketing roadmaps and post-mortems to ensure consistency, clarity and executive-ready quality.
• Lead the exploration, onboarding and adoption of modern AI-driven operational tools for marketing productivity, and establish a centralised marketing planning and campaign management approach and tooling as a unified, transparent single source of truth.

• 12+ years of progressive marketing leadership experience within major media, entertainment, streaming or digital consumer brands.
• Hands-on operational management of paid media campaigns and/or owned and operated marketing channels.
• Proven track record of managing complex, high-profile campaigns and building long-range marketing calendars or promotional roadmaps.
• Ability to prioritise team workload based on known or potential contribution to business objectives.
• Demonstrated experience driving operational transformation within complex, matrixed organisations, including rewriting organisational workflows, scaling marketing structures and rolling out new enterprise tools.
• Experience operating across integrated marketing ecosystems, including brand, media, digital, social and content production.
• Operational moderniser: passionate about organisational design and internal efficiency, with a strong point of view on how modern marketing teams should collaborate, document strategy and use technology.
• AI and tech-forward mindset: forward-thinking approach to internal tools, with practical familiarity with how generative AI, automation and project management tools can optimise marketing workflows.
• Diplomacy and influence: high emotional intelligence and the ability to usher teams through change management, standardising processes without stifling strategic and creative output.
• Enterprise operator: ability to operate at scale within a global, matrixed organisation, balancing strategic vision with operational rigour and execution discipline.
• Commercial acumen: strong understanding of marketing investment, budget management and ROI measurement to inform prioritisation and decision-making.

• Hiring salary range: $161,070.00 – $299,130.00 per year. Actual salaries vary based on job-related factors including geographic location, external market data, internal equity, skill set, experience, training, education and/or performance; base pay is one component of the total compensation package.

• Health insurance coverage
• Employee wellness programme
• Life and disability insurance
• Retirement savings plan
• Paid holidays, sick time and vacation
• Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives and programme-specific awards