Associate Director, Programmatic

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California, +4 more states.

📋 Description

• Oversee the strategic planning, execution, optimization, and daily management of programmatic and digital media campaigns for key accounts.

• Handle campaign setup, quality assurance, launching, maintenance, pacing, targeting, optimization, troubleshooting, and reporting for programmatic display, video, audio, CTV, and emerging channels.

• Ensure campaigns are launched punctually, conforming to media plans and schedules, while being optimized to achieve client KPIs, business goals, scope, and budget.

• Act as the primary activation lead for internal teams, delivering clear communication, timely updates, and precise project management of campaign deliverables, requirements, timelines, and subsequent steps.

• Evaluate campaign performance to pinpoint trends, highlight issues, suggest optimizations, and convert results into actionable insights.

• Create client-facing and internal materials, including planning documents, performance summaries, optimization reports, recommendations, reporting slides, and final wrap-up materials.

• Collaborate with Integrated Media, Analytics, Strategy, Ad Operations, Creative, Client Services, and vendors to ensure campaign objectives are clearly understood, executed flawlessly, and measured accurately.

• Manage vendor relationships, assess their offerings and capabilities, support product trials and ad technology partnerships, and identify workflow enhancements to boost quality and efficiency.

• Supervise creative quality assurance, vendor specifications, UTM creation, campaign taxonomy, tracking requirements, trafficking needs, platform setup, billing, and actualization in coordination with cross-functional teams.

• Enhance operational processes, standard operating procedures, quality assurance standards, and best practices to promote consistency, accuracy, client satisfaction, and team productivity.

• Manage, mentor, train, and support Managers, Associates, and junior team members while defining clear roles, responsibilities, priorities, and delegation.

• Remain updated on industry trends, platform developments, optimization algorithms, emerging ad technologies, and programmatic best practices.

⛳️ Requirements

• 5-7+ years of experience in digital media buying, trading, campaign management, media activation, ad operations, or digital media operations; equivalent experience may also be considered.

• 3-5+ years of hands-on, in-platform programmatic experience.

• Strong knowledge of digital media channels, including programmatic, CTV, display, video, and audio.

• Advanced proficiency in buying platforms and ad operations tools such as GCM/DoubleClick, DSPs, The Trade Desk, DeepIntent, Pulsepoint, DV360, MediaOcean, Google Analytics, and similar platforms.

• Experience in managing or mentoring Managers, Associates, or junior team members, including onboarding, training, and workflow coaching.

• Proven experience leading daily meetings, status updates, internal communications, vendor interactions, and client-facing deliverables.

• Demonstrated capability to manage multiple clients, brands, campaigns, priorities, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Experience in developing platform strategies, tactical recommendations, optimization plans, performance insights, and client-ready reporting materials.

• Strong analytical, mathematical, and critical-thinking abilities, with a knack for interpreting campaign performance and translating data into actionable recommendations.

• Excellent communication, collaboration, project management, organizational, prioritization, and time management skills, with a strict attention to detail and accuracy.

• Solutions-oriented mindset with the capacity to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve issues effectively.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, with advanced Excel skills preferred; experience with Google Suite is a plus.

• Experience in healthcare, pharmaceutical, or agency media is preferred but not mandatory.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience is preferred.

🏝️ Benefits

• Health insurance

• 401(k) matching

• Flexible working hours

• Paid time off

• Professional development opportunities