Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic development of programmatic media plans — not just activation briefs, but the full architecture: channel selection, DSP strategy, audience construction, deal structures (PMP, PG, open market), and budget allocation logic
• Design media strategies that span CTV, display, video, DOOH, and emerging formats, with a clear point of view on how each channel contributes to outcomes — not just reach
• Build plans that are rooted in the business objective first, media logic second, and platform mechanics third; sequence matters
• Translate client briefs and investment strategies into sophisticated, defensible programmatic plans that agency strategy and investment teams can rally behind
• Demonstrate mastery of how the programmatic ecosystem interconnects: DSPs, SSPs, DMPs, CDPs, clean rooms, identity graphs, bid infrastructure, and ad servers — and how each decision in one layer impacts performance in another
• Serve as the internal authority on the evolving landscape: signal loss, identity resolution, contextual targeting, attention metrics, MFA/brand safety — and translate that knowledge into actionable strategy for client teams
• Own the relationship between programmatic and the broader biddable ecosystem, ensuring paid search, social, and programmatic are working together, not in parallel silos
• Partner with activation technology and engineering on proprietary tooling (PACER, InSite AI, SPO) — contributing strategy input that shapes product development, not just using the tools
• Go beyond standard delivery reporting — build measurement frameworks that answer real business questions: incrementality, path-to-conversion, cross-channel attribution, and audience quality
• Partner closely with analytics and data science teams to develop custom testing frameworks: DSP bakeoffs, incrementality studies, reach/frequency analysis, and outcome-based measurement

Requirements

• 10+ years in programmatic media with progressive responsibility
• Expert-level knowledge of the programmatic ecosystem: not just how to run campaigns, but how DSPs, SSPs, identity, data, and measurement actually work together (and where they break)
• A track record of developing sophisticated programmatic strategies — plans that go beyond standard templates and reflect genuine thinking about how media drives business outcomes
• Real experience building measurement frameworks beyond last-click: incrementality, multi-touch, brand lift, custom attribution — and the ability to partner with analytics teams to execute them
• Deep technical platform knowledge: DV360, The Trade Desk at minimum, plus working familiarity with ad servers, CDPs, clean rooms, and identity solutions
• Experience managing senior direct reports (Directors and above) with the emotional intelligence to coach, challenge, and retain high performers under pressure
• Agency experience required — you understand how to navigate internal politics, manage client expectations, and build cross-functional alignment in a complex org structure
• Programmatic account leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills

Preferred

• Automotive account experience strongly preferred