Associate Director, Programmatic

Associate Director, Programmatic

At Spectrum Science, our mission—connecting humankind to its best healthlife—comes to life through a culture rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. We believe breakthrough ideas happen when diverse perspectives are embraced and people are empowered to challenge what's possible.

Join our team of award-winning health-focused experts across advertising, clinical trial experience, communications, consulting, media, medical communications, and patient engagement. Together, we create the momentum that moves science, brands, and careers forward.

Spectrum is seeking an Associate Director, Programmatic to help shape and grow our programmatic and CTV capabilities. This is a highly visible player-coach role that balances strategic thinking with hands-on execution. The ideal candidate is a senior programmatic practitioner who can build, launch, optimize, and troubleshoot campaigns while also developing activation strategies, client recommendations, and the standards, processes, partnerships, and best practices that will support the continued growth of the function. Working within the Biddable Media team, this individual will partner closely with Integrated Media Planning, Analytics, Media Technology, Client Services, and external partners to develop privacy-conscious, omnichannel activation strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes for clients, while helping build the scalable foundation for Spectrum's evolving programmatic practice.

Job Responsibilities

• Own the quality, growth, and evolution of Spectrum's programmatic and CTV capabilities across client accounts.
• Serve as the agency's subject matter expert on programmatic media, CTV, audience activation, measurement, and emerging biddable media opportunities.
• Build, launch, optimize, troubleshoot, and report on programmatic and CTV campaigns across DSPs and activation platforms.
• Translate audience, media, data, and measurement strategies into executable omnichannel activation plans.
• Analyze performance data and develop optimization recommendations that drive business outcomes and client value.
• Partner with Media Planning, Analytics, Media Technology, Project Management, and Client Services to deliver integrated media solutions.
• Manage relationships with key platforms, data, inventory, measurement, and technology partners.
• Present strategic recommendations, performance insights, and POVs to clients and internal teams.
• Support new business and organic growth opportunities through programmatic strategy, media recommendations, capability presentations, and scope development.
• Develop and maintain best practices, QA standards, training materials, and repeatable workflows that support a scalable programmatic practice.
• Mentor team members and cross-functional partners on programmatic fundamentals, optimization approaches, and activation best practices.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in programmatic media, biddable media, digital activation, or related disciplines, preferably within an agency environment.
• Deep hands-on experience building, managing, optimizing, and troubleshooting campaigns within DSPs and programmatic platforms.
• Experience across programmatic display, native, online video, CTV/OTT, digital audio, and emerging biddable environments.
• Experience with platforms such as: DeepIntent, EXTE, VIANT, Doceree, PulsePoint, DV360, StackAdapt, The Trade Desk; Programmatic CTV/OTT, YouTube, premium video marketplaces, and digital audio platforms; Campaign Manager 360, Google Analytics, measurement and verification solutions; LiveRamp, Snowflake, audience onboarding, identity resolution, and privacy-safe data activation tools
• Strong understanding of audience strategy, media planning, ad technology, measurement, and privacy-conscious activation.
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive alignment across planning, analytics, technology, and client service functions.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and client presentation skills.
• Experience mentoring team members and helping build scalable processes, tools, and capabilities.
• Healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotech, life sciences, or other regulated-industry experience required.

The anticipated salary range for this position will be $120,000-$140,000. Salary is based on job-related factors such as: years of relevant experience, qualifications and/or certifications. Spectrum reserves the right to modify this pay range at any given time.

We want to ensure our employees are living their best (health and professional) life and offer a variety of benefits and perks which support our flexible work environment.

• All positions are remote friendly. At Spectrum, you choose where you work. We are a hybrid work environment with options to work in one of our three offices (D.C., New York, and Chicago), remotely from anywhere in the United States, or a combination.
• No matter where you work, you'll benefit from the monthly cell phone reimbursement.
• Flexible time off. Take the time you need in addition to company holidays, voting time, jury duty and bereavement. We also offer a Sabbatical Program after 7 years of service.
• 13 weeks paid Parental Leave, inclusive of adoption and foster care placement.
• Continuous learning and development through Greatest Potential Self (proprietary talent program), tuition reimbursement programs, and in-house 1:1 coaching with access to talent and productivity-based assessments.
• Bring your friends to work at Spectrum and earn a generous referral bonus.
• Medical concierge service to assist with scheduling appointments, finding care, estimating and resolving claim issues, etc.
• Thorough onboarding including accessible conversations with leadership.
• 401k with company match and 1:1 Financial Coaching and Education.
• Wellness benefits including medical, dental, vision, as well as science-backed meditation and mindfulness tools through Headspace.

Spectrum is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Spectrum is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact View email address on click.appcast.io