Associate Director, Programmatic

We are Assembly, the modern global media agency that’s part of Stagwell, the challenger network built to transform marketing. We’re purpose‑led through our core, and we help brands build connections with people through culturally relevant media experiences. We’re at the cutting edge of data and tech‑driven marketing, and we believe brand and performance media can work together to drive breakthrough business growth. ICYMI: Assembly was named Ad Age’s first‑ever Purpose‑Led Agency of the Year atop the 2022 Ad Age A‑List! The primary responsibility of the Associate Director, Programmatic/DMP is developing, deploying and measuring the effectiveness of programmatic media campaigns with the help of a team of programmatic practitioners. This candidate is an evangelist for marketing automation and has a clear POV on the role of data and technology in the advertising ecosystem. This position requires comfort in analyzing data for the purposes of optimizing campaigns, making client recommendations and planning new initiatives as well as extreme comfort with the ad tech ecosystem. Proficiency in digital media advertising and the full ecosystem from ad servers to supply partners, DSPs, channels/device types and DMP technology platforms and tools is required for this role. The ideal candidate is a master at Excel reporting or tools like Tableau to complete client deliverables as well as reporting for internal optimization making decisions. This candidate will be able to communicate programmatic concepts to teams internally as well as partners and clients externally, serving as an advocate for automation. The candidate must have a proven track record of delivering strong performance results for marketers across verticals and being able to provide transparency into how and why. A “roll‑up‑your‑sleeves” approach is mandatory and a “get‑it‑done” attitude is a must. Specific responsibilities include audience analysis, discovery, and segmentation, completing RFPs with client objectives in mind, optimizing campaigns to advertisers’ KPI, and setting best practices for programmatic activation. This role will have support from a team of programmatic analysts and requires comfort training and delegating. Successful candidates will be highly‑motivated, independent thinkers, who can act instinctively without detailed supervision. They are multi‑dimensional ‘rising‑stars’ who have an intellectual curiosity to do complex problem‑solving, and are able to communicate these succinctly to a broad internal and external client audience. This position reports to the VP/Director Programmatic. Responsibilities Serve as an expert on all aspects of programmatic planning and buying including audience design and discovery, DSP implementation and optimization, reporting and analysis in campaign flight and post campaign to influence future planning Assist in guiding the programmatic team by reviewing buying/trading practices, optimization techniques, DMP usage and workflow, troubleshooting across key stakeholders, and ensuring overall success of client relationships Be daily liaison between agency and client with the ability to educate on the nuances of programmatic, its role within the advertiser’s broader strategic mix and benefits Ensure all lines of business receive appropriate programmatic support and have strategic account plans Lead regular knowledge share sessions to share and learn new strategies for optimizing and enhancing campaign performance by engaging with the ad tech marketplace including but not limited to DSPs, SSPs, publishers, data/DMP partners and other tech players as needed Complete programmatic forecasting exercises for senior management with P&L oversight in driving revenue Participate in regular financial and operational meetings with senior management Collaborate with Tech, Data, and Inventory partners to keep abreast of the latest trends and feature sets available for programmatic activation Serve as a point of escalation for campaigns and troubleshoot issues with partners as needed Coordinate training, mentoring, and development of direct reports with the help of relevant partners like DSPs Help to showcase programmatic success via case studies and POVs on ad tech Knowledge & Experience Firm understanding of ad tech ecosystem and core industry topics like brand safety, cost transparency and data privacy 4+ years of strategic planning/campaign management experience at a programmatic buying entity, DSP or SSP required 3+ years with increasing responsibility within an agency or media company 2+ years of people managing experience Proven track record of excellent project management working across multiple teams and stakeholders Expertise in interactive media planning and buying elements Experience in Display, Video, and Mobile programmatic media buying Experience with advanced digital ad serving technology Strong analytical thinking and mathematical skills with proficiency in Excel or data platforms like Tableau Excellent communication skills with written and oral with high attention to detail Ability to multi‑task in a high paced environment with multiple stake holders Experience in a cross‑functional team environment. Agency experience a big plus. Technical Skills Proficiency working in multiple DSPs including but not limited to DV360, The Trade Desk and Yahoo platforms Familiarity with ad serving platforms (e.g. DART, Freewheel) and their reporting outputs Proficiency with Excel including pivot tables and VLOOKUPs and Powerpoint for creating client facing presentations Understanding of campaign, ad server, impression, and user data that can help capitalize on key drivers of performance and identify opportunities for account growth In order to comply with equal pay and salary transparency laws in various locations, we believe the target range of base compensation in all locations within the United States for this role is $100,000 - $120,000. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and location. In addition to medical, dental and vision coverage, we offer a generous PTO plan, 401k program, comprehensive family planning benefits (including paid parental leave), and pre‑tax commuter benefits. Benefits/perks may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Assembly and the location where you work. At Assembly, we believe every career is as unique as the individual and empower employees to reach their full potential in a winning culture motivated by a powerful purpose. Assembly is an advocate for equal opportunity in the workplace. We are committed to ensuring equal opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, gender identity, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. EEO Employer M/F/Vet/Disabled. #J-18808-Ljbffr