Director, Activation

Kepler executes engineered marketing, where every message and ad delivered helps create a more personalized and productive relationship between brands and their consumers. We do this by acting as clients’ agency of record, as their in-house team, or some hybrid of the two – and by harnessing data and technology across all paid digital media and data-driven CRM channels.

Kepler prides itself on being a great place to work. In fact, we’re proud to share that AdAge recognized Kepler among the Best Place to Work in 2022, validating our investment in our team and our clients.

• We're transparent with our employees. You'll hear updates on company financials, how we're performing against bonus goals, and how we're responding to challenges we face. 
• We're growing. For you, that means unparalleled growth opportunities and a role in shaping the direction of the company. 
• We're fun. You'll work with and learn from the smartest people in the industry and have a blast doing it. 

THE TEAM

Kepler’s Activation team is made up of forward-thinking media experts who bring deep platform expertise, analytical thinking, and a passion for driving performance across digital media channels. Our teams develop, execute, and optimize campaigns across paid search, paid social, programmatic display and video, connected TV, audio, digital out-of-home, and other emerging media channels.

We’re more than a media trading desk. We combine hands-on platform expertise with strategic thinking, data-driven insights, and a strong understanding of the evolving digital landscape to help our clients achieve their business goals. Our teams partner closely with clients, media partners, and internal stakeholders to develop innovative media strategies, identify opportunities for optimization, and build scalable solutions that drive measurable impact.

THE ROLE

The Director, Activation will provide strategic and operational leadership for a team of digital media professionals responsible for developing, executing, and optimizing performance-driven media campaigns across multiple channels. This role combines deep hands-on media expertise with strong client partnership and proven people leadership.

You will lead and develop a multi-level team of Associate Directors, Managers, Senior Analysts, and Analysts, setting strategic direction, building leadership capabilities, and ensuring excellence across campaign strategy and execution. As a senior leader within the Activation organization, you will serve as a trusted advisor to clients and internal stakeholders, drive innovation across media platforms, and identify opportunities to improve performance, strengthen team capabilities, and deliver meaningful business results.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Lead and develop a high-performing team: Provide strategic direction, coaching, and mentorship to a multi-level team of Associate Directors, Managers, Senior Analysts, and Analysts, fostering accountability, collaboration, and continued professional growth.
• Drive media strategy and performance: Oversee the development, execution, and optimization of cross-channel media campaigns across paid search, paid social, programmatic, and other digital channels, ensuring alignment with client objectives and business outcomes.
• Bring deep hands-on media expertise: Maintain strong platform knowledge and serve as a subject matter expert, guiding campaign strategy, troubleshooting performance challenges, and identifying opportunities for optimization and innovation.
• Lead client relationships: Build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders and media partners, lead strategic discussions, and translate campaign performance and industry trends into actionable recommendations.
• Drive innovation and operational excellence: Stay ahead of emerging media trends, platform capabilities, and technologies while establishing best practices, improving workflows, and identifying opportunities to scale team capabilities and efficiency.
• Partner across the organization: Collaborate with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to develop integrated media solutions, support broader business initiatives, and continually evolve the Activation organization.

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• 8–10+ years of hands-on digital media experience, with deep expertise in performance marketing across multiple paid media channels, including paid search, paid social, and programmatic.
• Experience leading and developing larger, multi-level teams, including Associate Directors, Managers, and senior individual contributors.
• Proven ability to coach and develop other leaders while building high-performing, collaborative teams.
• Extensive knowledge of major digital media platforms, campaign management tools, and analytics solutions.
• Experience developing cross-channel media strategies, overseeing campaign performance, and translating data into actionable business recommendations.
• Strong client-facing experience, including leading strategic discussions, presentations, and senior-level partnerships.
• Strong analytical, communication, presentation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, drive innovation, and thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Transparency is fundamental to Kepler’s culture. Our compensation strategy is designed to attract, reward, and retain the talented employees that drive Kepler’s growth and success. We aim to offer competitive direct compensation and a rich indirect compensation program that demonstrates the value we place on our employees and their wellbeing.

Total Compensation:        

• Base Salary: $140,000- $160,000
• Target Annualized Discretionary Bonus: 10% ($14,000 - $16,000)
• Target Total Cash: $154,000- $176,000

Benefits:

• Healthcare/Dental/Vision
• Unlimited PTO
• 401k Contributions
• $75/mo Wellness Stipend
• $100/mo Mobile Phone Stipend
• $50/mo Internet Stipend
• $500/yr Annual Learning Stipend
• $2,000/yr Annual Tuition Stipend
• One-time $200 New Hire Home Office Equipment Stipend
• Parental Leave - 16 week primary caregiver / 6 week secondary caregiver leave
• Annual Work From Anywhere 4 weeks per year

Kepler is a people first organization. If this role piques your interest but you may not check every box, we still encourage you to apply! Studies show that imposter syndrome can prevent women and people of color from applying unless they meet every single qualification. We welcome all who are interested to apply, you just might be a great candidate for this role or others. 

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