ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, PROGRAMMATIC INVESTMENT

Ad Results Media, LLC•United States,

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Ad Results Media is seeking an Associate Director, Programmatic Investment to join our Media Department and own the strategic vision, execution, and team leadership of the agency's programmatic business. This role is the agency's programmatic subject matter expert — setting strategy, leading vendor and DSP negotiations, mentoring a team of programmatic buyers and planners, and acting as a trusted, client-facing voice on all things programmatic. The Associate Director will translate client objectives into scalable frameworks for bidding, audience strategy, publisher partnerships, pacing, and supply-path efficiency — while building, training, and developing a high-performing programmatic team. This is a leadership role for someone who wants to shape how programmatic media drives business outcomes across our client portfolio, not just execute against it.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in media, marketing, or advertising, with demonstrated success owning programmatic strategy and campaign trading using DSPs such as DV360, The Trade Desk, AdsWizz, Verizon, etc.
Proven experience managing and mentoring direct reports, with strong people-leadership, coaching, and team-development skills
Deep expertise in DSP/SSP platforms, pixel implementation, PMP management, and programmatic data integrations
Strong, demonstrated negotiation skills — able to secure preferred vendor pricing, first-look opportunities, and innovative deal structures
Ability to translate complex programmatic concepts into clear, confident client-facing narratives; comfortable serving as a strategic voice in client meetings
Strong strategic and analytical thinking, with the ability to connect programmatic performance metrics to broader business outcomes
Experience building scalable frameworks for bidding, audience targeting, pacing, and supply-path optimization
Self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset; comfortable operating in a fast-evolving, still-maturing programmatic podcast/audio landscape
High proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and working knowledge of Google Sheets
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Highly organized and deadline-oriented, able to manage competing priorities across clients and internal stakeholders
Strong sense of teamwork and cross-functional collaboration, with a demonstrated ability to lead through influence

Responsibilities

Own the strategic vision for how programmatic media drives business outcomes across the agency's client portfolio; translate client objectives into bidding, audience, and publisher strategies aligned to performance goals
Develop and evolve agency frameworks for optimization, pacing, and supply-path efficiency, guiding the team to think holistically and strategically in execution
Lead vendor and DSP relationships and negotiations to maximize value and innovation; align programmatic and direct pricing strategies and optimize supply paths for efficiency
Identify opportunities to grow margin and revenue through creative deal structures and experimental partnerships
Serve as the agency's programmatic subject matter expert, training internal teams and driving organization-wide fluency in the channel
Act as a trusted, client-facing voice — stepping in to present strategy and explain complex programmatic concepts with clarity and confidence
Foster strong collaboration across planning, analytics, and creative teams to ensure alignment and transparency on programmatic campaigns
Oversee campaign setup, QA, and optimization processes to ensure flawless execution and performance delivery
Manage direct reports to uphold best practices, efficiency, and consistency across all programmatic campaigns
Ensure feedback loops and performance insights are delivered to account teams in a timely, actionable manner that supports client success
Serve as technical lead for troubleshooting and innovation within DSPs, SSPs, and data integrations; oversee pixel implementation, PMP management, and platform infrastructure
Continuously evaluate new tools, features, and data applications to improve automation, visibility, and performance measurement
Build and mentor a high-performing programmatic team, providing structured training and growth opportunities
Share programmatic knowledge across the agency to elevate overall media expertise; lead with curiosity and accountability, empowering the team to adopt new technologies and deliver exceptional client results
Keep abreast of industry trends and provide POVs on changes in the podcast/audio programmatic space
Assist with new business and existing client proposal creation and distribution