Operations Manager - Global Ad Operations

Azerion

1d•Remote

About The Position

Improve Digital, part of Azerion, monetises the inventory of publishers across Europe and beyond. We run a managed monetisation service, a self-service product for long-tail publishers, and in-app and video solutions. Our stack is our own Prebid wrapper, Google Ad Manager, and a set of supply-side platform integrations that grows every quarter. We operate as a global operations team alongside multiple local business units, each with its own sales and account management. This role exists because of the operational friction that can arise from this structure. We are looking for someone to run the operating system of our ad operations function — not to be its most senior technician. You will own how work enters the team, how it is prioritised, how much capacity we have, what quality means, and how we hold our own standards when a business unit changes its priorities for the third time in a week. You will manage a distributed team across three countries — through their lead, plus two functional specialists. Roughly fifteen people in total, across three countries and two languages.

Requirements

Experience managing an operations, technical support, or ad operations team, including managing through team leads.
Experience measuring workload in a defined unit and using it to argue for or against headcount.
Experience designing a process and getting it adopted by people who do not report to you.
Experience holding a position with someone senior, outside your reporting line, without capitulating or escalating immediately.
Experience saying no, or "not this week", with the trade-off made explicit.
Experience with real performance conversations — expectation set, followed up, seen through either way.
Experience developing someone already competent into someone materially more capable, and being able to name them and what changed.
Working knowledge of programmatic advertising: header bidding, Google Ad Manager, Prebid, ads.txt, sellers.json, supply-side platform integrations — enough to scope work and judge its quality.
Fluent English.
Ability to work across time zones and cultures.

Nice To Haves

Being the deepest technical expert on the team.
Managing a large team before — the company cares more about how you have managed than how many.

Responsibilities

Own how work enters the team, how it is prioritised, and team capacity.
Define and maintain quality standards for the ad operations function.
Manage a distributed team across three countries, including through team leads and functional specialists.
Ensure adoption of new features and platform integrations.
Oversee the migration of a territory onto the company's systems.
Onboard new teams in new countries.
Conduct real performance conversations, setting expectations and following up.
Develop competent team members into more capable individuals.