Programmatic Media Assistant Manager

GM•Detroit, MI

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Programmatic Media Assistant Manager at MediaOne, General Motors’ in-house media agency, you’ll play a pivotal role in leading programmatic strategy and optimization for some of the world’s most iconic automotive brands. You sit at the intersection of strategy, performance, and influence —shaping test agendas, raising the bar on activation quality, and steering how programmatic shows up across display, online video, CTV, audio, and emerging formats. This role is equivalent to an AMD/Director level at a media Agency. You will not have direct people management responsibility, but you will strongly influence the work and development of Programmatic Specialists and Senior Specialists through standards, guidance, and day‑to‑day collaboration. You’ll partner closely with brand media leads, performance marketing, audience and analytics teams, and platform partners to ensure our programmatic investments work harder and smarter for Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, Cadillac, OnStar, and GM corporate initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
5+ years of experience in paid media
at least 3+ years focused on programmatic buying/optimization at scale (agency, in‑house, or platform side)
Demonstrated experience leading complex initiatives and influencing the work of others
Advanced, hands‑on experience with one or more enterprise DSPs (e.g., DV360, The Trade Desk, Amazon, Yahoo), including multi‑format campaigns (display, video, CTV; audio a plus)
Deep understanding of: Auction dynamics and bid strategies.
Deal structures (open exchange, PMPs, preferred deals, PG) and supply path optimization.
Measurement and quality (viewability, IVT/fraud, brand safety/suitability, frequency management).
Familiarity with evolving topics like identity, cookie deprecation, clean rooms, and cross‑device measurement, and what they mean for optimization and test design.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesize large, complex data sets into clear narratives and prioritized recommendations.
Comfortable creating and presenting decks that tell the story of programmatic performance and recommended next steps to both specialist and non‑specialist audiences.
Able to balance short‑term performance wins with long‑term learning and platform strategy for GM brands.
Forward‑looking mindset; you track where programmatic, ad tech, and AI are going and what that means for MediaOne and GM.
Proven ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast‑paced environment, while maintaining a high bar for quality and detail.
Proactive self‑starter who can work independently and as part of a broader leadership group—comfortable working through ambiguity and influencing without direct authority.
Strong relationship‑builder who can partner effectively with GM brand teams, MediaOne channel and capability leads, external agencies, and platform partners

Nice To Haves

prior direct people management is a plus but not required

Responsibilities

Channel leadership & strategy: Help define and own the programmatic strategy for GM brands across display, OLV, CTV, audio, and other addressable formats.
Establish & lead evaluation frameworks tailored to GM’s needs and future technology stack.
Translate brand and performance objectives into clear programmatic plans, including channel, format, audience, and inventory strategies.
Recommend the right mix of open exchange, PMPs, and programmatic guaranteed to balance scale, efficiency, and quality.
Influence & mentorship (no direct people management): Act as a go‑to expert and thought partner for Programmatic Specialists and Senior Specialists on your brands.
Influence how campaigns are set up, optimized, and reported through clear guidance, feedback, and shared best practices.
Help shape informal development for junior talent by reviewing work, suggesting new approaches, and modeling high standards of craft—without direct line management.
Performance management & optimization: Own in‑flight optimization frameworks across brands, setting clear hypotheses, KPIs, and decision rules.
Diagnose performance across audiences, inventory paths, and formats; recommend smart shifts in: Bidding strategies (manual vs algorithmic, tCPA, tROAS, vCPM, etc.). Supply strategy (SPO, partners, deal types). Creative and audience approaches.
Partner with analytics and measurement teams to build robust readouts that connect media performance to business outcomes.
Understand platform contracts and commitments in order to meet agreed volumes and manage credits.
Testing, pilots & innovation: Develop and maintain a structured test & learn agenda for programmatic (e.g., new supply partners, new targeting approaches, new optimization features, AI‑driven tools).
Work with internal stakeholders and external partners to scope pilots, define success metrics, and ensure tests are scalable and repeatable if successful.
Translate test results into tangible guardrails, playbooks, and best practices for broader MediaOne adoption.
Stakeholder & partner management: Serve as a key programmatic point of contact for GM brand teams, MediaOne brand media leads, and cross‑channel partners.
Build and maintain productive relationships with DSPs, publishers, and key technology partners—helping align roadmaps and opportunities with GM priorities.
Create and deliver clear, compelling performance and strategy presentations for internal and, when needed, senior stakeholders.
Governance, process & quality: Help define and enforce standards for campaign setup, naming conventions, taxonomies, and QA across the brands you support.
Ensure strict adherence to GM’s brand safety, fraud/IVT, privacy, and suitability requirements.
Identify opportunities to streamline workflows through templates, automation, and improved handoffs with planning, audience, and analytics.