Programmatic Media Buyer

Backbone Media•Carbondale, CO

4h•$60,000 - $70,000•Remote

About The Position

The Programmatic Media Buyer is a key member of Backbone’s Brand and Performance Media initiatives, responsible for planning, buying, executing, and optimizing campaigns across Programmatic, CTV, Streaming Audio, Display, Native, Digital Video, and Digital OOH. Working closely with media strategists, this role manages campaign performance primarily across self-serve platforms, ensuring budgets are invested in the right channels, audiences, and inventory to drive the strongest results. The ideal candidate brings hands-on experience with DSPs and modern buying platforms such as The Trade Desk, Amazon DSP, and Tatari, along with a strong understanding of traditional network, publisher, and partner relationships. They are proactive, strategic, detail-oriented, and analytical, with a particular strength in streaming TV/CTV and upper-funnel media investments that connect brand storytelling to measurable business outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree
3-5 years of relevant experience
3–5+ years of experience in TV, CTV, audio, and cross-channel media buying, with hands-on expertise managing campaigns across display, online video, digital audio, native, and digital OOH.
Hands-on experience with The Trade Desk, Amazon DSP, Tatari, and/or other major DSP platforms, as well as direct IO buying with networks and publishers.
Proven experience building media plans, including audience strategy, market mix, reach and frequency projections, GRPs, CPMs, budget allocation, budget pacing, and flighting.
Experience negotiating with broadcast, cable, streaming, and audio partners, including PMP and programmatic guaranteed deals.
Strong understanding of media planning and buying fundamentals, including reach, frequency, GRPs, CPMs, impressions, and budget pacing, and familiarity with planning and audience tools such as Nielsen or Comscore
Proven ability to set up, manage, and optimize programmatic campaigns start to finish across channels, including bid strategy, performance analysis, and reporting
Working knowledge of measurement approaches such as brand lift, incrementality testing, MMM, and cross-channel attribution.
Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with close attention to detail and financial accuracy, including QA of orders, invoices, and post logs.
Experience working with ad serving tools, trafficking coordination, and dynamic creative
Ability to turn performance data and audience insights into clear forecasts, recommendations, and client-ready reporting and presentations.
Strong communication and project management skills, with the ability to collaborate across Strategy, Analytics, Account, and Creative teams and to work independently or as part of a team.
Curious and adaptable, with a test-and-learn mindset and an eye for emerging platforms and capabilities in TV, CTV, and audio.

Nice To Haves

Understanding of Backbone’s core values
A love of the outdoors
A sense of humor

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the paid media team to plan, execute, and optimize programmatic campaigns within DSP platforms, ensuring strong performance across digital channels.
Oversee day-to-day campaign management, including pacing, optimization, trafficking coordination, vendor communication, and ongoing maintenance.
Develop comprehensive media plans that include audience strategy, market mix, reach and frequency projections, budget allocation, and flighting recommendations.
Negotiate directly with broadcast, cable, streaming, and audio partners to secure effective PMP and programmatic guaranteed opportunities.
Partner closely with Media Strategy, Analytics, Account, and Creative teams to ensure campaign recommendations align with brand objectives, measurement frameworks, and ad-serving capabilities.
Analyze campaign performance, audience research, and market insights to deliver clear recommendations, forecast outcomes, and communicate results through client-ready reporting and presentations.
Ensure financial and operational accuracy by QA’ing buys, orders, invoices, and post logs throughout the campaign lifecycle.
Stay ahead of industry trends by identifying new platform capabilities, emerging tools, and test-and-learn opportunities across programmatic channels, with a focus on TV, CTV, and audio.