Programmatic Media Supervisor

EVERSANA•Chicago, IL

4d•$90,000 - $115,000

About The Position

As the Programmatic Supervisor, you will oversee the execution and optimization of programmatic advertising campaigns for pharmaceutical clients, ensuring they meet client objectives and deliver strong performance. This role requires a detail-oriented leader with a deep understanding of programmatic advertising, data analysis and campaign management. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including Media, Account and Analytics, to develop and implement programmatic strategies that align with business goals and client needs. The Programmatic Supervisor also oversees Programmatic Trader(s), fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement. The Programmatic Supervisor manages the programmatic resources and all day-to-day planning, buying and reporting work for a portfolio of pharmaceutical brands, spanning both Healthcare Professional (HCP) and Direct-to-Consumer (DTC)/patient audiences. The Programmatic Supervisor is able to identify and independently mitigate low-level risk scenarios, accompanied by conflict-resolution actions, and knows when to properly engage and escalate issues to senior media team members. Because this work supports pharmaceutical brands, the Programmatic Supervisor is also expected to understand, and help ensure adherence to, the Medical, Legal and Regulatory (MLR) review requirements unique to pharmaceutical advertising, along with the platform-specific healthcare advertising policies governing paid media. The primary responsibility of the Programmatic Supervisor is the effective management and optimization of live programmatic campaigns and/or oversight of the Programmatic Trader(s) executing those accounts, while acting as the programmatic point person for specific accounts/brands within their portfolio of business. Our employees are tasked with delivering excellent business results through the efforts of their teams. These results are achieved by: Campaign Oversight & Optimization — Meet client objectives while implementing and managing programmatic campaigns within the agency trading desk; monitor and analyze campaign performance, brand safety and viewability expectations to ensure proper, agreed-upon standards are met. Team Management & Delegation — Oversee Programmatic Trader(s), effectively managing and delegating work across the team; own quality assurance (QA) of Programmatic Trader tasks and deliverables before work is deemed final. Client & Account Leadership — Act as the programmatic point person for specific accounts/brands within the portfolio of business allocated to you; maintain positive relationships with clients, vendors and agency partners, including internal agency partners. Media Thought Leadership — Provide media thought leadership and guidance to the team — both to integrated media planning/account teams and when included in client meetings; provide clear direction to the internal programmatic team at planning kickoffs. Proposal & Executional Ownership — Own the overall proposal, recommendation and executional output the programmatic team provides for assigned brand(s); independently develop client-facing slides and presentations without the support of creative or design. Cross-Functional Collaboration — Understand the customer journey and how programmatic fits within it; partner closely with Media, Account and Analytics teams to develop and implement programmatic strategies aligned with business goals and client needs. Process & Best Practices — Contribute to the development of team documents and playbooks based on experience and media industry knowledge; create and share best practices across the team; provide platform feedback and analysis. Data Analysis & Reporting — Perform data analysis and optimization and contribute to campaign reporting; identify trends across clients and advertisers; identify compelling media learnings and provide case studies at the end of campaigns and throughout the year. Risk Management & Escalation — Identify and independently mitigate low-level risk scenarios, accompanied by conflict-resolution actions; know when to properly engage and escalate issues to senior media team members; responsible for campaign audits and executing checks and balances. Regulatory & Compliance — Ensure programmatic plans, targeting parameters and placements comply with FDA/OPDP guidance, client Medical/Legal/Regulatory (MLR) requirements and platform-specific healthcare advertising policies (e.g., Google, Meta, programmatic exchanges); maintain awareness of HIPAA and data-privacy considerations relevant to HCP and DTC/patient audience targeting; flag and resolve compliance risks before campaigns go live. Vendor & Data Partner Management — Manage data partners and audience creation; evaluate and negotiate with media vendors and third-party verification/measurement partners to secure optimal terms and capabilities. Budget & Resource Management — Oversee programmatic budgets and allocate resources effectively across the portfolio to maximize impact and efficiency. Talent Development — Train and mentor Programmatic Traders and Associate Programmatic Traders; lead onboarding for new hires and direct reports; foster a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement. Innovation & Market Awareness — Stay abreast of new and emerging trends and technologies while authoring industry-centric points-of-view (POVs); constantly think of new solutions to meet clients' brand goals. Demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias. All other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent education plus professional experience required.
4-7 years of experience in programmatic advertising, data analysis and campaign management, including hands-on-keyboard experience.
Proven experience managing programmatic campaigns and leading programmatic teams.
Expert in demand-side platforms (e.g., The Trade Desk, DV360, Amazon DSP).
Experience managing data partners and audience creation.
Expert in third-party verification tools (e.g., DoubleVerify, IAS, MOAT, or other).
Working knowledge of HIPAA and data-privacy considerations as they relate to HCP and DTC/patient audience targeting.
Working knowledge of the Medical, Legal and Regulatory (MLR) review process, FDA/OPDP promotional guidance, and platform-specific healthcare advertising policies, and the ability to apply that knowledge across a portfolio of brands.
Excellent leadership, communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to think strategically and creatively, with a focus on innovation and continuous improvement.
Strong Microsoft Excel skills (including pivot tables, formulas, etc.).
Strong attention to detail and the QA process, ensuring work is fully vetted before it is deemed final.
Ability to train and mentor others.
Expert in independently developing client-facing slides and presentations without the support of creative or design.
Understands how to present media data and information in new and compelling ways.
Complete understanding of the media process from start to finish; understands the nuanced process of delegating work.
Ability to work and make decisions independently while understanding one's role within the larger team; does not work in a vacuum.
Oversees analysis of performance metrics and communicates or proposes optimization recommendations supported by data and insights; identifies trends in data to drive optimization.
Responsible for campaign audits, executing checks and balances.
Experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment; ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
Advanced problem-solving skills, prioritization, multitasking and time management.
Ability to clearly articulate thoughts, ideas and concerns as they relate to the greater good of the campaign.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Marketing, Communications or a related field.
Prior experience within a pharmaceutical or healthcare marketing agency, spanning both HCP and DTC/patient campaigns.
Experience with healthcare-specific, NPI-matched DSPs and data partners (e.g., DeepIntent, Doceree, PulsePoint) supporting compliant HCP targeting.
Experience negotiating programmatic guaranteed and private marketplace (PMP) deals with premium health publishers (e.g., WebMD, Everyday Health, Medscape, Doximity).
Direct experience managing, training or mentoring Programmatic Traders or Associate Programmatic Traders.
Relevant platform certifications (e.g., The Trade Desk EDGE Academy, Google DV360/CM360, IAB/programmatic certifications).
Experience contributing to new-business pitches, proposals and agency capabilities presentations.
Familiarity with connected TV/OTT, digital audio, native and digital out-of-home (DOOH) programmatic channels as applied to pharmaceutical brand strategy.
Direct experience across a variety of pharmaceutical therapeutic areas (e.g., oncology, rare disease, cardiovascular).
Familiarity with global markets and cultural nuances in programmatic advertising.

Responsibilities

Oversee the execution and optimization of programmatic advertising campaigns for pharmaceutical clients.
Manage programmatic resources and day-to-day planning, buying, and reporting for a portfolio of pharmaceutical brands.
Identify and mitigate low-level risk scenarios and know when to escalate issues to senior media team members.
Ensure adherence to Medical, Legal, and Regulatory (MLR) review requirements unique to pharmaceutical advertising and platform-specific healthcare advertising policies.
Manage and optimize live programmatic campaigns or oversee Programmatic Traders executing those accounts.
Act as the programmatic point person for specific accounts/brands within their portfolio.
Meet client objectives while implementing and managing programmatic campaigns within the agency trading desk.
Monitor and analyze campaign performance, brand safety, and viewability expectations.
Oversee Programmatic Trader(s), manage and delegate work, and own quality assurance of their tasks and deliverables.
Act as the programmatic point person for specific accounts/brands and maintain positive relationships with clients, vendors, and agency partners.
Provide media thought leadership and guidance to the team and in client meetings.
Own the overall proposal, recommendation, and executional output for programmatic teams.
Develop client-facing slides and presentations independently.
Understand the customer journey and how programmatic fits within it.
Partner closely with Media, Account, and Analytics teams to develop and implement programmatic strategies.
Contribute to the development of team documents and playbooks.
Create and share best practices across the team.
Provide platform feedback and analysis.
Perform data analysis and optimization and contribute to campaign reporting.
Identify trends across clients and advertisers.
Identify compelling media learnings and provide case studies.
Identify and independently mitigate low-level risk scenarios and execute conflict-resolution actions.
Ensure programmatic plans, targeting parameters, and placements comply with FDA/OPDP guidance, client MLR requirements, and platform-specific healthcare advertising policies.
Maintain awareness of HIPAA and data-privacy considerations relevant to HCP and DTC/patient audience targeting.
Flag and resolve compliance risks before campaigns go live.
Manage data partners and audience creation.
Evaluate and negotiate with media vendors and third-party verification/measurement partners.
Oversee programmatic budgets and allocate resources effectively.
Train and mentor Programmatic Traders and Associate Programmatic Traders.
Lead onboarding for new hires and direct reports.
Stay abreast of new and emerging trends and technologies.
Author industry-centric points-of-view (POVs).
Think of new solutions to meet clients' brand goals.
Demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.