Programmatic Strategist, Cross Platform

Cognitiv•New York, NY

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

At Cognitiv, we are redefining media buying with our Deep Learning Advertising Platform. We harness the power of deep learning technology and data science to transform how brands connect with their customers, bringing intelligence to advertising and delivering unparalleled precision, relevance, and impact at scale. Our innovative platform offers advertisers flexibility through Dynamic Deals, our managed service DSP, and our industry-first ContextGPT product. As part of Cognitiv, you will be at the forefront of AI-driven advertising solutions, driving change and achieving remarkable growth in a rapidly evolving industry. We are looking for a Programmatic Strategist to own the activation, optimization, and troubleshooting of deal-based campaigns across our clients’ DSPs. This role is the subject-matter expert on DSP optimization, translating that knowledge into optimal setup and in-flight guidance for client trading teams. You will manage a portfolio of high-value deals across our AudienceGPT and ContextGPT products and help shape the next generation of automated deal health monitoring by building AI agent–driven workflows. This position combines hands-on programmatic trading with client-facing DSP expertise, involving diagnosing deals, coaching client traders, and partnering with Data Science and Engineering teams to automate manual checks. This position will be located in NYC with a hybrid work schedule of 3 days in office and 2 days remote.

Requirements

Programmatic Trading & Deal Activation Expertise. You have 2-3 years of hands-on experience activating and running deal IDs (PMPs, PG, curated marketplaces) in programmatic environments and understand the full lifecycle from packaging through in-flight optimization.
You know how different DSPs actually optimize. You have hands-on experience across multiple DSPs - DV360, The Trade Desk, Yahoo DSP, Amazon DSP, and/or others—and can clearly articulate how each one’s bidding, pacing, and optimization algorithms behave differently, and what that means for the right deal setup.
You speak the SSP and deal language. You are fluent in deal packaging, seat mapping, inventory targeting, floor pricing, and discrepancy troubleshooting, and you have resolved deal-ID issues with SSP and DSP support teams.
You are a trusted advisor to client trading teams. You can walk a client trader through why a deal is under-delivering, recommend the right fix in their DSP, and communicate trade-offs clearly—technical when needed, plain-spoken when useful.
You are curious about AI and automation. You are excited about deep-learning and LLM-based activation and want to help design agent-driven workflows that replace manual campaign-health checks.
You have managed a complex book. You have independently run 10+ active deals across multiple clients and DSPs and are comfortable owning end-to-end delivery, QA, and client communication.
You sweat the details. Clean documentation, thorough QA, and on-time activation matter to you; you do not let deal hygiene slip.
You are a clear communicator. Strong written and verbal skills; you can explain programmatic concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Exposure to deep-learning or LLM-based activation products. Familiarity with contextual or audience AI products in the market, or a working understanding of how LLM- and deep-learning-based activation differs from traditional rules-based targeting.
Experience configuring AI-agent workflows. You have built or configured LLM-based automations, agent frameworks, or workflow orchestration tools for campaign or operational monitoring.
Cross-channel programmatic experience. You have activated deals across Display, CTV, OLV, Social, and emerging programmatic channels in addition to display.

Responsibilities

Own cross-DSP deal activation. Build, QA, and launch deals in AudienceGPT and ContextGPT, push them into external DSPs (DV360, The Trade Desk, Yahoo, and others), and ensure clean population and delivery end-to-end across a book of 15+ concurrent deals.
Be the DSP optimization expert for client trading teams. Advise clients on the optimal setup for each DSP - bidding strategy, line-item configuration, and pacing logic - because every DSP optimizes differently, and the right configuration depends on the platform.
Troubleshoot SSP/DSP issues end-to-end. Diagnose deal-ID discrepancies, seat mapping, creative approvals, and inventory availability issues; drive resolution with SSP and DSP support teams and communicate clearly back to the client.
Support client relationships. Support client success team in fostering and maintaining client relationships. Clients should trust you as a specialist in Deal Activation and Implementation.
Feed the product roadmap. Translate field learnings into concrete product requirements for AudienceGPT, ContextGPT, and our agent-based automation layer.