Senior Director, Programmatic Strategy & Operations

The New York Times•New York, NY

2d•$200,000 - $220,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The New York Times' Advertising team is looking for a Senior Director, Programmatic Strategy and Operations to define and lead our programmatic advertising strategy across web, app, video, audio and newsletter environments. This leader will own how we monetize our inventory programmatically, balancing revenue growth, reader experience and advertiser outcomes. They will set the long-term vision for programmatic at the Times, align stakeholders, and ensure we have the right technology, partners and processes in place to execute it.This is a hybrid role based in our New York headquarters, reporting to the VP, Revenue Operations. You can typically expect to be in the office 3 days per week.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in digital advertising, with at least 6+ years focused on programmatic monetization at a premium publisher, platform or agency.
5+ years of experience leading high-performing teams, including people managers, in revenue operations, yield management or programmatic strategy.
Deep expertise with the programmatic ecosystem, including SSPs, DSPs, ad servers, header bidding and identity / addressability solutions.
Demonstrated experience building and executing programmatic yield strategies across direct-sold, PMP and open exchange channels.
Advanced analytical skills and fluency with data tools (e.g., Excel, BI dashboards); comfort using data to inform decisions and communicate trade-offs to senior stakeholders.
Experience partnering with Finance and Strategy teams on forecasting, pricing, and revenue planning.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a complex, matrixed organization, ideally in news, media or other mission-driven environments.
Prior ownership of enterprise-level programmatic strategy and partner selection (e.g., evaluating and negotiating with SSPs, DSPs and other ad tech vendors).
Experience designing and implementing privacy-safe monetization strategies in an evolving regulatory environment.
Proven success launching new programmatic products or packages in partnership with Sales, Product and Marketing.
Comfort representing an organization externally at industry events, in trade groups, or with key partners and clients.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the long-term vision and enterprise-level strategy for programmatic monetization across all digital platforms (Web, App, Video, Newsletter, Audio), driving innovation in the ad tech stack, supply path optimization, and privacy-safe addressability solutions.
Lead, mentor, and develop a high-functioning team of managers and analysts supporting advertising growth, elevating organizational performance across Revenue Operations and Sales Enablement.
Serve as a principal advisor to executive leadership on programmatic trends. Partner with Finance, Strategy, and Product leadership on quarterly forecasting, pricing models, and annual operating planning tied to programmatic revenue streams.
Act as the ultimate owner and decision-maker for programmatic optimizations, rate card development, and day-to-day yield management across direct-sold, PMP, and open exchange channels.
Lead high-level negotiations with top SSPs, DSPs, and tech providers. Build a rigorous partner evaluation framework assessing technology fit, transparency, auction competitiveness, and operational excellence.
Build and utilize dashboards to deliver data-driven insights encompassing market trends and supply/demand dynamics. Establish the measurement framework to evaluate changes across the programmatic stack.
Stakeholder the go-to-market sales strategy for all programmatic offerings in close partnership with the Direct Sales and Product Marketing teams to integrate programmatic into the broader commercial strategy.
Act as the external face of the company's programmatic strategy—presenting at industry events and engaging with trade organizations to elevate the company's market position.
Aid in data reconciliation and QA across programmatic data sources. Be an avid reader who regularly audits our site for programmatic ad experiences below our expectations.
Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.