VP, Activation - Amplifi Solutions

dentsu•New York, NY

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The VP, Activation leads multidisciplinary activation teams responsible for planning, buying, optimizing, and reporting across programmatic and direct channels—owning the delivery of Amplifi Solutions within client activation engagements. The role has a specific remit to govern and scale our internal activation service model, ensuring outcomes‑based performance for clients and for dentsu. The VP, Activation plays a key role in leading a team of activation experts in driving outcomes based results utilizing Amplifi’s products and solutions. This role partners closely with Solutions, Client Success, Curation, Commercial, Data & Technology and Strategic Partnerships teams to ensure smooth execution and strong client engagement, while contributing to the overall go-to-market strategy and performance tracking.

Requirements

10+ years in digital media activation with progressive team leadership; proven ownership of programmatic and direct buying at scale.
Demonstrable experience designing and operating in proprietary media constructs with transparent processes.
Strong commercial acumen (revenue management, forecasting), ideally within a solutions‑oriented or proprietary media context.
Fluency in DSPs, data/identity, measurement, and supply curation across all formats, retail/commerce, and premium video, linear, social.
Excellent stakeholder management and communication across executive, client, and ops audiences.

Responsibilities

Build, coach, and retain high‑performing activation talent (Directors, Managers, Traders), ensuring clear career paths, succession, and coverage across priority accounts and channels. Set operating rhythms, QA standards, and escalation paths; foster a learning culture consistent with Amplifi & dentsu values.
Define guardrails (eligibility, opt‑in language, vendor visibility standards, supply due‑diligence, brand suitability) and embed them in briefs, IOs, PMPs/PGs, and platform setups. Partner with Commercial and Revenue Ops to codify pricing constructs, disclosures, documentation
Own in‑quarter pacing, revenue tracking, leakage prevention, and reconciliation in partnership with Revenue Operations. Operationalize revenue levers (media mix, principal inventory, rate cards, fees, supply curation) while protecting client outcomes.
Translate business problems into activation strategies using Amplifi products (e.g., Modern Media, dentsu.audiences, d.Suite, etc), with measurable KPIs across efficiency, effectiveness, and impact. Stand up test‑and‑learns, define success criteria, and institutionalize learnings into playbooks.
Oversee omnichannel execution: programmatic, CTV/video, audio, display, social, retail/commerce media, linear, search, direct IO, etc. Ensure end‑to‑end craft: audience and identity setup, trafficking, brand suitability, measurement, reporting, and optimization loops aligned to Amplifi’s commitments to quality. Troubleshoot complex issues, ensuring quick resolution and proactive solutions that align with the needs of both clients and internal teams.
Partner with Solutions to bring proprietary offerings to life; with Partnerships/Commercial on supply strategy and deal economics; with DTM on data, tech, and measurement; and with Revenue Ops on compliant processes. Contribute to Amplifi pipeline reviews, status readouts, and leadership forums. Collaborate with Client Success to support client conversations, provide product expertise, and help drive adoption of new solutions. Cultivate strong, trusted relationships with key clients and agency stakeholders to drive strategic partnerships. Represent Amplifi in key industry forums, advocating for innovative solutions and thought leadership in the technology-enabled media space. Work closely with key stakeholders to optimize internal processes and communication around new product launches and activations.