Associate Director, Programmatic

Company description

At Publicis Collective, we know tomorrow's challenges won't be solved by today's solutions. It's why we support our teams with the resources and tools they need to continue redefining the future of marketing. It's also why clients rely on us to lead the way in connecting media, data, technology, and teams by what matters most - business outcomes.

Publicis Collective's consultative practitioners are catalysts for business growth and innovation, we're more than media experts. We are an incubator for high-performing talent and a launchpad for ideas that push the boundaries of what's possible.

As part of the global Publicis Media network, we're backed by the power, scale, and benefits of Publicis Groupe, one of the largest and most celebrated marketing and communications platforms on the planet.

How are we different? There are three core values at the center of our approach that help us stay ahead - curious, open, and driven.

Curious - A deep curiosity compels us to go beyond the brief to deliver exceptional outcomes.

Open - We value diverse perspectives and new ways of working.

Driven - We are ambitious, rigorous, self-disciplined, and resilient in our pursuit of excellence.

If you're a collaborative and enterprising practitioner with a passion for media and a desire to make a real impact, we want to hear from you.

Let's shape the future together.

Overview

The Associate Director oversees the strategic development, execution, and optimization of digital media investments across programmatic and direct IO channels. This role blends deep expertise in DSP-based buying (Display, Mobile, Video/OLV) with strong marketplace relationships and direct publisher investment acumen.

The AD owns strategic planning, investment allocation, campaign execution oversight, performance optimization, and financial stewardship, while serving as a primary client contact and senior escalation point. This leader drives business outcomes by connecting audience strategy, technology, data, and marketplace leverage.

Responsibilities

• Support Integrated Digital Investment Strategy

Partner in strategic planning and investment allocation across programmatic and direct IO channels, ensuring alignment to client objectives and business outcomes.

• Drive Performance & Optimization Excellence

Translate performance data into actionable optimization strategies, balancing efficiency, scale, and premium inventory to maximize campaign impact.

• Oversee End-to-End Campaign Execution

Provide senior oversight across proposal development, activation, QA, optimization, and post-campaign analysis to ensure seamless delivery against budget and timing.

• Leverage Marketplace & Technology Expertise

Apply deep knowledge of DSPs, audience strategy, data integrations, and publisher relationships to secure competitive advantage and innovative media solutions.

• Ensure Financial & Operational Stewardship

Maintain accountability for pacing, forecasting, reconciliations, and process excellence, safeguarding investment integrity and operational accuracy.

Qualifications

Experience & Leadership

• 5+ years of digital media experience across programmatic and direct IO channels

• 2+ years of people management experience leading analysts and/or managers

• Demonstrated success overseeing complex, high-budget campaigns across Display, OLV/Video, and Mobile

• Proven ability to act as senior client contact and escalation lead

Technical & Channel Expertise

• Deep hands-on experience with leading DSPs (e.g., DV360, The Trade Desk) and strong understanding of audience strategy, data integrations, and targeting methodologies (1P, 3P, contextual)

• Experience developing programmatic proposals, executing RFP responses, and building integrated channel strategies

• Solid understanding of direct IO negotiation, pricing models, delivery validation, and media plan execution

Strategic & Financial Acumen

• Demonstrated ability to translate campaign performance into strategic investment decisions

• Experience managing budgets, pacing, forecasting, and reconciliations

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven mindset

Professional Skills

• Excellent presentation, written, and verbal communication skills

• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills across Strategy, Analytics, and Activation teams

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Office Suite

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment

Additional information

Our Publicis Groupe motto "Viva La Différence" means we're better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [email protected] .

Compensation Range: $97,375 - $139,965 annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 04/13/2026.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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