Data & Strategy Operations Specialist

Better Collective; Toronto; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full health benefits

PTO

401(k) with employer match

Life & disability insurance

Extended paid parental leave

Pet insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Better Collective is seeking a Data & Strategy Operations Specialist to stand up and operationalize our DMP and contextual targeting solutions. This role is a high-impact individual contributor position reporting to Derek Klimkowski, collaborating with Commercial, Product, Tech, and Data partners across regions.

You’ll own the day-to-day operation, translate data into commercial insights, and help drive data-driven media sales while ensuring privacy compliance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience working with DMPs, CDPs, or audience data platforms, at a DMP/vendor, agency, or publisher/brand-side data team.
• Hands-on experience implementing or operating data platforms (not just strategy).
• Strong understanding of first‑party data, identity resolution, and activation across digital channels.
• Experience with contextual targeting and brand suitability frameworks.
• Able to work independently in a role with no direct reports and own outcomes end-to-end.
• Strong communication skills to explain complex data concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Organized, proactive, and confident in environments without historical playbooks.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day operation, maintenance, and optimization of Better Collective’s DMP and contextual targeting solutions.
• Act as the primary point of contact with our DMP vendor and internal go-to expert for audience data capabilities.
• Build, analyze, and scale audience segments using first‑party, contextual, and partner data.
• Profile and segment advertising inventory to ensure scale, brand suitability, and commercial viability.
• Collaborate with data providers and aggregators to strengthen and expand our data offering.
• Work closely with Sales, RevOps, Media Planning, and Account Management teams to support data‑driven media sales.
• Translate data and platform capabilities into clear commercial insights for internal stakeholders.
• Support FanReach product development by providing actionable insights and operational feedback.
• Ensure data practices align with privacy and compliance standards (GDPR, CCPA, etc.).

Skills

DMPs / CDPs / audience data platforms

Hands-on data platform implementation

First‑party data / identity resolution

Contextual targeting & brand safety

Independent ownership, no direct reps

Strong communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Google Ad Manager (GAM)

Google Analytics

Job description

Job Description

Hey there, Future Data & Strategy Operations Specialist @ Better Collective!

Job Description

Hey there, Future Data & Strategy Operations Specialist @ Better Collective!

Our mission is to be the world’s leading digital sports media company, making sports entertainment more engaging and transparent for fans worldwide.

Better Collective is the team behind industry-leading sports and betting media brands such as Action Network, HLTV, RotoGrinders, The Nation Network, BolaVIP, and Playmaker , reaching 400M+ monthly visits across digital, social, mobile, and CTV platforms.

With FanReach at the core of our audience strategy, we’re transforming first‑party data into a powerful monetization engine for advertisers. We connect high‑intent sports fans with performance‑focused brands through advanced data, contextual targeting, and scalable audience solutions.

We’re now looking for a Data & Strategy Operations Specialist to help stand up, implement, and operationalize our Data Management Platform (DMP) and contextual targeting solutions from the ground up.

This is a high-impact individual contributor role , ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys building systems from scratch, and knows how to turn complex data into commercial outcomes.

You’ll report directly to Derek Klimkowski and work closely with Commercial, Product, Tech, and Data partners across regions.

This role is for you if…

You’re a builder at heart. You’ve helped implement or operate a DMP, CDP, or audience data solution before, and you’re excited by the challenge of taking something from zero to one.

You’re equally comfortable going deep into technical details and stepping back to think strategically about monetization, scale, and market impact. You can work independently, but you know when and how to collaborate to move things forward.

Sports experience is a plus, curiosity, ownership, and execution mindset are essential.

How You’ll Make an Impact

• Here are some of the ways you’ll contribute to our mission:
• Own the day-to-day operation, maintenance, and optimization of Better Collective’s DMP and contextual targeting solutions.
• Act as the primary point of contact with our DMP vendor and the internal go-to expert for audience data capabilities.
• Build, analyze, and scale audience segments using first‑party, contextual, and partner data.
• Profile and segment advertising inventory to ensure scale, brand suitability, and commercial viability.
• Collaborate with data providers and aggregators to strengthen and expand our data offering.
• Work closely with Sales, RevOps, Media Planning, and Account Management teams to support data‑driven media sales.
• Help translate data and platform capabilities into clear commercial insights for internal stakeholders.
• Support FanReach product development by providing actionable insights and operational feedback.
• Ensure data practices align with privacy and compliance standards (GDPR, CCPA, etc.).

The Ideal Profile: Is This You?

Here’s What Helps People Succeed In This Role

• 5+ years of experience working with DMPs, CDPs, or audience data platforms , either at:
  • A DMP/vendor
  • An agency
  • A publisher or brand-side data team
• Hands‑on experience implementing or operating data platforms (not just strategy).
• Strong understanding of first‑party data, identity resolution, and activation across digital channels.
• Experience with contextual targeting and brand suitability frameworks.
• Comfortable working independently in a role with no direct reports , owning outcomes end‑to‑end.
• Strong communication skills, able to explain complex data concepts clearly to non-technical audiences.
• Organized, proactive, and confident working in environments without historical playbooks.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in sports media, iGaming, or performance advertising.
• Global or multi-market experience (US, LATAM, EMEA).
• Familiarity with programmatic, direct sales, and data licensing models.
• Experience working with Google Ad Manager (GAM), with a solid understanding of analytics and the ability to apply data insights (e.g., Google Analytics, campaign and performance metrics) to inform strategy and decision‑making.

Meet Your Manager & Team

You’ll report to Derek Klimkowski , a strategic leader focused on building scalable, data‑driven commercial products. Derek values ownership, clarity, and collaboration, and will partner closely with you while giving you the autonomy to build and execute.

You’ll also collaborate with Commercial leadership, Product, Tech, and Data teams across regions.

What We Offer: Perks, Growth & Culture

Benefits & Perks

• Full health benefits (medical, dental, vision)
• PTO
• 401(k) with employer match
• Life & disability insurance
• Extended paid parental leave
• Pet insurance
• Employee Assistance Program with mental health resources

Your Growth & Our Culture

• Collaborative environment with open communication and trust.
• Global exposure , working with teams across regions and markets.
• Real ownership & impact : your work directly shapes how the brand shows up every day.
• Room to grow , with support for learning and new challenges.
• Balance & flexibility , whenever possible.
• A culture that’s informal, supportive, and fun, expect memes, good coffee, and lively Slack channels.

Ready to Join?

We’re excited to learn more about you!

Our Interview Process:

• Application review by our People team
• Intro interview with Talent / People
• Interview with the Hiring Manager (Derek Klimkowski)
• Final conversation (if needed)
• Offer & reference checks

Our process may vary slightly by role or location, but we’ll keep you informed at every step.