Head of Programmatic (Remote Canada)

Directive; Canada; Remote; CAD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Disability insurance

Life insurance

100% employer-paid plan

Dependent coverage 50% employer

Mental health support (Spring Health)

Gympass

Unlimited PTO

Paid company holidays

Birthday off

Year-end recharge

Parental leave

401(k) with company match

Annual tenure bonus

Annual trip with leadership

Job summary

Directive, a remote-first company, seeks an Associate Director of Programmatic Strategy & Activation to expand programmatic offerings and advance department strategy in a Canada-based market. You will lead cross-functional teams, optimize campaigns, and manage key partner relationships from a home office.

The role includes a base salary range of 100k–130k CAD with bonus eligibility and comprehensive benefits, including 100% employer-paid coverage for you and partial coverage for dependents.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of programmatic experience in publishers, agencies, or ad tech
• 2+ years of people management experience
• Experience growing programmatic within B2B/SaaS with budgets over $50k/month
• Understanding of how programmatic works with paid and organic channels to exceed KPIs
• Proven track record in programmatic media planning and building measurement frameworks
• Hands-on expertise in building campaigns in DSPs (TTD/DV360)
• ABM experience
• Experience supporting programmatic pitches, audits, and presentations
• Ability to provide POVs and programmatic subject matter expertise
• Strong cross-collaboration and communication
• Strong analytical and detail-oriented, multi-project management

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement comprehensive programmatic strategies
• Collaborate cross-functionally to align initiatives with business objectives
• Establish KPIs and analyze campaign performance for optimization
• Manage relationships with programmatic partners, vendors, and platforms
• Thought leadership within the organization to inform decisions

Skills

Programmatic strategy

People management

Budget mgmt

Cross-channel marketing

Media planning

DSP platforms (TTD/DV360)

ABM experience

New business pitches

Thought leadership

Client/stakeholder management

Tools

The Trade Desk (TTD)

Nexxen

DV360

Job description

The Role:

The Associate Director, Programmatic Strategy & Activation is a pivotal leadership role responsible for owning the expansion of our Programmatic service offerings and driving forward the strategic vision of the department.

Role & Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement comprehensive programmatic strategies: Spearhead the creation and execution of impactful programmatic strategies to enhance the organization's digital advertising capabilities.

• Collaborate cross-functionally: Work closely with cross-functional teams to align programmatic initiatives with overall business objectives, ensuring a cohesive approach to marketing efforts.

• Establish and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs): Define KPIs and regularly analyze campaign performance, providing valuable insights and recommendations for continuous optimization and client growth.

• Manage relationships with key partners and vendors: Cultivate and manage relationships with programmatic partners, vendors, and platforms to foster collaboration and ensure access to cutting-edge solutions.

• Thought Leadership: Act as a thought leader within the organization, sharing industry knowledge and insights to inform decision-making and strategy development.

Qualifications:

• 7+ years of proven experience in programmatic roles at publishers, advertising agencies, or ad tech companies

• 2+ years of demonstrated people management experience, inspiring, motivating, and coaching teams effectively

• Experience successfully driving programmatic growth across clients in the B2B/SaaS landscape with budgets over $50k/month

• Strong understanding and perspective of how programmatic and other channels (both paid and organic) work together to holistically surpass client KPIs

• Proven track record in Programmatic media planning and building measurement frameworks to evaluate campaign success

• Recent, hands-on expertise in building and optimizing campaigns in DSPs, with a preference for experience in TTD, Nexxen and DV360

• ABM experience

• Experience supporting Programmatic new business pitches, including audits and presentations

• Ability to provide clear POVs and Programmatic subject matter expertise to support in advancing the department and L&D

• Strong cross-collaboration skills, both within the organization and externally (client-facing), with excellent interpersonal and communication abilities

• Solid analytical ability, exceptional attention to detail, and a results-oriented mindset, capable of balancing multiple projects effectively

What We Offer:

• We have a set living wage at Directive; The annual base salary range for this position based in Canada is $100,000- $130,000 CAD with bonus eligibility.
• Medical, dental, vision plans, disability, and life insurance coverage for you and your family that fit your lifestyle
• Including a 100% employer-paid plan for you and a 50% employer contribution for your dependents
• Mental - Access to certified therapists through Spring Health, membership to Headspace
• Physical - Gympass
• Time Off - Unlimited PTO (2-week minimum), Paid Company Holidays, Your Birthday Off, End of Year Recharge (Closed December 24 - January 1), Paid Parental Leave
• Financial - Traditional and Roth 401(k) with a 3% company match
• Bonus - Annual bonus based on tenure, which scales in total amount over time
• Annual Anniversary Trip with peers and executive leadership for fun and entertainment!

Work Environment Requirements

As a remote-first company, you'll have the ability to work from your home office. For some positions, as posted, we will accommodate global opportunities where we have established businesses, including Canada, Mexico, and the UK. For global locations, you must have established and current work authorization and permanently reside in that country.

This role has the opportunity to operate 100% virtually from your home office. We primarily collaborate with our colleagues through virtual meetings (Zoom), and Slack. In this role, you will be required to operate a laptop computer (PC or Mac available), computer software platforms, and other office productivity tools as necessary. Due to the nature of this role, you must be able to remain stationary for extended periods, must be able to observe and interpret written and/or verbal communication, must have reliable internet access, and a professional background.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

If you require reasonable accommodations in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, direct your inquiries to [e-mail].

Additional Information

At Directive, one of our core values is People First. We're committed to fostering a more diverse and inclusive culture in the digital landscape. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.