Ad Operations Operations Manager (SDM)

Cognizant; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading digital services company in Kuala Lumpur seeks an Ad Operations Operations Manager (SDM) to integrate strategic client governance with operational management. The role involves managing client relationships, overseeing financial outcomes, and driving process innovation. Candidates should have experience in both client relationship management and technical project management within the digital advertising sector. Proficiency in tools like Tableau and Salesforce, alongside leadership experience, are essentials for this position.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in client relationship and project management within Digital Advertising.
• Expertise in programmatic ecosystem including SSP, DSP, DMP.
• Experience leading large teams across multiple locations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary partner for client stakeholders and lead business reviews.
• Ensure accountability for delivery metrics such as accuracy and campaign performance.
• Lead complex migration projects ensuring no disruption to operations.

Skills

Client relationship management

Technical project management

Ad Tech understanding

Data analysis

Leadership capability

Education

Certifications: PMP/Prince2

Tools

Tableau

Excel

Power BI

Salesforce

Jira

Job description

Title: Ad Operations Operations Manager (SDM)

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Work from office)

24/7 Rotational project

Preferred Immediate or Short Notice period

Role Summary

This leadership role combines strategic client governance with rigorous operational project management. You will own the overall health of the engagement—managing the client relationship, financial outcomes, and service levels (Program)while simultaneously driving process innovation, platform migrations, and workflow efficiency (Project). You are the bridge between the client's executive team and our 24/7 delivery hubs.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Client Governance (Program Focus):
  • Relationship Management: Serve as the primary strategic partner for client stakeholders. Lead Monthly and Quarterly Business Reviews (MBR/QBRs), translating operational data into business insights.
  • SLA & KPI Ownership: Accountable for the overall delivery metrics (Accuracy, TAT, Campaign Performance). Proactively identify risks to SLAs and implement recovery plans.
  • Financial Oversight: Oversee billing reconciliations and margin management. Resolve complex billing disputes and identify opportunities for account growth.
  • Escalation Management: Act as the final escalation point for critical incidents, ensuring swift resolution and transparent communication with the client.
• Operational Execution & Transformation (Project Focus):
  • Workflow Optimization: Continuously analyze the end-to-end campaign lifecycle. Implement Agile/Lean methodologies to remove bottlenecks in the handoff between Sales, Planning, and Ad Ops.
  • Migration Leadership: Lead complex technical projects, such as migrating campaign data to proprietary ad servers or integrating new CRM tools (Salesforce/Jira), ensuring zero disruption to live operations.
  • Resource & Capacity Planning: Manage global staffing requirements for 24/7 operations. Forecast capacity needs for peak seasons (Q4) and ad-hoc project spikes.
  • Process Standardization: Enforce global consistency in SOPs and tool usage across all delivery centers.

Required Skills & Experience

• Dual Competency: Proven experience managing both client relationships (Account/Program Mgmt) and technical projects (Project Mgmt) in the Digital Advertising sector.
• Ad Tech Depth: Expert-level understanding of the programmatic ecosystem (SSP, DSP, DMP) and Order Management Systems (OMS).
• Certifications: PMP/Prince2 (for process rigor) and agile experience are desired.
• Leadership: Experience managing large, matrixed teams (50+ FTEs) across multiple geographies.
• Data-Driven: Ability to use data (Tableau, Excel, Power BI) to build compelling narratives for client presentations.

About Cognizant

 
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) engineers’ modern businesses. We help our clients modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they can stay ahead in our fast-changing world. Together, we're improving everyday life. See how at www.cognizant.com or @cognizant.