Associate Director, Programmatic

Publicis Groupe; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 97,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Family Care

Adoption & Fertility support

Pet adoption support

Flexible working arrangements

Tuition Assistance

Work Your World program

Diversity and inclusion networks

Job summary

Starcom in Chicago is seeking an Associate Director, Programmatic, to lead a hands-on team delivering and optimizing programmatic campaigns across DSPs, aligned with client KPIs. You will partner with analytics, mentor staff, and contribute to strategic POVs while leveraging AI tools to drive efficiency and growth for clients.

This role offers advanced media activation within Publicis Groupe, collaborative cross-functional work, and a competitive compensation package with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in programmatic media and 2+ years in leadership.
• Experience mentoring and onboarding direct reports preferred.
• Proven ability to design and execute strategic media plans aligned with KPIs and business goals.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret data and provide actionable insights.
• Hands-on experience with DSPs (TD, DV360, Yahoo DSP, Amazon DSP) and DMPs.
• Familiarity with privacy trends, identity tools, and measurement platforms (CM360, GA4).
• Experience with metrics, attribution modeling, and ad verification tools (IAS, DV).
• Excellent client and partner communication; ability to present performance and strategy.

Responsibilities

• Oversee programmatic campaign execution across DSP/DMP platforms, ensuring client KPIs are met.
• Communicate digital strategies and rationale for tactical choices to clients and teams.
• Maintain strong client relationships with proactive updates and insights.
• Contribute to strategic POVs and discuss innovations and trends.
• Collaborate with analytics to interpret data, identify optimizations, and inform planning.
• Mentor and coach the team on optimization, pacing, and client communication.
• Leverage AI-based tools to improve activation efficiency and campaign performance.
• Ensure cross-channel integration across display, video, mobile, and social formats.

Skills

Programmatic leadership

Analytical skills

Client communication

Cross-team collaboration

Mentoring

Troubleshooting

Problem solving

Excel

Digital advertising knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

The Trade Desk

DV360

Yahoo DSP

Amazon DSP

DMPs

CM360

GA4

Looker

Tableau

Job description

Company description

Starcom is the world's first standalone media agency, a storied innovator that continues to lead the way for many of the world's best brands.

Starcom has long been the professional birthplace and proving ground for marketing leaders - CEOs, CMOs, sales leaders, and technology pioneers - and we continue to drive the industry with peerless talent and relentless innovation.

From the start, we've known that achieving growth for our clients requires understanding and connecting with real people where they live and work, in ways they value.

In an AI era, we remain ""Guided By Humanity,"" a phrase that describes our foundational belief that human expertise must remain in the driver's seat, supported by the best processes and technology.

With our proprietary capabilities and Publicis Media's industry-leading resources and clout, we create ideas that move people and drive transformative business outcomes for brands.

Overview

The Associate Director,Programmaticis a hands-on leader responsible for guiding a team in the execution and optimization of programmatic campaigns. This role combines tactical expertise with strategic thinking, ensuring client objectives are met while fostering innovation and continuous improvement. You will serve as a trusted partner to clients and internal teams, contributing to thought leadership and driving operational excellence at the account level.

Responsibilities

• Oversee programmatic campaign execution across DSP/DMP platforms, ensuring alignment with client KPIs.
• Communicate digital strategies and rationale for tactical approaches to clients and internal teams.
• Maintain strong client relationships through proactive communication and performance insights.
• Contribute to strategic POVs and innovation discussions; share emerging trends and platform updates.
• Partner with analytics to interpret campaign data,identify optimization opportunities, and inform future planning.
• Advocate for programmatic best practices and educate clients on evolving technologies and privacy standards.
• Collaborate with media partners to ensure accurate platform implementation and leverage new features.
• Collaborate with internal teams to problem solve, resolve campaign issues, decipher budget discrepancies, and complete necessary client deliverables
• Support cross-channel integration across display, video, mobile, and social formats for cohesive strategies.
• Implement operational best practices and quality assurance processes to ensure efficiency and accuracy.
• Prepare and deliver client presentations showcasing campaign performance and actionable recommendations.Provide feedback to junior team members during report and insight development.
• Coach and mentor the team, providing guidance on optimization strategies, pacing adjustments, and client communication.
• Leverage AI-based tools to enhance Programmatic Activation efficiency and campaign performance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in programmatic media, including 2+ years in leadership roles.
• Experience mentoring, teaching, training, and onboarding direct reports strongly preferred.
• Experiencewithstandardizing processes across teams
• Proven ability to design and execute strategic media plans aligned with client KPIs and business goals.
• Strong analytical skills with ability to interpret data and provide actionable insights.
• Hands-on experience with DSP platforms (e.g., The Trade Desk, DV360, Yahoo DSP, Amazon DSP) and familiarity with DMPs.
• Strong understanding of privacy & identity trends (Privacy Sandbox, clean rooms, consented measurement). IAB Tech Lab
• Experience with measurement tools (CM360, GA4), reporting platforms (Looker/Tableau)
• Strong understanding of programmatic metrics, optimization strategies, and attribution Modelingframeworks.
• Familiarity with ad verification tools (IAS,DoubleVerify) and brand safety protocols.
• Excellent client& partnercommunication - able to present performance, explain technical choices and recommend strategy.
• Cross-team collaboration:Ability to navigate/troubleshoot issues and communicate effectively across disciplines - communication within the client portfolio (i.e. working with Strategy, Solution Architects, Billing teams)
• Strong troubleshooting, QA discipline, and project management skills.
• Strong client-facing experience and ability to manage issues effectively.
• Resourceful, curious, and motivated with a passion for innovation and continuous learning.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; advanced Excel skills preferred.
• Familiarity with digital workflow tools inclusive of leveraging traffic sheets, creative rotations,Prisma, billing, etc.

Additional information

Starcom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employment decisions are made without regard to actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law, genetic information, marital status, military service and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.

The Power of One starts with our people! To do powerful things, we offer powerful resources. Our best-in-class wellness and benefits offerings include:

• Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or more
• Monetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and Fertility
• Monetary assistance and support for pet adoption
• Employee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balance
• Tuition Assistance
• Paid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and more
• Matching Gifts programs
• Flexible working arrangements
• 'Work Your World' Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility)
• Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliances

The benefits offerings listed are available to U.S. based employees, are reviewed on an annual basis, and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [e-mail].

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

Compensation Range: USD $97,375.00 - USD $139,965.00/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. 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 1/11/2027.