Digital Ad Operations Specialist, Level 2

Farm Journal; United States; On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Farm Journal seeks a Digital Ad Operations Specialist, Level 2, to drive programmatic and paid social campaigns from concept to completion. You will launch 75–100 new campaigns per month while maintaining active campaigns, across multiple platforms with strong accuracy and ROI focus.

You will troubleshoot, optimize, and apply advanced audience strategies, supporting leadership and cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, growth-focused environment.

Qualifications

• BS/BA degree in related area or equivalent work experience.
• 2–4 years of direct experience in digital ad operations, programmatic campaign management, or paid social campaign management.
• Proven aptitude for growth and learnability across platforms.
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Working knowledge of digital advertising ecosystem (programmatic and paid social).
• Experience with at least one major DSP or social ad platform.
• Ability to manage a sizable volume of campaigns with speed and accuracy.
• Experience with programmatic platforms (Google Ads & TradeDesk) and/or paid social platforms.
• Familiarity with audience-building strategies (lookalike/lookback/contextual).
• Experience with pixel/tags and campaign measurement.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate in a matrixed structure to execute digital campaigns across programmatic and paid social.
• Launch and manage paid social campaigns across several platforms (Facebook/Meta, LinkedIn, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok).
• Build and launch programmatic campaigns across DSPs and ad-serving platforms with best-practice tactics.
• Set up campaigns with 5+ ad groups across platforms with high accuracy within SLAs.
• Troubleshoot delivery, pacing, creative, and audience issues with limited supervision.
• Optimize campaigns to improve ROI using intermediate performance levers.
• Apply advanced audience knowledge (lookalike, lookback, contextual targeting).
• Review orders to determine structure, serving platform, and reporting approach.
• Proactively share insights and recommendations with team leads and CSMs.
• Support escalation handling and maintain knowledge of processes.

Skills

Digital ad operations

Programmatic campaigns

Paid social campaigns

Data-driven decisions

Campaign troubleshooting

Audience targeting

Pixel implementation

Excel proficient

Campaign measurement

Education

BS/BA degree in marketing or related area

Tools

Google Ads

TradeDesk

Meta Business Manager

LinkedIn Campaign Manager

Google Ad Manager (GAM)

HubSpot

Job description

The Digital Ad Operations Specialist, Level 2, joins a team responsible for Farm Journal digital campaigns from conception to completion. This role manages both programmatic and paid social campaigns, with an intermediate understanding of the digital advertising ecosystem and Farm Journal’s portfolio of brands. The Level 2 specialist executes campaigns involving 5 or more ad groups across multiple platforms with limited mistakes, and proactively communicates campaign insights and performance recommendations without waiting to be prompted by leadership.

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, self-motivated, and growing in their ability to troubleshoot underperforming campaigns, apply audience strategy, and support team leads on escalated matters. At this level, team members are expected to accurately launch 75-100 new campaigns per month while continuing to manage previously live campaigns, including medium-complexity campaigns defined by multiple flights, audience intersections, creative breakouts, or pixel-focused setups.

These duties include, but are not limited to, the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Work collaboratively in a matrixed structure to execute and deliver on all digital campaigns across programmatic and paid social channels.
• Execute and manage paid social campaigns across multiple platforms, including but not limited to Facebook (Meta), LinkedIn, Snapchat, YouTube, and TikTok.
• Build and launch programmatic campaigns across relevant DSPs and ad-serving platforms, adhering to best practices for all tactics (display, audio, native, video).
• Execute campaign setups with 5+ ad groups across several platforms with a high degree of accuracy and within established SLAs.
• Troubleshoot basic to intermediate campaign issues—including delivery, pacing, creative, and audience—with limited supervision.
• Optimize programmatic and social campaigns with an intermediate understanding of performance levers, working toward best ROI for clients.
• Apply advanced audience knowledge including lookback audiences, lookalike audiences, audience intersections, contextual targeting, and affinity segments.
• Review campaign orders and determine appropriate campaign structure (number of ad groups vs. multiple campaigns, best serving platform, and reporting approach).
• Proactively communicate campaign insights, performance updates, and basic optimization recommendations to team leads and Client Success Managers (CSMs) without being prompted.
• Support team leads on all escalated matters within assigned account lists.
• Maintain advanced working knowledge of general team processes including audience takedown, Naviga functionality, and reporting workflows.
• Develop and maintain a foundational understanding of pixel and tag types, including placement and verification.
• Contribute to cross-functional team relationships and execute within processes that connect with other internal teams.
• Grow industry knowledge across all Farm Journal brands, target audiences, and company initiatives.

Skills/Professional Experience

These qualifications include, but are not limited to, the following:

Core Competencies

• Analytical thinking and data-driven decision-making.
• Technical expertise across programmatic and paid social platforms.
• Initiative and proactive communication.
• High integrity and accountability.
• Attention to detail and organizational discipline.

Required

• BS/BA degree in a related area (marketing, data analytics, business administration) or equivalent work experience.
• 2–4 years of direct experience in digital ad operations, programmatic campaign management, or paid social campaign management (or approximately 4–8 months of progression within a structured ad ops team).
• Proven aptitude for growth and demonstrated capacity to learn new platforms quickly.
• High level of attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.
• Working knowledge of the digital advertising ecosystem, including programmatic and paid social channels.
• In-platform experience across at least one major DSP or social advertising platform.
• Ability to manage a sizable volume of campaigns simultaneously with speed and accuracy.
• Problem solver—brings solutions, not just alerts.
• Highly self-motivated with the ability to execute with limited supervision.
• Prior experience with programmatic platforms (Google Ads & TradeDesk) and/or paid social platforms (Facebook/Meta Business Manager, LinkedIn Campaign Manager).
• Familiarity with audience-building strategies including lookalike, lookback, and contextual targeting.
• Experience with pixel implementation, tag management, and campaign measurement (impressions, reach, CTR, viewability).
• Microsoft Excel proficiency: pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, and related functions.
• Basic understanding of reporting tools and data visualization.
• Growing awareness of Farm Journal brands and agricultural media audiences.
• Experience with endemic media channels, including email blast execution and ad serving within Google Ad Manager (GAM); familiarity with HubSpot or similar email/CRM platforms is a plus

Work Authorization Requirements

Must have unrestricted work authorization to work in the United States.

EEO statement

Farm Journal is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the team member for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.