Paid Media Director-Programmatic

Acadia.io; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Parental leave (12 weeks)

Health benefits

401k match

Monthly technology stipend

Job summary

Acadia is seeking a Paid Media Director to lead the programmatic buying practice from Atlanta. You will own the department's strategy, budget, and people, guiding senior leaders and representing the agency in high-stakes client conversations.

The role requires deep hands-on experience with DV360/CM360 and other DSPs, building scalable processes, and driving cross-functional alignment with creative, analytics, and account management teams.

Qualifications

• 12–15 years of paid media advertising experience.
• 8+ years of team management experience.
• Proven record of driving performance in complex campaigns.
• Hands-on programmatic buying across major platforms (Google DV360/CM360, DSPs).

Responsibilities

• Lead the paid media department's strategic direction across accounts and verticals.
• Own budget allocation and resource utilization.
• Oversee platform adoption, tooling, and data-privacy compliance.
• Mentor senior leaders and present to C-level clients.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Executive presence

Excel

Tools

DV360

CM360

The Trade Desk

Amazon DSP

Job description

Paid Media Director - ProgrammaticLocation: Atlanta, GADepartment: Paid MediaReports To: Head of Paid MediaWho We AreAcadia is a trusted digital growth agency for mid-market disrupters. We help brands out-flank their competition through paid media, retail media and marketplaces, analytics, SEO and CRO, and content and creative services. Headquartered in Atlanta with a team across the globe, we’re a tight-knit and fast-growing team of marketing strategists and analysts, driven to make a real impact for our clients and communities.About the JobAcadia is looking for a highly proficient collaborator, motivator, and thought leader to serve as the senior leader of the Paid Media department.Reporting directly to the Head of Paid Media, this position plays a pivotal role in shaping the broader agency offering, working alongside various departments including Integrated Media, Influencer Marketing, Organic Social, SEO, CRO, Analytics, Account Management, and Retail Media.You will lead the execution of the paid media department’s strategic direction across all accounts and verticals, own the department’s budget and operational structure, manage and develop the Associate Director and Sr Manager leadership team, and represent the agency’s paid media expertise in new business pitches and senior client engagements. The ideal candidate is comfortable owning paid search, social, and programmatic strategy and execution end-to-end, excels at optimizing internal operational efficiency, and is skilled at developing senior talent.ResponsibilitiesNote: Items below referring to broad ownership should be interpreted as the director group’s collective responsibility to own team strategic direction. Individual levels of ownership for overarching items will vary based on expertise, interest, and workload.Lead execution of the paid media department’s strategic direction across all accounts and verticals, ensuring account strategies ladder up to agency positioningPartner with BU leadership to pressure-test strategic direction and flag emerging opportunities and risksOwn the department’s budget allocation across teams, tools, and resources, and report financial performance and resource utilization to BU leadershipOwn optimization outcomes and performance standards across the department, setting portfolio benchmarks and holding teams accountable to themOversee rollout of approved optimization platforms, AI tools, and automation, and manage the associated vendor relationshipsOwn targeting and audience strategy outcomes department-wide, including data partnerships, vendor relationships, and privacy complianceOwn creative asset management standards and creative technology partnerships, and drive leadership-level alignment across Performance Creative, Integrated Media, Account Management, Ad Ops, and AnalyticsOwn reporting standards and BI infrastructure across the department, and drive adoption of advanced analytics techniques such as MMM and incrementalityLead senior client conversations on measurement strategy, and mentor Associate Directors and Sr Managers on executive-level data storytellingOwn the department’s platform expertise strategy and make final adoption decisions on emerging platforms and technologyManage strategic platform relationships, including access decisions, betas, and escalation pathwaysOwn competitive intelligence standards department-wide and synthesize portfolio signals into vertical and industry insight for BU leadershipManage and develop all Associate Director and Sr Manager direct reports, and execute the departmental people strategy set by BU leadershipConduct and calibrate performance reviews across the leadership team, and ensure clear ownership and accountability at every levelServe as the senior paid media contact for the portfolio’s largest accounts, build VP and C-level relationships, and own department-level escalation resolutionLead the media component of major new business pitches in partnership with BU leadershipOwn the operational structure and day-to-day workflow of the paid media department, and resolve cross-departmental friction pointsOwn AI adoption outcomes and cultural accountability across the department, and embed AI skill criteria into hiring and performance reviewsProgrammatic BuyingNote: This role is focused on building Acadia’s in-house programmatic buying capability. Deep expertise across the areas below is required; broader knowledge of the media buying landscape and adjacent platforms is a plus.Own programmatic strategy and buying across Google Marketing Platform (DV360, CM360) and other DSPs including The Trade Desk and Amazon DSP, spanning CTV, online video, audio, and displayDirect the balance of managed-service and in-house buying, and own DSP and trading partner relationships (e.g., MIQ, Zeta) to secure preferred rates, beta access, and premium inventoryProtect client working media by managing the programmatic supply chain (platform and tech fees, audience data costs, and DSP and trading margins), and hold partners to transparent, no-markup pass-through of data costsOwn deal structure and inventory strategy across private marketplaces, programmatic guaranteed, and open exchange, and approve insertion orders before they commit client budgetSet the standard for how the team briefs Ad Ops: accurate tactical and traffic sheets, correct naming taxonomy, and QA completed before trafficking beginsMaintain working fluency in the CM360 ad server, including campaign hierarchy, placements, Floodlight configuration, UTMs, and third-party verification tags, sufficient to diagnose discrepancies and arbitrate tracking issuesDecide when an engagement warrants ad serving at all, weighing ad serving and ad ops fees against the measurement value returnedKeep the workflow connected end-to-end across Ad Ops, Analytics, Creative, and Dashboarding, ensuring Ad Ops runs as a defined process rather than a catch-all for cross-team logisticsRepresent Acadia’s programmatic capability and supply-chain transparency in new business pitches and senior client conversationsQualifications:Experience12-15 years of experience in paid media advertising8+ years of team management experience, including leading managers or team leads overseeing onshore and offshore employeesProven track record of driving performance results and leading teams through complex challengesTrack record of building and developing high-performing paid media teamsHighly persuasive presenter, comfortable in C-level client environments and new business pitchesDeep hands-on experience buying programmatically through Google Marketing Platform (DV360, CM360) and other DSPs, and managing DSP or trading partner relationshipsSkillsExcellent verbal and written communication skillsExpert Microsoft Excel skills: pivot tables, VLOOKUPS/XLOOKUPS, SUMIFS, and chart buildingExperience in Google SuiteStrong executive communication skills; comfortable presenting to C-suite client stakeholdersSkilled at translating leadership vision into team structure, process, and accountabilityDemonstrated track record of developing senior talent and building department-level capabilitiesWhat we offer – The PerksA work environment that enthusiastically encourages creativity, risk-taking, and growthPaid holidaysPaid time offWe are closed Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day12 weeks of fully paid parental leave to welcome and bond with your growing familySolid health benefits (medical, dental, and vision insurance)401k matchOpportunity for growth that is second to none in the industryFlexible working hoursMonthly technology stipend to support your remote work setupFloating holidayHere’s how we live our values at AcadiaCan-do: We dedicate ourselves to helping our clients and co-workers reach their fullest potential. We demonstrate courage and urgency to find and take ownership.Curiosity: We show genuine interest. We are the first to ask why, the first to research, and the first to understand. We ask questions until we find the path to conquer obstacles and build solutions.Candor: We are honest and transparent in all our actions. We strive to foster positive and mutually beneficial relationships where respect and humanity thrive.Community: We will make lives better for those people, clients, and other deserving causes that we care deeply about.Acadia is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We believe that the more diverse we are, the more creative our work will be!