Programmatic Ad Ops Director: AI-Driven Strategy

WebMD LLC; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 115,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Paid Time Off

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life and Disability Insurance

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Commuter/Transit Benefits

Job summary

WebMD Ignite, a division of WebMD, is seeking an Associate Director, Ad Operations & Programmatic to lead a three-person programmatic trading team responsible for approximately 150 active line items across two sales models. This hands-on leadership role combines trading with building capabilities and AI-enabled automation.

You will oversee CPM and spend-based campaigns, drive process excellence, and serve as the primary escalation point for high-priority clients, aligning operations with client

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of experience in ad operations, programmatic media, or digital media trading.
• Hands-on proficiency with major DSP platforms (e.g., DV360, The Trade Desk, Xandr/Microsoft, Amazon DSP) and ad servers (e.g., Campaign Manager 360, FreeWheel, GAM).
• Demonstrated experience applying AI or automation to media workflows, with a focus on process redesign and coaching teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing both CPM/impression-based and budget/spend-based campaign structures.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical operations into clear reporting and recommendations for non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Directly manage, mentor, and develop three programmatic traders, setting clear performance expectations and fostering a culture of accountability and growth.
• Serve as a working manager and backup trader; manage line items and troubleshoot delivery issues during peak periods.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and skills-gap assessments with individualized development plans.
• Lead team stand-ups to review pacing, flag issues, and prioritize workload across ~200 line items.
• Coordinate across onshore and offshore resources to ensure continuity of campaign operations.
• Own automation roadmap and drive AI-enabled workflows to streamline programmatic operations.
• Develop pacing dashboards and reporting frameworks for real-time leadership visibility.
• Provide strategic oversight of spend-based campaigns and client escalation for budget discrepancies.
• Support sales and strategy teams with operational feasibility input and strategic recommendations.

Skills

Programmatic leadership

Team management

AI/automation in media

Campaign optimization

Strategic client management

Tools

DV360

The Trade Desk

Xandr/Microsoft

Amazon DSP

Campaign Manager 360

FreeWheel

GAM

PulsePoint DSP

Job description

WebMD Ignite, a division of WebMD, is seeking an Associate Director, Ad Operations & Programmatic to lead a three-person programmatic trading team responsible for approximately 150 active line items across two sales models. This hands-on leadership role combines trading with building capabilities and AI-enabled automation.

You will oversee CPM and spend-based campaigns, drive process excellence, and serve as the primary escalation point for high-priority clients, aligning operations with client