Sr. Programmatic Trader

Neptune Ops; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Mental health support

Pet insurance

Legal insurance

401(k) match

Sick time

Holiday pay

Bereavement time

Jury duty paid time off

Job summary

Neptune Ops is seeking a senior programmatic advertising lead in Washington, DC. You will drive trading strategy across multi‑channel campaigns, manage senior client relationships, and mentor junior traders.

The role emphasizes AI-enabled optimization, platform partnerships, and compliance in political advertising. You’ll forecast budgets, develop media plans with clients, and oversee campaigns from setup to reporting while collaborating with DSP partners and internal teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 4–6+ years of experience in digital/programmatic advertising, including client relationships
• Hands-on expertise running programmatic campaigns across major DSPs (Basis, Simpli.fi, StackAdapt, Amazon DSP, Trade Desk)
• Proven ability to communicate with senior clients and manage account growth
• Experience mentoring junior team members
• Strong design and PM tool usage (e.g., Canva, Asana)
• Advanced analytics for budgeting, forecasting and campaign performance
• Deep understanding of AI tools in trading, research, and reporting
• Knowledge of federal/state political advertising compliance requirements

Responsibilities

• Lead programmatic trading strategy and execution across client portfolios
• Serve as senior client relationship lead for calls, reviews, and strategic conversations
• Own forecasting, budgeting, and media plan development with clients and teams
• Oversee audience segmentation, targeting, and optimization
• Review and approve campaign setup, QA, pacing, and reporting
• Translate performance data into strategic recommendations for leadership

Skills

Digital/programmatic advertising

Client relationship management

DSP platforms

Leadership/mentorship

AI tools in trading

Canva design

Asana project management

Budgeting & forecasting

Data analysis

Political advertising compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Canva

Asana

Job description

Neptune Ops is the AI-native influence operating system. We build and deploy the most advanced digital tools to drive outcomes in public affairs, enterprise, and other precision advertising campaigns across the country. We help our clients avoid the pitfalls of technology disruptions, and capitalize on the opportunities created by these changes.

As our company continues to grow, you’ll be the critical link between our media trading desk and our clients combining hands‑on programmatic execution with exceptional client service to drive measurable results. This position is a trusted advisor who leads programmatic trading strategy across a portfolio of client accounts and functions as the senior client relationship lead, translating trading impact into business impact and supporting the Sr. Director. The role combines deep trading expertise, senior client management, and mentorship of junior traders.

What you'll do:

• Lead programmatic ad trading strategy and execution across an assigned portfolio of client accounts, spanning display, online video, connected TV, digital audio, digital out‑of‑home, and native formats within DSPs such as Basis, Simpli.fi, StackAdapt, Amazon DSP, and Trade Desk
• Serve as the senior client relationship lead for assigned accounts, leading client calls, quarterly reviews, and strategic campaign conversations as a trusted advisor
• Own campaign forecasting, budget planning, and media plan development in partnership with clients and account teams
• Oversee complex audience segmentation, targeting, and optimization strategies to maximize advocacy impact and performance
• Review and approve campaign setup, QA, pacing, and reporting completed by Ad Traders and Jr. Ad Traders, ensuring accuracy and quality across the book of business
• Translate performance data into high‑level strategic narratives and recommendations for client leadership and internal stakeholders
• Manage relationships with DSP partners and platform representatives; evaluate and pilot new platforms, formats, and AI‑driven trading tools
• Manage, mentor, train, and develop Ad Traders and Jr. Ad Traders on trading execution, client communication, and platform expertise
• Identify growth and expansion opportunities within existing client accounts and contribute to new business proposals and pitches
• Maintain deep knowledge of political advertising compliance requirements (e.g., disclosure/disclaimer rules, FEC and state regulations) and ensure campaigns adhere to relevant standards
• Lead digital advocacy campaign strategy end‑to‑end, from planning through reporting
• Champion the adoption of AI‑driven marketing tools and best practices across the trading team
• Manage department objectives, initiatives, and special projects
• Provide coverage and support for the Sr. Director
• Any and all other duties as may be required of the position

What we're looking for:

• Bachelor's degree and 4–6+ years of experience in digital/programmatic advertising, including direct client relationship management responsibilities, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Extensive, hands‑on expertise running and optimizing programmatic campaigns across major DSPs (Basis, Simpli.fi, StackAdapt, Amazon DSP, Trade Desk, or related)
• Demonstrated success effectively communicating with and serving as a senior point of contact for internal and external clients, including leading strategic conversations, presenting to senior stakeholders, and managing account growth
• Experience mentoring or managing junior team members
• Strong command of design (e.g., Canva) and project management tools (e.g., Asana)
• Advanced analytical and spreadsheet skills for budgeting, forecasting, and campaign performance analysis
• Proven ability to manage a portfolio of accounts and campaigns simultaneously in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment
• Deep understanding of and experience applying AI tools across trading, research, and client reporting
• Strong understanding of federal and state political environments and political advertising compliance
• Must be located in (or willing to relocate to) the Washington, DC metro area and able to work in person in our Washington, DC office at least three days per week

This is a hybrid, full‑time benefits eligible position located in our Washington, DC office. Neptune Ops provides a robust suite of benefits including: discretionary time off, health, dental, vision, mental health, pet, and legal insurance as well as 401(k) match, sick time, holiday pay, and paid time off for bereavement and jury duty.

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $110,000-125,000. Base compensation is determined by many factors including: geography, the candidate’s skills, experience, and internal equity. In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for an MBO incentive plan based on margin performance across advertising trading platforms.

Neptune Ops is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.