VP, Head of Activation

Kepler; New York (NY); On-site; USD 210,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare/Dental/Vision

Unlimited PTO

401k Contributions

Wellness Stipend

Mobile Phone Stipend

Internet Stipend

Annual Learning Stipend

Annual Tuition Stipend

New Hire Home Office Equipment Stipend

Parental Leave

Job summary

Kepler is seeking a visionary leader for VP, Head of Activation to drive execution across all media, from planning to performance. You will bridge brand storytelling and technical media execution, negotiating with ad tech partners and publishers at the highest levels.

You will shape the global activation strategy, scale the team, and collaborate with cross-functional leaders to align brand goals with measurable growth.

Qualifications

• 12+ Years of Experience in the weeds and in the boardroom, with a proven track record of managing $100M+ in aggregate media spend.
• Data Fluency: ability to challenge a measurement framework and understand MMM and MTA.
• High EQ: translate complex technical jargon into client-speak and navigate large agency or corporate structures.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Vision & Innovation: lead the Future of Agentic Media Activation and co-develop the North Star for activation.
• Full-Funnel Integration: create frameworks for profitable, sustainable growth across all media channels.
• Omni-Channel Mastery: unify strategy across media partners and channels, moving from channel-first to audience-first activation.
• Partnership & Ecosystem Management: leverage high-level connections to secure favorable terms and support.
• Scale the Team: mentor and grow the largest sub-department and manage career mapping and retention.

Job description

Kepler executes engineered marketing, where every message and ad delivered helps create a more personalized and productive relationship between brands and their consumers. We do this by acting as clients’ agency of record, as their in-house team, or some hybrid of the two – and by harnessing data and technology across all paid digital media and data-driven CRM channels.

Kepler prides itself on being a great place to work. In fact, we’re proud to share that AdAge recognized Kepler among the Best Place to Work in 2022, validating our investment in our team and our clients.

• We're transparent with our employees. You'll hear updates on company financials, how we're performing against bonus goals, and how we're responding to challenges we face.
• We're growing. For you, that means unparalleled growth opportunities and a role in shaping the direction of the company.
• We're fun. You'll work with and learn from the smartest people in the industry and have a blast doing it.

The Role

As the VP, Head of Activation, you will lead the largest and most dynamic engine within our Client Solutions department. This isn't a role for a spectator. You will be the architect of our execution strategy, overseeing a multi-channel powerhouse that spans all media that Kepler buys, consults, creates, or analyzes on behalf of clients. You will bridge the gap between high-level brand storytelling, agency innovation, and granular technical media execution. We need a visionary who understands that "performance" and "brand" are two sides of the same coin, and who possesses the industry clout and ability to negotiate at the highest levels with ad technology and media partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Vision & Innovation
• The Future of Agentic Media Activation: Co-develop the "North Star" for how our agency activates media in a rapidly evolving agentic-powered world.
• Full-Funnel Integration: Create frameworks that drive profitable, sustainable growth across all media channels.
• Omni-Channel Mastery: Ensure teams are implementing a unified strategy across all media partners and channels, via media platforms and Direct IOs, moving away from "channel-first" thinking to "audience-first" activation.
• Partnership & Ecosystem Management
• Deep Relationships: Leverage existing high-level connections at major platforms and publishers to secure first-to-market alphas, better rates, and strategic support.
• Diversification: Expand our footprint beyond the Big Three. You should be as comfortable discussing a custom content integration with a niche publisher as you are discussing a YouTube Masthead buy.
• Leadership & People Operations
• Scale the Team: Lead, mentor, and grow the largest sub-department in the agency. You are responsible for the career mapping and retention of a diverse group of specialists.
• Culture of Excellence: Foster an environment of continuous testing, learning, and critical thinking.
• Global Activation for NAM: Manage high-performing global Activation teams that support Kepler’s North America business.
• Operational Excellence
• Standardization: Develop global best practices for campaign setup, optimization, and reporting to ensure "best-in-class" work is the baseline, not the exception.
• Technology Stack: Influence the selection and implementation of Kip, the Kepler Intelligence Platform, and our ad tech stack of preferred 3rd party tools and partnerships (e.g., DSPs, Buying/Bidding Tools, Analytics suites).

The Ideal Profile

• 12+ Years of Experience: You’ve spent over a decade in the weeds and in the boardroom, with a proven track record of managing $100M+ in aggregate media spend.
• Media Partner and PlatformAgnostic: You aren't "a Google person" or "a Social person". You are a Media person who understands how brands grow, how people interact with brands, and which media opportunities will resonate best for sustainable growth.
• High EQ: You can translate complex technical jargon into "client-speak" and navigate the internal politics of a large agency or corporate structure with grace.
• Data-Fluent: You don't need to be a data scientist, but you must be able to challenge a measurement framework and understand the nuances of advanced measurement methodologies such as MMM (Marketing/Media Mix Modeling) and MTA (Multi-Touch Attribution).

Transparency is fundamental to Kepler’s culture. Our compensation strategy is designed to attract, reward, and retain the talented employees that drive Kepler’s growth and success. We aim to offer competitive direct compensation and a rich indirect compensation program that demonstrates the value we place on our employees and their wellbeing.

Total Compensation

• Base Salary: $210,000 - $230,000
• Target Annualized Discretionary Bonus: 20% (42,000 - $46,000)
• Target Total Cash: $252,000 - $276,000

Benefits

• Healthcare/Dental/Vision
• Unlimited PTO
• 401k Contributions
• $75/mo Wellness Stipend
• $100/mo Mobile Phone Stipend
• $50/mo Internet Stipend
• $500/yr Annual Learning Stipend
• $2,000/yr Annual Tuition Stipend
• One-time $200 New Hire Home Office Equipment Stipend
• Parental Leave - 16 week primary caregiver / 6 week secondary caregiver leave
• Annual Work From Anywhere 4 weeks per year