Digital Media Associate Director, Programmatic

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 Programmatic Associate Director, on our Optimization & Innovation team, leads strategy and execution across advanced programmatic channels. This includes guiding a team responsible for planning, activating, and analyzing data-driven media campaigns. This role requires deep hands-on expertise in programmatic buying platforms, strong client-facing skills, and the ability to translate complex performance insights into clear strategies for stakeholders at all levels.

You will serve as both a programmatic subject matter expert and a people leader, driving excellence in execution while elevating how programmatic media delivers measurable business impact for our clients.

What You will Do:

• Strategic Leadership: Lead programmatic planning, activation, and optimization across all major channels (Display, Native, OLV, YouTube, Audio, and DOOH) to drive performance and innovation.

• Team Management & Mentorship: Oversee and mentor a team of 5–10 Analysts and Managers, guiding them in building granular, scalable strategies and ensuring flawless campaign execution.

• Platform Expertise: Serve as a hands-on technical expert across major DSPs, specifically DV360 and Yahoo DSP, while leveraging experience in platforms like The Trade Desk and Amazon.

• Client Advisory: Act as the primary programmatic subject matter expert, leading strategy presentations and performance readouts for diverse levels of client leadership.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with internal teams to develop holistic, data-driven insights and storytelling that integrate programmatic into broader cross-channel media strategies.

• Operational Excellence: Codify and document best practices to standardize execution and elevate the programmatic discipline across the organization.

Desired Skills & Experience:

• 5–8+ years of hands-on programmatic experience across multiple paid media channels (Display, Native, OLV, CTV, YouTube, Audio, DOOH, etc.)

• Deep expertise in programmatic planning, activation, and analysis

• Experience managing 3+ direct reports, with a proven ability to coach and develop talent

• Strong working knowledge of DSPs, with DV360 and Yahoo DSP preferred, YouTube experience is a plus

• Comfortable leading client strategy, performance discussions, and recommendations independently

• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to solve complex performance challenges creatively

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, collaborative environment

• Advanced proficiency in Excel, data analysis, and digital measurement tools

• Bachelor’s degree required

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: $117,000 - $140,000

• Target Annualized Discretionary Bonus: 5% ($5,850 - $7,000)

• Target Total Cash: $122,850 - $147,000

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

Kepler is a people first organization. If this role piques your interest but you may not check every box, we still encourage you to apply! Studies show that imposter syndrome can prevent women and people of color from applying unless they meet every single qualification. We welcome all who are interested to apply, you just might be a great candidate for this role or others.

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