Head of Programmatic

We are Brainlabs, the High-Performance media agency, on a mission to become the world's biggest and best independent media agency. We plan and buy media that delivers profitable and sustained business impact. And what’s our formula? Superteams of Brainlabbers, fueled by data and enabled by technology.

Brainlabs has always been a culture-first company. In fact, from the very beginnings of the agency a set of shared principles, philosophies and values was documented in The Brainlabs Handbook, helping us create our unique culture.

As with everything here we always seek to adapt and improve so The Brainlabs Handbook has been fine-tuned to become The Brainlabs Culture Code.

This Culture Code consists of 12 codes that talk to what it means to be a Brainlabber. It’s a joint commitment to continuous development and creating a company that we can all be proud of, where Brainlabbers can turn up to do great work, make great friends and win together.

You can read The Brainlabs Culture Code in full here.

Role type: Full Time
Practice: Programmatic
Reporting to: Managing Director
Location: London

What's the role

As an expert in Programmatic, you will build and lead a highly effective and scalable delivery team for our clients. You’ll lead the ongoing development of the Programmatic practice by developing our proposition, building partnerships, leading key client relationships, growing skills, supporting learning, and sharing knowledge across the business. You’ll also champion the adoption of technology and streamlined processes to ensure we consistently deliver brilliant work for our clients.

What you do

• Lead the Programmatic practice to strong commercial performance through product excellence, efficient processes, smart automation, and thoughtful use of technology.

• Develop the programmatic proposition and approach in key, emerging programmatic channels to explore new revenue opportunities and define best practices / opportunities

• Effectively resource and guide the Programmatic team across client patches, ensuring clear priorities, smooth delivery, strong collaboration & profitability.

• Serve as the senior point of support for complex or high-priority client needs, working closely with the Client Success team to ensure work is delivered to a high standard and on time.

• Support the growth, engagement, and career development of the Programmatic team through coaching, regular feedback, and structured progression.

• Develop and deliver training, learning pathways, and knowledge-sharing programmes across the practice and Brainlabs.

Who You Are

• Number 1 - you LOVE programmatic

• You want to work somewhere where you really can change things, and help define how programmatic should be run in the industry

• You have deep Programmatic delivery experience, ideally with 8+ years in the field.

• You bring commercial awareness and experience managing a successful, efficient, and client-focused delivery team.

• You have a strong track record of improving Programmatic delivery through better processes, automation, and use of technology.

• You enjoy problem-solving and take a collaborative approach to supporting clients and teams.

• You’re a clear, empathetic, and authentic communicator who builds trust and alignment.

• You’re passionate about leading people and helping others grow their skills and careers.

How you succeed

• You actively model our culture code in your day-to-day work

• You help our teams to deliver flawless, programmatic excellence across all clients

• You drive growth and retention of not only key members of the programmatic team, but also key clients

• You manage budgets effectively and support the practice in meeting its contribution margin goals.

• You help the team achieve strong resource utilisation in a sustainable, people-first way.

• You champion our technology adoption goals by helping the team feel confident and supported in using new tools.

• Your leadership contributes to strong team engagement, retention, and career development outcomes.

• Client satisfaction targets—both internal and external—are met or exceeded.

• Learning programmes and certifications are delivered and adopted across the practice.

• Successful contributions to our new business story and new business pitches

What happens next?

We know searching for a job is tough and that you want to find the best career and employer for you. We also want to ensure that this position is the best fit for both you and us. Therefore, you will participate in a comprehensive interview process that includes skills interviews with our team. The goal of this process is to allow you to get to know us as we learn more about you.

Brainlabs actively seeks and encourages applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and identities. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace: we are committed to equal opportunity for all applicants and employees regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, or belief, and marriage and civil partnerships. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation during the application process, please let us know!

Please note that we will never ask you to transfer cash or make any other payment to us in order to apply for a role or to work for Brainlabs. Any such asks are fraudulent and should be reported to the appropriate authorities in your area.