Company

Position Summary

The Senior Associate, Digital Activation develops innovative programmatic strategies and brings them to life in media buying tools (DSPs) to deliver impactful business results for clients. 

You will collaborate with communications design, data & analytics, and audience strategy teams to translate clients' media campaign requirements into programmatic engagements with appropriate inventory partners, data vendors, and technology providers. 

Reporting to the Associate Director, Programmatic & Addressable Media, this role's responsibilities include strategic planning, the configuration, monitoring, and ongoing optimization of programmatic campaigns in DSPs, and supporting the Associate Director in training/coaching junior members to improve the team's operational efficiency.

ABOUT YOU

You are a detail-oriented, strategic, critical thinker with a focus on client solutions and campaign outcomes. You have an in-depth understanding of the programmatic ecosystem and its key parties. You stay current with industry trends and challenges and are proactive in finding solutions that ensure a competitive edge for clients.

You are a strong collaborator yet adept at working independently, executing quickly, without mistakes, in a deadline-driven environment without needing constant supervision or assistance.

Key Responsibilities

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Associate, Digital Activation is accountable for the entire programmatic campaign management process. This includes:

• recommending campaign strategy
• campaign setup in a DSP
• audience targeting strategy and implementation
• site tagging recommendation and implementation
• delivery management (pacing/budget/spend)
• performance management and optimization
• reporting, analysis, and insights communication on campaign activity
• troubleshooting delivery, measurement, and performance
• billing reconciliation

SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITIES

In this role, you are expected to:

• maintain current expertise in all aspects of programmatic media buying (DSP/SSP/DMP/technology providers) and to document, communicate, and train on those details as needed. Of particular interest are optimization strategies, campaign troubleshooting, and brand safety practices.
• support the Associate Director in training/coaching junior members, and building/organizing process materials
• assist the larger team with relevant projects to increase operational efficiency & overall team knowledge

Desired Skills & Experience

• Minimum 2 years experience in programmatic media management with a leading advertising agency, publisher, advertising exchange, or optimization firm

• Advanced knowledge of digital buying best practices and digital marketing

• Competent with self-serve buying platforms. DV360, Xandr, The Trade Desk, AmazonAds are preferred

• Office suite fluency, including MS Excel pivot tables and Sharepoint. Familiarity with Tableau & Asana is a plus.

• Strong communication skills (verbal & written) and persuasiveness

• Strong quantitative and analytical skills

Employment Transparency

Initiative is different to other media agencies.

We are not trapped by a legacy structure primarily centered on paid advertising. Instead, we are liberated by a new world structure designed to deliver highly differentiated and highly effective communications strategies for our clients.

We’re not the biggest agency in town. So rather than outsize our competitors we must outsmart them. That’s why we’ve built the strongest strategic capability of any agency in the market. Core to this strategic capability is an obsession with culture and how brands can pivot from brand advertising (which is forgettable) to cultural branding (which is memorable).

Our new world model is comprised of four central “craft centers” – Client Advice and Management, Strategy, Communications Design and Partnerships.

OUR BEHAVIORS

Initiative respects that everyone has something unique to contribute to the agency.

We are a bunch of eclectic and brilliant misfits with diverse backgrounds that represent the unique fabric of consumers and culture.

We want you to be yourself. We want to hear your opinions. We want to see your passion and energy.

If you disagree with something you see or hear then speak up. We will never punish or penalize you for bringing something important to our attention.

If you believe you can improve something in the agency then speak up. We will always listen to your ideas and suggestions.

We will not tolerate harassment, bullying or corporate politics. We will not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We expect you to be responsible on social media and remember that you represent the agency and should not bring us into disrepute.

We are committed to your learning and development. The agency will organize regular training to enhance and accelerate your career – we expect you to prioritize training and actively participate.

We strive for world-class work on every client, every time.

We believe that good enough is not good enough.