Associate Director, Programmatic

GALE is the world’s first and only Business Agency. We bring business strategy to brand storytelling to drive enterprise value. With expertise in strategy, media, CRM, creative, performance marketing, and technology, GALE creates integrated marketing systems and campaigns that grow businesses in significant ways. Founded in 2014, the agency has since been named AdAge’s Business Transformation Agency of the Year and Adweek’s U.S. Media Agency of the Year and has been recognized for its innovative creative at the Cannes Lions.

We work with brands such as Delta, Uber, Starbucks, Chili’s, Hard Rock, MilkPEP, Diageo, Cotton, IHG and more. If you’re driven by a passion to build something great, a desire to innovate, and a commitment to achieve excellence in your craft, GALE is a great place for you!

GALE has eight offices around the world, including New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, Austin, Denver, Kansas City, London, and Bengaluru. GALE embraces a hybrid, flexible workplace.

We are seeking an accomplished Associate Director – Programmatic to lead strategic planning, performance oversight, and innovation across our programmatic practice. This role demands a deep understanding of programmatic ecosystems, strong leadership abilities, and the capability to translate data into actionable business outcomes.

• Own end-to-end programmatic strategy and delivery across key client accountsLead campaign architecture, data onboarding, experimentation frameworks, and advanced optimisations
• Drive performance accountability — pacing, KPI alignment, measurement plans, and actionable insights
• Partner with Planning, Analytics, Creative, and Tech teams to deliver full-funnel programmatic success
• Shape audience strategy, reporting intelligence, and programmatic innovation for clientsInfluence platform selection, deal negotiation, and ad-tech partnerships to drive value
• Evangelize programmatic best practices internally and externallyIdentify automation, workflow enhancements, and scalability opportunities for the team
• Represent programmatic expertise in client conversations, pitching, and business development
• Coach and grow a team of programmatic traders/managers to elevate craft excellence within GALE
• As an Associate Director, you are expected to lead with strategic vision, act as a senior consultative partner to clients, and be a key driver in expanding GALE’s programmatic footprint.

• 10+ years of progressive experience in programmatic strategy, planning, and campaign management.
• Deep expertise in programmatic buying models (RTB, PMP, PG), advanced optimisation tactics, audience strategies, and KPI frameworks.
• Hands-on proficiency across major DSPs such as DV360, The Trade Desk, and Amazon DSP. Experience working with other biddable platforms will be valuable.

• Strong understanding of Display, Native, Video, YouTube, CTV, Audio and DOOH advertising channels with knowledge of all major ad formats.

• Solid experience with ad verification/brand safety platforms (IAS, DoubleVerify, MOAT).
• Strong technical competency with tags, pixels, tracking, macros, and troubleshooting.
• Proven experience setting up and managing PMP and PG deals across platforms.
• Familiarity with analytics tools such as GA4, Adobe Analytics, and MMPs (AppsFlyer, Kochava, Adjust), etc.
• Curiosity-driven innovator who stays up-to-date with emerging channels (retail media, streaming platforms, identity solutions) with an ability to evaluate and recommend new ad-tech partners, test new betas, and lead innovation roadmaps.
• Excellent analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and drive strategic decisions.
• A proactive leader with the ability to set objectives, manage multiple work-streams, and ensure accountability.
• Strong communicator capable of influencing internal teams, clients, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Experience mentoring and upskilling teams; passionate about building high-performing programmatic talent.
• Passionate about craft mastery, and an advocate for collaboration in a no-silos culture.

As part of our recruitment process, we may use technology assisted tools, including automated systems, to support the review and assessment of applications. These tools do not make the final decisions. All decisions related to screening, interviewing and selection are made by our Talent Acquisition and hiring teams.

Note: Hybrid work in office is an essential function of the job.

We believe in inclusivity and do our best work when people with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and skills are brought together. Our Core Values are at the root of GALE’s collaborative environment and help to foster a strong community. Our Code of Conduct, Human Resources policies, and executive investment in inclusion further support and protect GALE’s inclusive workplace. GALE is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

In order to comply with equal pay and salary transparency laws in various locations, we believe the target compensation for this role is content input by hiring team….. per year. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, qualifications, job performance, level of experience, location, and business needs.

For more information on other benefits we offer, please visit https://www.gale.agency/careers

We want you to be just as discerning in making your next career move as we are finding great talent to join our team. Our interview process will allow you to meet a range of people from various disciplines and domains both virtually and in person. Please discuss with our recruiters if you require any accommodations throughout the process to help enable a smooth interview.