Associate Director, Programmatic… at Publicis Groupe · Chicago

Company Description

Starcom is the world's first standalone media agency, a storied innovator that continues to lead the way for many of the world's best brands.

Starcom has long been the professional birthplace and proving ground for marketing leaders – CEOs, CMOs, sales leaders, and technology pioneers – and we continue to drive the industry with peerless talent and relentless innovation.

From the start, we've known that achieving growth for our clients requires understanding and connecting with real people where they live and work, in ways they value.

In an AI era, we remain ""Guided By Humanity,"" a phrase that describes our foundational belief that human expertise must remain in the driver's seat, supported by the best processes and technology.

With our proprietary capabilities and Publicis Media's industry-leading resources and clout, we create ideas that move people and drive transformative business outcomes for brands.

Overview

The Associate Director, Programmatic is highly motivated, technically savvy, and detail-oriented with expertise in both programmatic campaign management and strategy. This role oversees a team that manages the day-to-day management of programmatic campaigns and strategies.

A successful candidate will have at least 5 years of digital media experience in the programmatic media space and is a data-driven, strategic thought leader and decision-maker who strives to foster an environment of welcomed creativity and learning for their team. Furthermore, this position is a main point of contact for the client and should be an excellent communicator and relationship builder amongst internal and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Manage a programmatic team responsible for the client's media buys in the DSP
• Direct the execution of brand programmatic deliverables to meet/exceed expectations
• Solid knowledge of the programmatic landscape – system setups on both DSP & DMP
• Develop, grow, and maintain relationships through exceptional client service
• Contribute to creation of action plans for achieving and measuring digital media success, including setting key metrics, measurement and optimization strategies
• Advocate for the value of social/programmatic by educating clients, partners and internal teams on the latest tech/data advancements and capabilities in this quickly evolving space
• Provide direction as needed for improving campaign performance through optimization and/or implementing new features and strategies
• Create and deliver presentations to both clients and internal teams showcasing campaign strategy and performance results
• Develop points of view on new technologies, trends, and opportunities in the automated digital media landscape
• Demonstrate a deep technical understanding as well as problem-solving and intervention when necessary
• Partner with analytics team on campaign measurement reporting and insights generation
• Lead regular insight meetings with clients detailing performance, campaign optimizations, and new opportunities
• Work with media partners to ensure accurate platform implementation
• Lead and assist in coaching, managing, and educating a team of Analysts, Sr. Analysts, and Managers

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred, preferably in marketing, advertising, business, engineering, statistics, economics, sociology, or equivalent
• 5+ years of directly related experience preferably in the programmatic media space
• 2+ years of experience managing a team
• Working knowledge in technologies such as The Trade Desk, DoubleClick Bid Manager, TTD, AOP, AAP and Facebook and Twitter APIs
• Strong leadership skills and professionalism and be comfortable presenting ideas to senior client management
• Possess strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret campaign performance data and provide insights and optimization recommendations
• Understanding of traditional and interactive media planning elements
• Resourceful, curious, and motivated individual with an ability to work independently as well as in a team setting
• Strong analytics, organizational, and communication skills
• Strong client facing experience with the ability to identify risks and effectively manage through issues
• Strong project management skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite with intermediate to advanced understanding of Excel

Additional Information

Starcom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employment decisions are made without regard to actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law, genetic information, marital status, military service and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.

The Power of One starts with our people! To do powerful things, we offer powerful resources. Our best-in-class wellness and benefits offerings include:

• Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or more
• Monetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and Fertility
• Monetary assistance and support for pet adoption
• Employee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balance
• Tuition Assistance
• Paid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and more
• Matching Gifts programs
• Flexible working arrangements
• 'Work Your World’ Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility)
• Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliances

The benefits offerings listed are available to U.S. based employees, are reviewed on an annual basis, and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.

Compensation Range: $97,375 - $139,965 Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 8/9/2026.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact USMSTACompliance@publicis.com. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation Range: USD $97,375.00 - USD $139,965.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 8/7/2026.