Associate Director, Programmatic

Darkroom

Associate Director, Programmatic leading Darkroom's programmatic media capability within the Paid Media function. Building strategies and executing campaigns across various digital platforms.

Posted 7/16/2026full-timeNew York City • Florida, New Jersey, New York, Texas • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates extensive expertise in programmatic media strategy, particularly with Amazon DSP, CTV, and OLV, while effectively connecting media investments to business outcomes through data-driven test plans and client communication. Proven ability to lead and optimize programmatic campaigns, establish best practices, and educate teams on programmatic concepts.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Amazon DSP ExpertiseProgrammatic Media StrategyCTV Campaign PlanningIncrementality TestingClient Communication Skills

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Programmatic Buying ModelsMedia ForecastingBudget RecommendationsTest Plan DevelopmentMeasurement ReadoutsAudience StrategyFrequency ManagementBrand SafetyInventory QualityRetail Media Networks

Soft Skills

High Ownership MindsetStrong Communication Skills

Tools & Technologies

Analytics ToolsMeasurement VendorsClean RoomsExposure LogsMetaTikTokRedditPinterest

Industry Keywords

Programmatic MediaHigh-Impact MediaStreaming VideoDisplay AdvertisingOnline VideoIncrementalityGeo HoldoutsMatched-Market TestsLift StudiesSOPs

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

With support from the Paid Media MD, build Darkroom's programmatic media capability across Amazon DSP, CTV, OLV, RMNs, display, and high-impact media.
Lead strategy, planning, activation, optimization, and measurement for programmatic campaigns across key client accounts.
Serve as the internal subject matter expert for Amazon DSP, retail media, streaming video, connected TV, online video, and programmatic buying strategy.
Develop test plans that connect programmatic investment to business outcomes, not just impressions, reach, or platform-reported conversions.
Partner with Analytics and Growth Strategy to design incrementality-minded test structures across geo holdouts, matched-market tests, exposure-log measurement, clean rooms, and lift studies.
Build clear client-facing narratives around the role of programmatic in a broader growth system.
Evaluate programmatic partners, publishers, DSPs, RMNs, and measurement vendors.
Establish programmatic best practices, SOPs, QA standards, pacing rules, and reporting expectations.
Collaborate with Creative to define channel-specific creative requirements across video, display, high-impact, and RMN environments.
Create case studies that prove programmatic's incremental impact and support future new business.
Educate the broader Paid Media team on programmatic strategy, terminology, platform capabilities, measurement expectations, and client use cases.
Help define the long-term roadmap for building a programmatic practice inside Darkroom.
Work closely with the Shadow product team to enhance Shadow's programmatic backbone.
Step in on Paid Social campaign management and optimization across Meta, TikTok, Reddit, and Pinterest when programmatic priorities are lighter, acting as a flexible resource for the broader Paid Media team.

Requirements

What you’ll need

6-8+ years of programmatic media experience, preferably in a fast-paced agency or high-growth brand environment.
Deep experience with Amazon DSP is required.
Strong experience planning or activating CTV and OLV campaigns.
Experience with Retail Media Networks and audience-led media environments.
Hands-on Paid Social media buying experience across at least two of Meta, TikTok, Reddit, or Pinterest, comfortable executing and optimizing campaigns when programmatic priorities allow.
Ability to build programmatic strategies that connect to business outcomes, incrementality, and budget decisioning.
Strong understanding of programmatic buying models, inventory quality, audience strategy, frequency management, supply paths, brand safety, and measurement limitations.
Experience working with streaming video, display, high-impact, contextual, publisher-direct, and DSP-based media.
Comfort building test plans, media forecasts, budget recommendations, and client-facing measurement readouts.
Experience partnering with analytics or measurement teams on incrementality testing, lift studies, clean rooms, exposure logs, or MMM inputs.
Strong client communication skills. You can explain complex programmatic concepts in plain English and make a clear recommendation.
High ownership mindset. This is a new function, so you should be excited to build systems, not just inherit them.
Comfort operating in a remote, fast-moving, high-accountability environment.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Unlimited PTO + US holidays: Rebooting is part of the work. Take the time you need to stay sharp.
Remote-First Culture: Many roles are fully remote. Employees based in or near our New York or Lisbon HQs are expected to work hybrid with weekly in-office time. Hub locations include Brazil and Spain.
Health & Wellness: Company-sponsored medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Finances, growth, and retirement: Darkroom offers a robust 401(k) program with company match and profit-sharing opportunities to help you save and grow as the company grows.
Parental Leave: Flexible parental leave to support new parents during this important transition.
Growth: Our interdisciplinary model gives every Darkroomer exposure far beyond their core role. Grow your skills, expand your influence, and stay at the forefront of the industry.