Senior Digital Ad Ops Manager

Job Description

Company Description

Merkle is a leading data-driven, technology-enabled, global performance marketing agency that specializes in the delivery of unique, personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. For more than 30 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. The agency's heritage in data, technology, and analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills in understanding consumer insights that drive people-based marketing strategies. Its combined strengths in performance media, customer experience, customer relationship management, loyalty, and enterprise marketing technology drive improved marketing results and competitive advantage. With 5,500 employees, Merkle is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, with 24 additional offices in the US and 25 offices in Europe and APAC. In 2016, the agency joined the Dentsu Aegis Network.

Job Description

We are looking for detail-oriented people for Merkle’s Media Platforms & Operations team (MPO). The MPO team, aka Ad Ops Team, are responsible for the implementation and activation of ads for display, programmatic, video, and paid social advertising. You will have the opportunity to be a part of an innovative, fast growing team focused on revolutionizing digital media planning and buying, in the context of a multi-channel data driven approach.

The Sr. Manager, Media Platforms & Operations main responsibilities includes preparation, implementation and management of digital media campaigns, directly project manage numerous campaigns and work with creative, media, analytics, and clients to develop and manage project timelines, identify roles/responsibilities and key stakeholders, facilitating the gathering of assets, traffic instructions and creation of ad serving tags.

This position is essential in the day-to-day running of the Media Platforms & Operations department and designated accounts. This position requires an individual that works well in a team-based, fast paced, detail-oriented environment. Sr. Manager, Media Platforms & Operations is expected to be resourceful and demonstrates the initiative to participate in advanced projects.

The Sr. Manager, Media Platforms & Operations position is responsible for working with the creative digital analytics, and media teams to identify additional workstreams needed to support the client needs, provide consultative support from a technical and operational perspective to the creative and media teams, help develop/identify “Best Practices” for their accounts, as well as a mentor to help apply it towards other Merkle accounts. In addition, the Sr. Manager, must have a strong understanding of ad serving capabilities, tag management systems, rich media, VAST/V-PAID implementation, mobile implementation, creative process, dynamic ads, tasks involved in campaign implementation and execution, and digital media planning & buying process.

Sr. Manager, Media Platforms & Operations persons must have strong troubleshooting skillsets, and help oversee the implementation and integration of new emerging tools and/or technologies that will enable the Merkle’s Media Services group to work effectively and efficiently as an organization. This role is expected to be a client facing role, and must be able to be articulate in meetings, representing media operations capabilities and issues as it relates to ad serving and data enablement.
As a member of the Media Platforms & Operations teams, each individual is expected to provide product and technology expertise and solutions in all phases of digital advertising campaigns. The Media Platforms & Operations team works closely with the Media Services, Analytics and Technology teams, which together plan, execute, measure, and optimize advertising initiatives for our clients. We’re looking for an analytical and web-savvy problem solver to help launch, troubleshoot, and measure client campaigns across multiple industry leading ad platforms, all while improving existing processes through initiatives of automation, documentation, and scale. The ideal candidate is curious and tenacious in solving problems, as well as an expert communicator – comfortable translating complex details to audiences of different technical knowledge.

• Master industry leading ad platforms, including ad servers and DSPs
• Manage campaign timelines and deliverables across internal and external teams
• Implement, QA, and troubleshoot ad campaigns using leading third party and Merkle platforms
• Act as in-house platform expert and escalation point on product and technology issues
• Document best practices and seek out opportunities to improve existing processes
• Assist in the development of new internal products and in the vetting and onboarding of new third-party ad platforms

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Digital Operations Management:

• Project Management expertise
• Expert in, Third Party Ad Servers (DoubleClick, Innovid, Sizmek) and rich media technology, dynamic creative, in app tracking, tag management systems
• A technical authority for all technical issues involved in running online ad campaigns (including trafficking of remarketing capabilities, VAST/In-Stream Video, Rich Media and Audio)
• Work closely with internal departments and external partners to ensure that appropriate materials are received and/or distributed correctly
• Coordinate and meet all deliverables accurately and in a timely manner
• Work closely with media vendors and media teams to resolve reporting and/or billing discrepancies
• Plan, organize, activate and control daily process

Client & Internal/External Relationships:

• Support teams in preparing and delivering assets to media vendors
• Work with media, creative and analytics teams at the onset of a campaign to identify and implement all creative and technical requirements
• Manage relationships with external vendors (such as DSPs, DMPs, verification vendors, rich media companies, media publishers, research firms, etc.)
• Possesses mature and professional business acumen in personal and written communications

Strategic Thinking & Leadership:

• Demonstrates active listening skills and ability to apply learnings over time
• Recognize recurrent or potential issues and problems, and know when to escalate and propose solutions, where possible
• Takes clear ownership of assigned tasks

Communication Skills:

• Express oneself clearly and concisely in written and oral communications
• Write in a clear, compelling and concise manner
• Organize ideas and information logically and sequentially

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Marketing or Business focus is preferred
• 8 - 10 years of media/ad ops/digital industry experience
• Experience with ad servers and mobile measurement partners required
• Must be able to troubleshoot any issues that arise
• Strong project management skills required
• Proficient Third Party Ad Servers (DoubleClick, Innovid, Sizmek) and rich media technology
• Experience with demand side platforms a plus (e.g., The Trade Desk, DV 360, Verizon)
• Ability to work in fast-paced environment while demonstrating the ability to multi-task and keep multiple projects on-track
• Familiarity with HTML, SQL, SaaS, and JavaScript

Additional Information

Merkle fosters a diverse environment that encourages original thinking about our business and empowers us to communicate with a global world of customers. We embrace differences of opinion and diversity of thought as they help us challenge and refine our solutions. Merkle, as a best-in-class marketing agency, welcomes big ideas, and believes they can come from anywhere.

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