Associate Director, Programmatic

WHY DEPT®? We are a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, we create what is next by pioneering ideas, acting fast, and moving further because standing still just is not in our DNA. We are drawn to people who stay curious, move with intent, and never stop inventing. Our culture runs on three values: better together, relentlessly curious, and get sh*t done. It is how we work, how we grow, and how we make things that matter. At DEPT®, you will find the freedom to explore, the space to collaborate, and the trust to make a real impact for our clients, for each other, and for the world we are helping to build. THE ROLE: The Associate Director, Programmatic is responsible for leading activation excellence and team performance for one of our largest enterprise clients. Working in close partnership with the Director and Group Director, this role ensures that account and campaign strategies are translated into high-quality execution, operational rigor, and measurable client outcomes. This role serves as the senior day-to-day leader for the account-dedicated programmatic team, overseeing Managers and Associates across a distributed team structure while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. The Associate Director is expected to be both a strong people leader and a hands-on programmatic expert, capable of guiding execution, troubleshooting complex challenges, and maintaining best-in-class activation standards. WHAT YOU’LL DO: Lead and mentor a team of Managers and Associates across U.S.-based, nearshore, and offshore teams, fostering professional growth, accountability, and a high-performing team culture. Oversee activation excellence across campaigns, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and adherence to platform and account best practices. Serve as the primary escalation point for campaign execution, platform troubleshooting, measurement challenges, and operational issues, partnering with internal teams to drive timely resolution. Lead campaign architecture, optimization frameworks, and testing execution while driving performance narratives that ensure high-quality execution and continuous improvement. Partner closely with the Director to translate strategic recommendations into actionable activation plans that drive client performance and business objectives. Contribute programmatic expertise and performance insights to support ongoing strategic development, innovation, and testing initiatives.