Programmatic Trading Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

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.

Job Description

As Director, Programmatic, you will be the architect of advanced programmatic strategies that drive measurable business impact across an evolving media landscape. This role combines visionary leadership with deep technical and platform expertise, positioning you as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders. You will champion innovation, integrate emerging technologies, and lead a high-performing team to deliver omnichannel excellence across video, CTV, audio, display, native, and retail media networks. 

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a high-performing programmatic team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.  
• Own end-to-end programmatic strategy, ensuring campaigns exceed performance benchmarks and align with client business objectives.  
• Drive omnichannel integration, including CTV, DOOH, audio, social, and retail media, for cohesive and impactful strategies.  
• Champion privacy-first solutions, leveraging clean rooms, contextual targeting, and identity resolution frameworks.  
• Represent the agency as an industry thought leader, through POVs, speaking engagements, and trend reports.  
• Partner with clients at the executive level, providing consultative guidance on programmatic role in achieving growth and profitability.  
• Collaborate with Analytics and Data Science teams to design advanced measurement frameworks, attribution models, and actionable insights.  
• Leverage AI/ML technologies for predictive bidding, dynamic creative optimization, and advanced audience segmentation.  
• Create operational playbooks, QA protocols, and best practices to improve efficiency and campaign performance.  
• Lead media negotiations with DSP/DMP partners, ensuring cost efficiency and strategic alignment.  
• Leverage Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) results and other analysis to contextualize programmatic impact and inform future investment decisions.  
• Leverage AI-based tools to enhance Programmatic Activation efficiency and campaign performance.
• Drive revenue growth and margin improvement through innovative programmatic solutions and strategic investment recommendations. 

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in programmatic media, including 4+ years in leadership roles. 
• Experience mentoring, teaching, training, and onboarding direct reports strongly preferred.  
• Experience with standardizing processes across teams 
• Proven ability to design and execute strategic media plans aligned with client KPIs and business goals. 
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and provide actionable insights.  
• Hands-on experience with DSP platforms (e.g., The Trade Desk, DV360, Yahoo DSP, Amazon DSP) and familiarity with DMPs.  
• Strong understanding of privacy & identity trends (Privacy Sandbox, clean rooms, consented measurement). IAB Tech Lab 
• Experience with measurement tools (CM360, GA4), reporting platforms (Looker/Tableau) and basic SQL for data interrogation. Greenhouse 
• Strong understanding of programmatic metrics, optimization strategies, and attribution Modeling frameworks. 
• Understanding traditional and interactive media planning elements. 
• Familiarity with ad verification tools (IAS, Double Verify) and brand safety protocols. 
• Excellent client & partner communication and storytelling skills - able to present performance, explain technical choices and recommend strategy. 
• Cross-team collaboration: Ability to navigate/troubleshoot issues and communicate effectively across disciplines - communication within the client portfolio (i.e. working with Strategy, Solution Architects, Billing teams) 
• Strong troubleshooting, QA discipline, and project management skills. 
• Strong client-facing experience and ability to manage issues effectively.  
• Resourceful, curious, and motivated with a passion for innovation and continuous learning. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; advanced Excel skills preferred. 
• Bachelor's degree or higher preferred 

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.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact USMTTACompliance@publicis.com.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

 Compensation Range: USD $121,315.00 - USD $174,300.00/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 8/17/2026.Employment Type: FULL_TIME