What Is a Programmatic Trader and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

As a programmatic trader, your job is to help optimize a marketing campaign by conducting an analysis of ad performance across various platforms. In this role, you perform analysis to decide when and where to display online ads. You may also help manage an advertising budget and interact directly with people at various levels of the company. Aside from managing ad purchases, a programmatic trader may help develop realistic expectations about ad performance while looking for ways to improve the overall effectiveness of ad buys. A programmatic trader often helps select target audiences for each campaign.

The primary qualifications for becoming a programmatic trader are a bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant field and some experience with advanced mathematics. This position requires the right mix of sales, marketing, and statistical analysis skills, so you can major in communications, marketing, or math. Due to the complex nature of this role, a second major or minor in another area may increase your job opportunities. Fulfilling the responsibilities of a programmatic trader requires familiarity with a variety of different ad systems and bidding processes, as well as the ability to help manage or optimize an ad campaign across multiple online platforms.