Trading Director

Director of Programmatic Trading & Data
C2's client, an independent New York-focused media planning and buying firm, seeks a Director of Programmatic Trading & Data to lead its in-house trading function while helping expand the agency's programmatic, data, and revenue capabilities.

Our client develops customized media strategies that help clients maximize their investment across an evolving media landscape. Following the acquisition of a creative agency, the team is continuing to grow its omnichannel capabilities while investing in stronger internal operations, scalable workflows, and differentiated offerings across programmatic, analytics, and media activation.

This role is built for a senior programmatic leader who is equally comfortable leading strategy, mentoring traders, QA'ing campaigns in-platform, and helping shape the future of the department. The right person understands the realities of independent agency life, brings a no-job-too-small attitude, and knows how to balance operational rigor, innovation, and collaborative leadership without ego.

Job Details
Start Date: ASAP, ideally before the end of the quarter

Duration: Direct Hire

Location: Hybrid, 2 days/week in New York City office

Compensation: Approximately $120,000 annually, with potential for spot bonuses and additional compensation tied to new business growth

Responsibilities

Lead and mentor the in-house trading team across omnichannel programmatic activation including display, video, CTV, audio, DOOH, native, and high-impact media

Establish and refine workflows, QA processes, KPIs, and operational best practices across trading and campaign management

Maintain hands‑on involvement in platform execution, optimization, troubleshooting, and campaign QA

Partner with analytics and media leadership to align data strategy with omnichannel planning, attribution, measurement, and privacy‑compliant audience activation

Evaluate and onboard new data, identity, attribution, and measurement partners to strengthen audience targeting and cross‑channel insights

Support business development efforts by helping position the agency's programmatic and data capabilities within pitches, presentations, and external partnerships

Drive innovation across automation, testing frameworks, AI‑assisted workflows, and emerging programmatic platforms

Collaborate with leadership on department structure, operational improvements, and team development

Manage relationships with external partners, vendors, and platform representatives

Requirements

7–10+ years of experience in programmatic media and digital activation

Proven experience managing a trading team and in‑house programmatic function

Independent or mid‑sized agency experience

Deep expertise across DSPs including The Trade Desk, DV360, and omnichannel programmatic buying environments

Comfortable managing up, managing down, and serving as a thought partner to leadership

Experience helping build scalable trading operations within a growing agency

Strong understanding of audience strategy, identity resolution, attribution, privacy, and measurement frameworks

Hands‑on platform experience with the ability to execute, optimize, troubleshoot, and QA campaigns directly within DSPs

Experience building or refining operational processes and workflows within programmatic teams

Familiarity with verification and brand safety tools such as DoubleVerify or IAS

Experience contributing to business development, sales, or revenue growth initiatives

Ability to operate as both a strategic leader and hands‑on operator

Collaborative, adaptable leadership style with high EQ

Nice to Have

Experience commercializing programmatic or data capabilities as external offerings

Exposure to social platform data partnerships or omnichannel audience strategy

All candidates must be located and authorized to work in the United States. C2 does not sponsor work visas. No C2C.

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