Critical Mass is hiring a

Senior Media Buyer, Programmatic

Chicago, United States

Senior Media Buyer, Programmatic

The Senior Media Buyer, Programmatic role involves buying, planning, managing, and executing interactive marketing strategies. The ideal candidate will have in-depth knowledge of all digital channels, specifically programmatic, but not limited to paid search, display, video, mobile, and other emerging channels. Experience with Amazon DSP is a MUST, and retail experience is preferred. This individual will serve as the strategic support, planning, and optimization lead. They will be responsible for facilitating and managing the relationship between the client and third-party vendors. Additionally, they will maintain and optimize campaigns while overseeing the Media Planners.


You Will:

  • Implement and manage online marketing and media strategies to maximize client objectives.
  • Provide day-to-day client support, building strong relationships while identifying opportunities for up-sell and cross-sell.
  • Bid, buy, and optimize campaigns across various digital platforms to meet client goals.
  • Monitor campaign performance, manage spend, troubleshoot issues, and provide insights to ensure goals are achieved.
  • Oversee all phases of the online marketing/media process: strategy, planning, buying, trafficking, optimization, and ROI analysis.
  • Stay current on industry trends, advising clients and creating POV documents on new opportunities.
  • Manage relationships with third-party vendors, keeping up with their offerings and facilitating client meetings.
  • Train clients and team members on third-party tools and platforms.
  • Develop sales strategies for media kits and client presentations.
  • Oversee reporting, bid management, inventory forecasting, and campaign analysis.
  • Develop reporting schedules and ensure campaign maintenance for all advertisers.
  • Communicate client reporting requirements and deliver actionable analytics.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for issue escalation, maintaining strong client interaction.
  • Research evolving industry trends to provide insights and strategic direction.
  • Manage project deadlines, workflow, and team coordination (calendars, budgets, meetings).
  • Build strong, trusting relationships with clients and take ownership of team deliverables and quality.

You Have:

  • 3+ years as a Media Planner, with 2+ years focused on Programmatic/Media Buying.
  • Must have experience with Amazon DSP for managing programmatic campaigns and optimizing performance.
  • Expertise in media planning for commerce/retail campaigns, with strong knowledge of digital tools, ad servers, and trafficking software.
  • Bid, buy, and optimize campaigns to meet goals, managing performance and troubleshooting in real-time.
  • Monitor campaign performance, adjust spend and strategy, and provide actionable insights for optimization.
  • Oversee all phases of the marketing/media process: strategy, planning, buying, trafficking, optimization, and ROI analysis.
  • Stay current on industry trends, advising clients and developing POV documents on new opportunities.
  • Build strong client relationships, providing day-to-day support and identifying upsell/cross-sell opportunities.
  • Manage third-party vendor relationships, ensuring alignment with client goals and facilitating communication.
  • Develop sales strategies and media kits for client presentations to demonstrate campaign value.
  • Oversee reporting, bid management, inventory forecasting, and performance analysis.
  • Ensure timely client reporting, delivering clear insights and campaign accountability.
  • Coordinate project timelines and workflows, managing internal and client deliverables while meeting deadlines.
  • Mentor and train team members on programmatic tools, campaign management, and best practices.
  • Strong communication skills, with experience managing client calls and leading meetings.
  • Proficient in key tools like DoubleClick DCM, Google Ad products, AdWords, Prisma, and ad servers/tags.
  • Skilled in MS Office, particularly Excel and Keynote/PowerPoint.
  • Experience managing budgets and optimizing spend to achieve campaign goals.
  • Adaptable and enthusiastic, with a passion for digital media and a proven track record of success.

Nice to Have: 

  • Familiarity with tools like Smartsheet, Box, and Prisma is a plus.

What We Offer:

  • Global maternity and parental leave
  • Competitive benefits packages
  • Vacation, compassionate leave, sick days, and flex days
  • Access to online services for families and new parents
  • Extensive winter holiday office closures
  • Summer Fridays (off at 3:00 PM local time every Friday)
  • Diversity and Inclusion Board with 12 affinity groups
  • Internal learning and development programs
  • Enterprise-wide employee discounts

Our new hires & employees are the future of our organization, and we want to set you up for long-term success.  In an effort to do so, we expect our team to work from an office a minimum of 3 days a week.

Critical Mass is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We do not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. If you are an individual with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please reach out to [email protected].

We are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within our pool of candidates, with a target of achieving at least 50% representation from underrepresented communities.

The Critical Mass Talent Acquisition team will only communicate from email addresses that use the URLs criticalmass.com and us.greenhouse-mail.io. We will not use apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Google Hangouts for communicating with you. We will never ask you to send us money, technology, or anything else to work for our company. If you believe you are the victim of a scam, please review your local government consumer protections guidance and reach out to them directly.

If U.S. based: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams#avoid
If Canada based: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/finance/consumer-affairs.html
If U.K. based: https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
If Costa Rica based: https://www.consumo.go.cr/educacion_consumidor/consejos_practicos.aspx 

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