Director, Investment, Programmatic

Company: Rise
Location: Chicago
Posted on: March 14, 2026

Job Description:

Rise is an award-winning, full-service Media Agency of Record that is backed by data and powered by people. We create omnichannel experiences using our proprietary tech stack and advanced analytics capabilities to help solve the unique struggles brands face today. This approach, with transparency at its core, specializes in omnichannel media, commerce and retail media, advanced in-home media, as well as content and creator marketing. We offer "Risers" the opportunity to work in an ever-evolving industry that will foster learning and development, provide an innovative work environment with diverse projects and clients, career advancement paths a collaborative team environment, corporate social responsibility initiatives, an inclusive and diverse culture, plus association with a reputable media agency. We're looking for talent like you who can continue to elevate our work and culture. Location: Chicago, 4 days in office General Purpose of Job: The Director, Investment, Programmatic is responsible for managing a team of programmatic experts that activate and manage Programmatic campaigns across all programmatic platforms. You will be trusted to oversee a growing client portfolio and collaborate with other team members to deliver innovative solutions to the book of business. This role will also be focused on helping Rise drive revenue growth through three core areas: - Partnering with the Account Management team mapped to their respective portfolio of accounts to retain current business through delivering a remarkable experience and superior results. - Working in full collaboration with the Account Management team to grow pre-existing Rise revenue through uncovering and tactically up-selling strategic client growth opportunities, an emphasis on cross-channel or full-funnel growth initiatives - Supporting new business revenue growth by partnering with Business Development, Account Management, Media Strategy and other channel leaders on new business initiatives As part of accomplishing the above objectives, the Director, Investment, Programmatic will be expected to successfully and fluidly operate across a wide variety of internal and external situations ranging from coaching internal channel managers on complex strategic initiatives, to pitching C-Level client contacts on new business opportunities, to working with Client Partners to craft compelling narratives in order to sell-through strategic growth initiatives. In addition, this individual must be well-spoken, have strong presentation skills, understand client relationship/risk management, be comfortable managing a high-performance team and overseeing large complex accounts with multiple stakeholders in a fast-paced work environment. The right candidate will be passionate about programmatic media and its importance in the consumer journey and marketing funnel. They must have an astute understanding of the programmatic landscape - including all channels, technologies, platforms, etc. and be a leader in promoting collaboration and ideation. As a supervisor, the Director will oversee employee development and retention, including training and goal setting, and lead the team in ensuring that the tactical execution of media planning, placement, and reporting (including post-buy and financial reconciliation) are handled Key Responsibilities: - Establish a center of excellence that efficiently executes programmatic initiatives while driving innovation aligned to business goals. - Develop and execute programmatic strategies for both evergreen and event-based campaigns, working closely with internal / external stakeholders - Provide strategic guidance to clients; anticipate and address client needs and challenges; plan and develop measurable programs that are on strategy, within budget and exceed client objectives marked by clear success criteria (pre and post campaign) and benchmarks - Develop programmatic strategies utilizing knowledge, experience, and strong analytical skills to extract insights from campaign data and provide well-developed quantitatively based recommendations to accomplish client goals and objectives - Optimize targeting, segmentation, and performance across product categories, audiences / personas, and industries, continuously analyzing data and making recommendations for improvement - Drive digital marketing innovation by harnessing AI-driven automation, emerging technologies, and cutting-edge industry best practices to position Rise as a leader in programmatic - Manage financials, including budget allocation, client billing, team billability and account profitability - Deliver insightful and persuasive presentations to clients and prospects - Own execution accuracy across all team members - Responsible for managing a team of direct reports (remote and across all Rise locations) with accountability for all aspects of team oversight, including employee onboarding, employee training, employee performance (accountability and behavior), employee retention - Overall control of workflow and assigned responsibilities within the team; oversee the progress of all projects and provide assistance, where necessary, to ensure timely completion; quickly and tactfully troubleshoot employee and client issues - Collaborate with leadership and peers to develop solutions that will enhance our operational efficiency, tools, and systems, and improve current workflows - Be a thought-leader; proactively advise on programmatic trends, tools, technologies, and recommend direction for investment and implementation; seek opportunities to vet and test new technologies - Partner with the Director, Partnerships to cultivate strong relationships with programmatic partners, including but not limited to DSPs, Ad Servers, Measurement Tools, Inventory partners Audience/Contextual Targeting Partners, DCO providers, DMPs with responsibility for JBP stewardship, as assigned Education: - Bachelor’s degree (communications, marketing, advertising, or business) - Ability to speak, read and write the English language Experience: - 10 years relevant work experience in digital / programmatic marketing; agency experience a plus - 5 years of experience tactically managing campaigns in-platform - Experience in / familiarity with additional digital channels (Social, SEO, Affiliate, or Paid Search) is a plus - Expert usage of Microsoft Office suite, with strong emphasis on Excel - Experience building media plans and determining budget allocation on a yearly and monthly basis using different forecasting methodologies - Experience developing, managing and leading high performance teams required - Strong relationships with publisher and technology partners - Expert knowledge of the importance and role of programmatic within a media plan and how to leverage its strengths - Client-facing and/or C-level track record - Experience participating in new business pitches, both behind-the-scenes and in-the-room Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: - Certificates in Google DV360, Google Campaign Manager, and The Trade Desk required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: - Proficient in programmatic tactics and strategies - Demonstrated experience managing strategy for large, complex clients with minimums of $5M spend per year while being held to strict client goals - Strong analytical capabilities with aptitude to understand technical nuances associated with various media buying platforms in order to improve client results - Proven experience in developing ongoing processes that positively impacted the profitability / efficiency of an account / team - Proven experience facilitating and initiating creative thinking in the digital space: content, media, programmatic, activation - Ability to identify / recruit / retain top talent; experience positively managing personnel issues - Establishes self as a trusted resource by developing relationships with key internal and external stakeholders - Dedication to completing projects and tasks with passion and a relentless pursuit of excellence; ability to excel in a complex and changing marketplace - Superior oral and written communication skills; focus on fostering strong, collaborative relationships at a tactical level - High comfort level participating in brainstorms and ideation sessions - Ability to work with a team to think tactically and execute accurately in order to align media execution with client needs - Passion and desire to continue media and channel education by completing ongoing training and certification programs for platforms, media, leadership and other business skills Travel: Employees can be expected to be paid an annualized salary range of $125,000-$150,000, based on variations in knowledge, skills, experience and market conditions. LI-DP1 Rise and Quad are proud to be an equal opportunity employers. We are committed to creating a place of belonging — a space where employees do not need to sacrifice who they are to exist and grow in our workplace. Rise and Quad do not discriminate on any unlawful basis including race, religion, color, national origin, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Rise and Quad also prohibit harassment of applicants and employees based on any of these protected categories.

Keywords: Rise, Joliet , Director, Investment, Programmatic, PR / Public Relations , Chicago, Illinois