The Associate Director, Marketing Science Platforms brings together data-driven marketing technology and systems connectivity within the media ecosystem with an emphasis on digital audience activation. 

The ideal candidate for this role brings a consultative mindset with a deep understanding of audience use cases in media buying across both programmatic (display, native, audio, video, mobile, search, social) and linear channels. They will have a holistic understanding of media buying processes, where audiences fit in, and how data can and should flow end-to-end.

The Associate Director works dynamically across the agency’s Marketing Science Group, Digital, Programmatic and Planning teams to deliver excellent results in an ever-changing environment.

We value the power of collaboration and teamwork; hence the candidate should be committed to working 4 days a week out of the hired city office (Cincinnati, Chicago, or Atlanta).

Responsibilities:

• Ownership of Empower’s Data-Centric Platforms (DMP/CDP/Onboarding) and their day-to-day operations of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data throughout the agency.
• Provide expert-level audience and platform guidance for all stakeholders and lead broader team with ever-changing data landscape and initiatives such as cookieless alternatives, digital identifiers, and privacy.
• Lead key data-focused components of Empower’s Marketing Science Platform roadmap.
• Build custom audiences in a timely manner across the full-funnel of the customer journey and recommend data use-cases to buyers based on client or agency objectives.
• Work across multiple clients in various stages of data-driven media executions.
• Manage client’s expectations regarding usage of data-driven audience activations across the media landscape. 
• Engage with broader Marketing Science Group (research, analytics) as necessary to deliver on agency initiatives including platform POVs, thought leadership.
• Deliver cross-functional team’s audience requests, reporting and analysis.
• Deliver invoice reconciliation for data usage in media campaigns.
• Interpret scopes of work and make changes as necessary to contracts.

Key Characteristics and Desired Competencies:

• Sharp focus, attention to detail
• Organizational skills and effective task management
• Self-directed, entrepreneurial growth mindset
• Ability to build internal and external relationships
• Ability to communicate and present ideas effectively depending on environment and intended audience
• Thorough understanding of data landscape, organization of taxonomies, and partner selection processes
• Understanding of media landscape trends and ecosystem
• Linking conceptual ideas to executable tactics rapidly in a dynamic environment

Qualifications, Education & Experience:

• 5+ years’ experience in media planning, buying or previous equivalent experience in audience-driven media environment
• Bachelor’s degree or higher; preference given to Marketing, Business Analytics or a related field
• Experience with Data-Centric Platforms: DMP (Lotame, Adobe, Permutive, etc.), CDP (Amperity, BlueConic, Salesforce, Adobe, etc.), Onboading tools (LiveRamp, Throtle, etc.)
• Strong understanding of programmatic landscape (Ad Serving, SSPs, DSPs - buying experience a plus)
• Thorough understanding of media timelines and process executions with vendor partners.
• Knowledgeable with data privacy (CCPA, CRPA, GDPR, etc.)
• Proficient with Microsoft Office suite (excel, powerpoint)

Empower participates in E-Verify. We will provide the Social Security Administration, and if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security, with information from each new employee’s form I-9 to confirm work authorization. Please note that we do not use this information to pre-screen job applicants. You may click on the following hyperlinks for the E-Verify Notice and Right to Work Notice.