At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the UK programmatic function, driving strategy and operational excellence.
- Company: Dynamic company based in London, focused on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career development, and a vibrant work culture.
- Other info: Join a team that values creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Shape the future of programmatic advertising in a fast-paced environment.
- Qualifications: 7-10 years in programmatic advertising with strong leadership experience.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
Reporting to the Global Operations Director and based in our new office near Victoria in London, this role is responsible for leading and evolving the UK programmatic function. The core focus covers strategic leadership, operational excellence, audience strategy, regional enablement (UK), product, analytics & technical collaboration, creative integration, and future readiness within the UK market. The Programmatic Director (UK) sets and drives the UK programmatic strategy, ensuring operational excellence, audience-led planning, and close collaboration with Product, Analytics, Insights, Technical Solutions and Creative.
While global frameworks may be defined centrally, this role is accountable for implementing, refining and optimising them for the UK market — driving client revenue growth and performance through excellence in programmatic delivery.
Key Responsibilities- Strategic Leadership & Market Planning (UK)
- Define and evolve the UK programmatic strategy in alignment with global commercial, operational and product priorities.
- Translate global strategic priorities into actionable UK frameworks, standards and KPIs.
- Anticipate and prepare the UK function for industry shifts (privacy, identity, AI, media, creative, tech).
- Act as senior advisor to the Global Operations Director on UK programmatic innovation, performance and competitive positioning.
- Lead structured innovation and test-and-learn initiatives within the UK market.
- Ensure UK programmatic strategy is commercially aligned to revenue growth and margin improvement.
- Lead and mentor the UK Programmatic team (regional leads, managers, traders and hub teams where applicable).
- Set clear expectations to drive UK programmatic performance and revenue growth through excellence in execution.
- Ensure global frameworks, standards and audience strategies are embedded effectively within the UK market.
- Foster a culture of accountability, communication and knowledge sharing across UK teams.
- Partner with other regional leads to share best practice and elevate standards.
- Audience & Media Strategy (UK Market)
- Develop and oversee a UK audience strategy aligned to global principles, with clear frameworks for segmentation, targeting, data usage and measurement.
- Collaborate with Analytics and Insights to build predictive, privacy-compliant audience approaches tailored to the UK market.
- Ensure audience insights inform planning, optimisation and performance measurement.
- Identify opportunities for smarter buying, improved efficiency and increased client revenue through audience refinement.
- Creative Integration (UK)
- Partner closely with the Global Creative Production Director and UK Creative leads to align audience strategies, media activation and creative approaches.
- Develop structured creative testing frameworks (variant testing, DCO, contextual creative strategies) for deployment within UK programmatic channels.
- Ensure media performance insights inform creative strategy, and creative learnings feed back into media activation.
- Champion innovative creative activations in programmatic environments within the UK market.
- Operational Excellence & Governance (UK)
- Own and evolve UK programmatic operating workflows including trafficking, targeting, optimisation, QA, reporting and performance frameworks.
- Ensure adherence to global playbooks and SLAs, adapting where necessary to UK market realities.
- Monitor UK performance dashboards, proactively resolving issues and driving continuous improvement.
- Partner with Technical Solutions and Product to improve workflows, tooling and automation within the UK function.
- Ensure high standards of delivery, accuracy, compliance and efficiency.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Product, Analytics, Insights, Technical Solutions and Creative to ensure UK executional excellence.
- Product
- Provide UK operational and strategic input into product roadmaps.
- Influence feature prioritisation based on UK market needs.
- Support beta testing and ensure new tools meet UK programmatic requirements.
- Analytics & Insights
- Partner on UK measurement frameworks (incrementality, attribution, cost of sale optimisation).
- Integrate insights into audience strategies and creative testing.
- Technical Solutions
- Collaborate to troubleshoot delivery issues.
- Support adoption of new tools and integrations within the UK.
- Creative
- Align creative storytelling and programmatic activation through structured testing and performance insight.
- Performance Oversight & Commercial Impact (UK)
- Oversee UK programmatic performance against agreed KPIs.
- Drive improvement in Cost of Sale while balancing scale, efficiency and margin.
- Identify systematic opportunities to increase UK client revenue through audience optimisation, creative testing, and smarter buying strategies.
- Capability Building & Culture
- Drive UK capability development through structured training, certification and coaching.
- Build a culture of excellence, collaboration and innovation.
- Ensure strong alignment between UK and global programmatic standards.
- Establish clear career pathways and skills development opportunities within the UK function.
- 7–10 years in programmatic advertising with UK market leadership experience.
- Strong hands‐on campaign management experience across major DSPs.
- Proven experience establishing and managing operational processes, including remote or hub teams.
- Demonstrated success in strategic programmatic leadership, audience strategy and operational excellence.
- Experience collaborating closely with Product, Analytics, Insights, Technical Solutions and Creative teams.
- Strong commercial acumen and ability to drive revenue growth through frameworks, innovation and capability building (rather than direct client ownership).
- Strategic thinker with deep programmatic expertise.
- Excellent communicator, able to influence senior stakeholders.
Programmatic Director/Head of Trading - UK in London employer: Crimtan
As a leading player in the programmatic advertising space, our company offers an exceptional work environment in our new London office near Victoria, fostering innovation and collaboration. We prioritise employee growth through structured training and mentorship, ensuring that our team is equipped to excel in a rapidly evolving market. With a strong focus on operational excellence and creative integration, we empower our employees to drive impactful results while enjoying a culture of accountability and knowledge sharing.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Programmatic Director/Head of Trading - UK in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with industry folks on LinkedIn or at events. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Programmatic Director gig.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your expertise! Prepare to discuss your past successes in programmatic advertising during interviews. Bring data and examples to back up your claims – it’ll make you stand out.
✨Tip Number 3
Tailor your approach! Research the company’s current strategies and challenges. When you apply through our website, make sure to highlight how your skills can help them evolve their UK programmatic function.
✨Tip Number 4
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way. It shows your enthusiasm for the role and keeps you fresh in their minds as they make their decision.
We think you need these skills to ace Programmatic Director/Head of Trading - UK in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to reflect the specific skills and experiences that align with the Programmatic Director role. Highlight your strategic leadership and operational excellence in programmatic advertising, as these are key for us.
Showcase Your Experience:Don’t just list your previous roles; share specific examples of how you've driven revenue growth and improved performance in past positions. We want to see your hands-on experience with major DSPs and your success in audience strategy.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application clear and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to read through your achievements and qualifications. Remember, we appreciate clarity in communication!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application directly through our website. This ensures that your application gets to the right people quickly and efficiently. Plus, it shows us you're keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Crimtan
✨Know Your Programmatic Stuff
Make sure you brush up on the latest trends in programmatic advertising, especially in the UK market. Be ready to discuss how you would adapt global strategies to local needs and demonstrate your understanding of audience-led planning.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've led teams and driven performance in previous roles. Highlight your experience in mentoring and developing talent, as this role requires strong leadership to guide the UK Programmatic team.
✨Be Data-Driven
Familiarise yourself with key metrics and KPIs relevant to programmatic success. Be prepared to discuss how you’ve used data analytics to inform strategy and improve campaign performance in past positions.
✨Collaborate Like a Pro
This role involves working closely with various teams like Product, Analytics, and Creative. Think of examples where you've successfully collaborated across departments to achieve a common goal, and be ready to share those stories.
