Ad Operations & Programmatic Manager

Job Introduction

** At Saga we’re radically flexible which means our colleagues have total autonomy over where they work – home, hybrid or hub. This role has a hybrid element which means our team come together when we need to collaborate.

As the Ad Ops and Programmatic Manager, you will lead the implementation and management of all digital display advertising across Saga Media’s website, Exceptional.com, and our Newsletter. You will lead the delivery of all ads across the portfolio, managing performance, and making sure all advertising meets the high standards of our partners and readers.   

The Ad Ops & Programmatic Manager is an incredibly key hire in the exciting new journey for Saga Media. Saga Media aims to become the No.1 brand globally for the fast growing over 50s market, providing a space where they feel seen, trusted, and celebrated.  

Your role will be to ensure the accurate and timely delivery of all digital ad campaigns whether booked programmatically or through our sales team, making sure we deliver best in class ad experiences for both our partners and just as importantly our readers.  

You will make sure that all 1st party bookings meet our clients’ expectations and are delivered against the right content. You will also manage the creation and implementation of all programmatic campaigns, identifying the right partners to work with, managing integrations with different SSPs, and managing programmatic inventory, optimising for the highest possible yield.  

You will be the senior Ad Operations voice in all internal meetings, advocating for the delivery of ads, the locations we run ads across our sites, and working to maximise ad performance and available inventory. 

You will be the liaison between live ad delivery and our product and engineering teams, making sure the site is set up to deliver. 

The Ad Ops & Programmatic team and strategy at Saga Media will be built in your image, and you will be responsible for building out the team, making sure we have the right resource in place to meet the needs of a quickly growing site. 

Role Responsibility

• Working with the CRO and Commercial & Trading Director make sure that all ad campaigns are delivered on time, accurately and to high standards. 

• Establishing and managing our programmatic advertising operations, working with engineering teams to integrate SSPs, establishing PMP deals and auditing the quality of programmatic advertising running across our content.  

• Working with the Chief Product Officer to make sure the best ads are delivered in the most optimal locations across our content to minimise issues, maximise yield, and maximise high levels of user experience. 

• Working with the Chief Product Officer and Commercial & Trading Director to develop new ad units and locations that drive greater commercial leads.  

• Managing yields across all ad content, ensuring priority is given to the right campaigns and optimising ad deliver for improved yields.  

• Supporting the Ad Sales team with estimations of available traffic and delivery timelines.  

• Manage multiple ad campaigns at the same time. 

• Building, hiring, managing, and mentoring the brand-new Commercial Ad Operations team. 

• Interact on a day-to-day basis with ad operation teams at client and agencies to ensure campaigns run smoothly.  

• Provide analysis on the performance of ad campaigns to both internal and external stakeholders. 

• Work with the Commercial Data Lead to provide data and insight for key strategic weekly, monthly, and annual meetings. 

The Ideal Candidate

• Experience managing digital ad campaigns within a publishing environment, preferably through Google Ad Manager.  

• Clear experience working across both programmatic and 1st party ad campaigns.  

• A strong understanding of the advertising commercial model, ad specs and the technical delivery of ads. 

• Ability to work with product and engineering teams to diagnose ad issues and promptly fix them. 

• Great people skills and the ability to manage multiple stakeholders, both internal and external.  

• A desire to train, guide and promote diversity. 

• Superb organisation skills. 

• Ability to understand the needs of our audiences and balance these against our commercial targets.  

• Focus on delivering to targets 

• Willingness to travel occasionally to our offices. 

• 5+ years' experience managing digital ad campaigns.  

• Experience working across programmatic ad campaigns. 

• Experience working withing a publishing environment.  

• Experience working alongside both commercial and technical teams.  

Our Saga Values:

• Precision Pace - Always owning and making things happen. 
• Empathy – Always aware of others. 
• Curiosity – Always asking why.
• Collaboration – Always one team, the Saga team!

Package Description

The standard benefits when you join Saga include: 

• Remote working available where possible

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays with the choice to buy a further 5 days annual leave per year 

• Free private medical insurance after 1 years' service 

• Workplace Pension 

• AXA Be Supported 

• A range of reductions and offers from leading retailers, travel groups and entertainment companies

About the Company

Having spent our first 30 years focused on travel, Saga launched Saga Magazine and developed home and motor insurance and financial services in the 1980s. Private medical and pet insurance followed in the 1990s, along with the launch of our own cruise ship operation. The strength of the Saga brand provides the Group with the ability to develop in-house or partner with suppliers to offer our customers and members highly differentiated, competitively priced products which meet their evolving needs.

Saga exists to help our customers and members lead the life they want to lead. To succeed in this, we know that the most important thing to do is to listen to our customers and members. At the heart of our business model is our drive to know more about our customers’ wants and needs so we are best placed to serve them.

Applying this approach over the past 70 years has enabled us to become the UK's specialist provider of products and services to people aged over 50 in the UK. The Saga brand has become one of the most recognised and trusted brands amongst UK consumers in this demographic and is recognised for its high quality products and exceptional standards of service. These include cruises and holidays, insurance, personal finance and the Saga Magazine.

When you join Saga you will see that we are committed to treating all employees fairly and to offering equal opportunities in all aspects of employment and advancement.

We value diversity not just because it is the right thing to do, but because diverse teams perform better. Creating a culture in which everyone feels welcome and offering equal opportunities in all aspects of employment and advancement is incredibly important to us. Fair consideration is given to applications from all applicants, including those with disabilities and those over who are over 50 as we are champions of age inclusivity.

We are an official Disability Confident Committed employer and ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible and we will make reasonable adjustments as required.

We are a member of the 30% Club and partner with Women Ahead which offers us a fantastic opportunity to take part in a leading, global, cross-company, leadership mentoring scheme to champion female talent.

We are a signatory of the Armed Services Covenant and have received a Silver Award from the Employer Recognition Scheme. 

To all recruitment agencies: Saga does not accept agency CVs unless specifically engaged on the role by the Talent Acquisition Team. Please do not forward CVs to our recruiters, employees or any other company location. Any engagement with employees or provision of CVs to employees within Saga where you have not engaged with the Talent Acquisition Team will be considered speculative and Saga will not be responsible for any fees related to CVs received in this unsolicited manner.

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Saga Group