Director of Programmatic Media; Remote

Company Description

Vericast is a financial institution (FI) performance partner. We help banks and credit unions drive growth, improve efficiency, increase engagement and navigate change through the power of data, technology and people. Our advanced analytics, data‑driven insights and integrated solution set enable better execution with agility, precision and scale. That’s why thousands of financial institutions look to Vericast and our 150 years of financial services expertise to help them achieve more.

Job Description

The Director of Programmatic Media is a strategic leadership role responsible for establishing and scaling Vericast's direct programmatic advertising capabilities as part of our evolution into a full-service performance marketing agency for banks and credit unions. This role combines strategic vision with hands‑on execution, requiring someone who can evaluate and onboard DSP partners, establish best practices, and build the foundation for a scalable programmatic practice that will become a cornerstone of our agency offering.

Reporting to the VP of Agency Services, this position will lead the expansion of our programmatic infrastructure, including platform assessment and implementation, while supporting current campaign execution. The ideal candidate brings deep programmatic expertise from the financial services sector, understands the unique compliance requirements of bank and credit union marketing, and is energized by the opportunity to build new capabilities within an established organization.

This is a critical hire supporting our 18‑24 month roadmap to manage $100M+ in media under management.

• Programmatic Infrastructure & Capability Expansion:
  Lead the evaluation, selection, and implementation of DSP partnerships (e.g., The Trade Desk, Google DV360, Amazon DSP) to expand Vericast's direct platform capabilities;
  Conduct comprehensive RFP/RFI processes to assess platforms based on client needs, technical capabilities, compliance features, and cost efficiency;
  Establish and strengthen direct platform relationships, negotiate contracts with DSP vendors, data providers, and verification partners;
  Design and document programmatic best practices, SOPs, and governance frameworks tailored to financial services compliance requirements;
  Build technical infrastructure roadmap including audience segmentation strategies, creative specifications, tracking systems, and reporting dashboards;
  Build attribution modeling capabilities that connect paid search performance to both online conversions and offline outcomes (branch visits, phone calls, in‑person account openings), requiring sophisticated data curation and integration with client first‑party data;
  Develop scalable processes that support both current campaign needs and future growth to $100M+ in media under management (40%).
• Strategic Planning & Market Intelligence:
  Serve as internal subject matter expert on programmatic advertising trends, platforms, and innovation in financial services marketing;
  Develop programmatic service offerings and go‑to‑market positioning that differentiates Vericast from generalist agencies;
  Analyze competitive landscape and identify opportunities in programmatic for mid‑market banks and credit unions ($2B‑$50B assets);
  Partner with Product, Analytics, and Creative teams to integrate programmatic into omnichannel strategies leveraging Vericast's proprietary consumer financial data;
  Contribute to new business pitches and client presentations as programmatic SME when needed;
  Monitor industry developments in ad tech, privacy regulations, and platform changes to ensure Vericast stays ahead of the curve (25%).
• Campaign Execution & Optimization:
  Provide hands‑on support for programmatic campaigns, serving as an internal expert to optimize performance and guide strategic decisions;
  Execute tactical campaign setup, audience configuration, and in‑flight optimizations as needed;
  Collaborate with Media Specialists and Data Analysts to ensure programmatic campaigns are properly tracked, attributed, and optimized toward client KPIs;
  Apply data‑driven optimization strategies (bid management,…