Head of Programmatic

We’re seeking a visionary Head of Programmatic to lead our in-house programmatic function and shape the future of digital media for our renowned casino and sports betting brands.

As the Head of Programmatic, you will own the strategic direction, operational excellence, and innovation across all programmatic channels. You will lead a high-performing team, drive cross-functional alignment, and ensure programmatic media delivers measurable business impact at scale.

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Locations:

Open to candidates currently based in, or willing to be relocated to Lisbon!

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, inspire, and grow the programmatic department, fostering a culture of continuous learning, accountability, and high performance.

• Define team structure, development roadmaps, and hiring plans to support business growth.

• Act as a strategic mentor, providing direction across complex programmatic initiatives and ensuring best-in-class execution.

Strategic Ownership

• Own the long-term programmatic strategy across display, video, DOOH, CTV, and emerging channels, ensuring alignment with company-wide marketing and commercial objectives.

• Partner closely with senior marketing leadership, brand teams, CRM, data teams, and analytics to create unified, data-driven media strategies.

Operational Excellence

• Oversee full-funnel programmatic operations, including audience strategy, platform selection, bidding frameworks, optimization methodologies, and measurement.

• Establish repeatable processes, playbooks, and frameworks that scale globally across markets and brands.

• Ensure integration of programmatic activity with broader paid media, creative, and lifecycle marketing.

Performance & Reporting

• Lead the creation and communication of advanced performance dashboards, insights reports, and executive-level presentations.

• Translate complex data into actionable recommendations that influence strategic decisions across the organization.

• Define and monitor KPIs tied to business outcomes rather than surface-level metrics.

Innovation & Industry Leadership

• Stay ahead of industry trends - including AI, identity solutions, privacy changes, and new inventory opportunities - to guide the business through a rapidly evolving ecosystem.

• Drive testing, adoption, and optimization of key technologies (DSPs, SSPs, DMPs, CDPs, ad servers).

• Build and manage relationships with major platforms, vendors, and partners to secure competitive advantages.

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Requirements

• 7+ years experience in programmatic advertising, with at least 3 years in a leadership or senior management role.

• Proven success in building, managing, and scaling high-performing programmatic teams.

• Expert-level knowledge of the programmatic ecosystem - including auction dynamics, identity, measurement, and ad tech infrastructure.

• Hands-on and managerial experience with major platforms such as DV360, Adform, The Trade Desk, Criteo, AdRoll, and others.

• Demonstrated ability to drive measurable business impact through strategic media planning and optimization.

• Strong analytical mindset, excellent problem-solving skills, and confidence working with complex datasets.

• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and collaborate across multiple departments.

• Comfortable navigating and adapting to rapidly evolving technologies, regulations, and market conditions.