Director of Programmatic Operations

Grounded in a talent-centric mindset, Maker Lab is a marketing agency designed to build decentralised technology-led agency teams, rooted in collaboration with clients from the ground up. Maker Lab’s cross-functional teams of multidisciplinary specialists are embedded into client teams across digital marketing competencies — from measurement & analytics to content production. Role Summary: As a Director of Programmatic Operations for our holding company, Miroma, you'll lead our offshore delivery team, owning campaign performance, process and quality end-to-end, while managing and developing specialists to deliver strategy flawlessly, on time and to the highest standard within a remote-first environment. Role: Campaign Performance & Delivery Take ultimate responsibility for the performance of all campaigns delivered by the offshore team, including pacing, delivery in full, and optimisation against agreed KPIs. Translate the strategy set by the client team into clear, actionable delivery plans for the activation team. Personally manage or directly support campaign setup, activation and optimisation in-platform where required, particularly for complex, high-priority or new-format campaigns. Proactively identify challenges in setup and delivery and feed them back to the client team. Identify performance issues proactively and lead troubleshooting and resolution. Report on campaign and team performance to leadership on a regular basis. Process, Setup & Quality Assurance Own and continuously improve the end-to-end process for campaign setup, activation and delivery. Establish a robust QA framework to catch errors before they affect delivery or client-facing reporting, with particular focus on the additional risk created by a fully remote working model. Develop clear, written standard operating procedures and best practice documentation that enable consistent delivery regardless of who on the team is executing. Implement structured handover, escalation and sign-off processes appropriate to a distributed team operating across time zones. Ensure all platform, billing and compliance processes are followed accurately and consistently. Team Management & Development Recruit, manage, mentor and develop Activation Specialists and Analysts, setting clear objectives and providing regular feedback. Build a strong, accountable team culture suited to remote working, with clear expectations on communication, availability and ownership. Lead recruitment, onboarding and training for the offshore team as it scales. Conduct regular performance reviews and support individual development plans. Collaboration Work closely with the client team to ensure full alignment between strategy and delivery. Provide a clear escalation point between the offshore team and leadership. Contribute operational and platform expertise to support new business proposals and product development. You: At least 8 years' experience in programmatic or biddable media operations, ideally within a trading desk, agency or in-house team. Proven track record of managing and developing a team, including performance management and skills development. Strong hands-on platform experience across DSPs (e.g. DV360, Quantcast, Amazon) and a willingness to remain hands-on day to day. Demonstrated experience building or significantly improving operational processes, workflow and QA standards. Experience operating effectively within a remote or distributed team structure. Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret performance data and translate it into action. Excellent written communication skills, given the importance of clear documentation and remote collaboration. Experience working with, or a strong interest in, entertainment, live events or culture sector clients is an advantage. A natural leader who leads by example, comfortable balancing strategic oversight with hands-on delivery. Highly organised, with rigorous attention to detail and a thorough approach to process and quality. Resilient, proactive and able to operate independently with limited day-to-day input. Calm under pressure, with strong problem-solving instincts when issues arise in-platform. Exceptional verbal and written English communication skills. Please note: due to the high volume of applications, only successful candidates will be contacted with a follow-up introduction email. If you do not receive an email from Maker Lab, your application has been unsuccessful this time around. Look out for future roles! By submitting your application, you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your data by the Maker Lab team for the purposes of your application. Where your application contains personal data of third parties, you confirm that you have obtained all necessary consents to provide the Maker Lab team with such personal data and that we may collect, use and/or disclose such data in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2012.