Associate Director, Programmatic

Overview

As Associate Director, Brand, you define and lead adidas’ European brand programmatic capability, shaping strategy, governance, and activation quality across markets. You will sit in the Biddable CoE, guiding senior markets and leading the day-to-day buying team to deliver effective, brand-safe biddable campaigns. You’ll work with cross-functional partners to maximise reach, attention, and brand outcomes, while influencing markets through advisory leadership.

This role offers impact at scale across Europe and beyond, within a collaborative, strategic team.

• Define and lead the European brand programmatic capability (strategy, governance, partnerships)
• Ensure activation quality across markets to maximise reach, attention, and brand outcomes
• Represent brand programmatic on the Biddable Steering Committee
• Lead Pod Leads, Managers, and core buying team responsible for day-to-day activation
• Collaborate with Strategy, Audience Insights, Data & Analytics, and Operations to support activation delivery
• Advise markets with plan ownership, maintaining credibility without owning client relationships
• Develop and mentor teams, managing multiple projects and competing stakeholder needs

• Experience in programmatic planning and activation, including leading a channel or team
• Brand-focused activation experience with emphasis on reach, frequency, attention, and outcomes
• Expertise across DV360 and the broader programmatic stack (display, video, YouTube, AV, CTV)
• Experience negotiating partnerships (direct or SSP)
• Strong knowledge of brand suitability, verification tools, and third-party tracking
• Experience with reach and frequency planning and interpreting attention/brand lift
• Comfortable advising and influencing markets that own plans and relationships
• Proven team management and people development skills
• Excellent numerical skills and proficiency with Excel
• Proactive self-starter with strong communication and receptiveness to feedback

• relationship builder
• strong communication
• credibility to influence stakeholders
• DV360
• programmatic stack (display, online video, YouTube, AV, CTV)
• brand suitability and verification tools