Head of Programmatic Strategy - 12 month FTC / Secondment

Want to do the best work of your life? With 24 million customers in 6 countries, make your mark at Europe’s leading media and entertainment brand. A workplace where you can proudly be yourself; our people make Sky a truly exciting and inclusive place to work. 

Sky Media is seeking a dynamic and experienced Head of Programmatic Strategy for a 12 month Fixed Term Contract to lead our programmatic vision and execution. This pivotal role will focus on strengthening relationships with DSPs, SSPs, and data partners, driving innovation in our programmatic product offering, and positioning Sky Media as a leader within the programmatic buying community. 

What you’ll do:

• Strategic Leadership: Define and execute Sky Media’s programmatic strategy, ensuring alignment with broader commercial objectives. 

• Industry Relationships: Leverage strong existing connections across the UK ad tech industry to accelerate growth and collaboration, as well as representing Sky within Demand side meetings, with Agencies and Direct Clients 

• Partnership Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with DSPs, SSPs, and data partners to maximize value and innovation. Candidates should feel comfortable sitting with VP and MD level stakeholders, and be confident to push for Sky’s agenda 

• Product Innovation: Develop and enhance programmatic solutions, leveraging data and technology to deliver market-leading offerings. Align with Ad Tech and other internal teams to prioritise and drive momentum, engaging senior stakeholders for support where necessary 

• Training & Enablement: Design and deliver training programs to upskill sales teams across the organization, ensuring programmatic knowledge is embedded at all levels. 

• Internal Awareness & Revenue Focus: Drive internal awareness and understanding of programmatic opportunities, linking initiatives to clear revenue objectives and measurable outcomes. 

• Industry Evangelism: Represent and promote Sky Media within the programmatic ecosystem through thought leadership, events, and community engagement. 

• Performance Monitoring: Track and report on programmatic performance, identifying opportunities for optimization and growth. 

What you’ll bring:

• Proven experience in programmatic advertising, ideally within a media owner, agency, or ad tech environment 

• Strong understanding of DSPs, SSPs, and data partnerships. Ability to speak fluently with tech partners but translate to colleagues with less familiarity 

• Demonstrated ability to innovate and develop programmatic products that will enable Sky Media to stand out as a broadcast in the programmatic landscape 

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills 

• Experience in training and capability building within commercial teams 

• Strong existing relationships at a senior level across the UK ad tech industry 

• Thought leadership and industry presence within the programmatic community 

• A strategic thinker with a hands-on approach. 

• Passionate about programmatic and digital advertising innovation. 

• Collaborative and influential, able to work across multiple teams and functions. 

• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment. 

The Rewards:

There's one thing people can't stop talking about when it comes to #LifeAtSky: the perks. Here’s a taster:  

•  Access to free NOW, for streaming all your favourite shows   

•   A generous pension package   

•   Private healthcare   

•   Discounts and cashback at over 800 Retailers  

How you'll work:

We know the world has changed, and we want to offer our employees the chance to collaborate at our unique office spaces, whilst enjoying the convenience of working from home.

We've adopted a hybrid working approach to give more flexibility on where and how we work. You'll find out more about what this means for this role during the recruitment process.

Your office base:

Osterley:

Our Osterley Campus is a 10-minute walk from Syon Lane train station. Or you can hop on one of our free shuttle buses that run to and from Osterley, Gunnersbury, Ealing Broadway and South Ealing tube stations. There's also plenty of bike shelters and showers.

On campus, you'll find 13 subsidised restaurants, cafes and a Waitrose. You can keep in shape at our subsidised gym, catch the latest shows and movies at our cinema, get your car washed and even get pampered at our beauty salon.  

Inclusion:

At Sky we don’t just look at your CV. We’re more focused on who you are and your potential. We also know that everyone has a life outside work, so we’re happy to discuss flexible working.

We are a Disability Confident Accredited Employer, and welcome and encourage applications from all candidates. We will look to ensure a fair and consistent experience for all and will make reasonable adjustments to support you where appropriate. Please flag any adjustments you need to your recruiter as early as you can.

Why wait?

Apply now to build an amazing career and be part of a brilliant team. We can’t wait to hear from you.

To find out more about working with us, search #LifeAtSky on social media. A job you love to talk about.

Just so you know: if your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a criminal record check. And depending on the role you have applied for and the nature of any convictions you may have, we might have to withdraw the offer.