Harrison and Star

Director, Digital Activation

Harrison and Star$140K — $180K *
Business Services
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years in digital marketing or performance marketing (agency/client-side)
  • Proven success in leading integrated digital activation strategies
  • Expertise in building senior-level client relationships and strategic advising
  • Experience in mentoring and developing high-performing teams
  • Strong analytical skills to derive insights from campaign data
  • Deep knowledge of digital platforms, ad technologies, and audience targeting
  • Exceptional organizational and project-management capabilities

Responsibilities

  • Lead integrated digital activation strategy across various digital channels
  • Establish strategic direction aligned with client objectives and KPIs
  • Develop innovative thought leadership to position agency at the forefront of media
  • Identify and leverage emerging digital platforms and trends for client success
  • Cultivate strong client relationships and act as a strategic advisor
  • Oversee execution and optimization of digital media campaigns
  • Manage budgets and streamline operational processes for efficiency

Benefits

  • Opportunity to lead and innovate within a dynamic media agency
  • Mentorship and talent development in a collaborative environment
  • Access to the latest digital media technologies and platforms
  • Participation in shaping the agency's strategy and direction
  • Work in a hybrid model with a minimum office presence
Full Job Description
Agency:
Omnicom Media

Job Function:
Media

Job Subfunction:
Performance Media

Job Description:

As we continue to grow our New York office, we are seeking a Director, Digital Activation to lead digital media strategy and activation for a major enterprise client. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for a strategic, digitally fluent marketer who thrives at the intersection of people leadership, media innovation, client partnership, and performance-driven activation.

The ideal candidate is equally comfortable setting the strategic vision, challenging conventional thinking, developing talent, and translating complex media performance into clear business recommendations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Innovation
• Lead the development and execution of integrated digital activation strategies across paid social, paid search, and programmatic channels.
• Establish strategic direction for media plans and activation approaches, ensuring tactics are aligned to client business objectives, audience strategies, and KPIs.
• Develop compelling POVs, thought leadership, and innovation initiatives that challenge conventional thinking and position Ptarmigan at the forefront of digital media.
• Identify emerging platforms, technologies, audience solutions, and media opportunities that can drive meaningful client impact.
• Translate industry and marketplace trends into actionable recommendations for clients and internal stakeholders.

People Leadership & Talent Development
• Lead, mentor, and develop a growing team of digital channel specialists supporting a major enterprise client.
• Create a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Establish clear expectations, provide ongoing coaching and feedback, and identify opportunities for team members to expand their capabilities and careers.
• Serve as a senior subject-matter resource across digital activation, fostering knowledge sharing and best-practice development.

Client Partnership
• Build and maintain trusted, senior-level client relationships by developing a deep understanding of the client's business, marketing priorities, audiences, and media needs.
• Act as a strategic advisor, proactively identifying opportunities, challenges, and solutions that advance client objectives.
• Lead regular client presentations, bringing forward clear insights, strategic recommendations, and opportunities for optimization and innovation.
• Communicate complex media performance and strategic considerations in a clear, compelling, and business-oriented manner.

Campaign Activation & Performance
• Oversee the execution, optimization, measurement, and reporting of paid social, paid search, and programmatic campaigns.
• Ensure campaigns are continuously optimized against relevant business and media KPIs.
• Establish a rigorous approach to performance analysis, testing, learning, and optimization across channels.
• Partner with analytics and account teams to translate campaign data into actionable insights and recommendations.
• Maintain a high standard of quality, accuracy, and attention to detail throughout the campaign lifecycle.

Business & Operational Management
• Oversee budget management, spend pacing, and forecasting across digital channels, ensuring investment is aligned with client priorities and performance objectives.
• Drive operational excellence through scalable processes, documentation, tools, and best practices that improve efficiency and quality.
• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, enhance team productivity, and strengthen cross-functional collaboration.
• Partner closely with account, strategy, analytics, creative, and other internal teams to deliver integrated, cross-channel solutions.
• Ensure adherence to agency processes, platform best practices, and client governance requirements.

REQUIREMENTS
• 10+ years of experience in digital marketing, media, or performance marketing within an agency or client-side environment.
• Demonstrated success leading integrated digital activation strategies across paid social, paid search, and programmatic media.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong senior-level client relationships and serve as a trusted strategic advisor.
• Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to turn campaign data into meaningful business insights and strategic recommendations.
• Deep understanding of digital media platforms, ad technologies, audience targeting, measurement, optimization, and the evolving digital ecosystem.
• Strong understanding of full-funnel media strategy and the role of digital activation within an integrated media plan.
• Exceptional organizational and project-management skills, with the ability to prioritize competing demands, delegate effectively, and manage multiple workstreams.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and executive audiences.
• Demonstrated curiosity and passion for emerging digital trends, platforms, technologies, and media innovation.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint and Excel.
• Experience within financial services, B2B, or B2B2C marketing is preferred but not required.

$140,000-$180,000

Omnicom's policy requires employees to work in the office for a minimum of three days a week, unless additional in-office days are directed by their agency or manager. Our objective is to increase this requirement over time, and many of our agencies as well as Omnicom's corporate group already require five days of in-office attendance.

About Harrison and Star

Harrison and Star is a healthcare advertising agency that provides marketing and advertising services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The company offers a range of services including brand strategy, creative development, digital marketing, and market research. Harrison and Star was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Learn more about Harrison and Star
Size
500 employees
Industry
Founded
1986
NASDAQ

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