Activation Director | Auckland-NZ
18-Dec-2025
OMG/1900069
Auckland-NZ
| Category: | Digital - Search Director (SEO/SEM) |
| Position Type: | Full Time Permanent |
| Business Unit: | PHD |
| Attachments: | No File Attached |
| Application Close Date: | 17-Jan-2026 |
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Job Description
About us
Hāere mai ki PHD Aotearoa!
Interested in joining our award-winning team?
PHD's reputation as a fantastic place to work is widely recognised, from our limitless learning and development opportunities across an enviable client list and agency specialisms, to our fun culture and inclusive environment.
Amongst the wider industry, we are equally renowned as the media agency delivering clients an unfair advantage. Behind this advantage is our unique winning formula - a handpicked winning team of experts, backed by a comprehensive suite of best-in-class services, advanced products, and innovative technology.
As our newest PHD'er, what would this this mean for you? You'd get to deliver this advantage to clients through your mahi, talents, skills, and ‘play to win' attitude while keeping yourself future fit and having a phenomenal time.
As for other agency benefits loved by the PHD team? There's our free life insurance and discounted health insurance and gym memberships and a wellness program keeping us all happy and healthy, birthday and long weekend gift day programs which bump up our leave days, along with an annual calendar of industry, social and cultural celebration events.
We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, neurodivergent status, religion and/or beliefs, and all applicants are valued for the talents, expertise, experience, and perspective they offer.
We'd love to tell you more about PHD and the role, and encourage you to apply through the job ad.
About the role
As the Activations Director, you are responsible for developing, collaborating, and improving a world-class activation product (programmatic, search & paid social). Specifically, this will include fully understanding briefs, contributing to holistic digital strategies, and working with your Business Management Teams to build responses and channel strategies that are rational and relevant. You will do this by ensuring your Activation teams always deliver a high-quality product experience, efficient delivery, automation of processes and build effective client & agency relationships. Another key aspect of this role is also to educate the wider team, agency, and clients about activation (programmatic, search & paid social) and the emerging channels & technology platforms.
You will be leading a high-performing team of Managers, Executives, and Assistants, who are tasked to constantly look for opportunities to improve client results, team workflow, and adopt the latest leading-edge product betas. You will ensure clients receive a streamlined and coordinated digital strategy (and product) by working closely with the Business Management team. Strong people management skills, an aptitude for technology, a desire to find success for clients, and a passion to succeed in digital marketing are keys to job satisfaction. This includes multi-tasking, problem-solving, managing multiple timelines, keeping calm under pressure, and working across functions. You will play a key role to support the success of the agency-client service teams by leveraging the best of our activation digital operations, technology, and analytics teams.
Skills & Experience
- 6+ years' relevant work experience within digital activation (Search, Social or Programmatic) within an agency, publisher, trading desk, technology company, or other.
- 2-3+ years' experience in a management position, with a proven ability to lead and manage teams effectively.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively lead in-person client meetings/summits, operate independently in a team environment.
- Proven experience working in a digital agency building and managing a large enterprise client portfolio is a must. Active involvement in the strategic application of digital marketing business insights to drive the overall success of the business.
- Active involvement in delivering breakthrough opportunities through new products & capabilities which indirectly contribute to commercial growth.
- Hands-on capability & advanced knowledge across key activation platforms: Google Ads, Bing, Apple, SA360, DV360, TTD, Amazon, Yahoo, Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Snap, LinkedIn etc.
- Intermediate to advanced knowledge of supply-side platforms, ad verification, tag management, analytics, data management platforms, customer data platforms and clean rooms would be an advantage.
- Proven ability to be flexible and resilient to manage several streams of work at any given time.
- Bravery to push innovation, challenge the status quo and do remarkable work.
- Numerate, accurate and good attention to detail and demonstrate problem-solving skills.
- Continually educate the team, wider agency and clients on best practices and latest trends.
- Build strong client relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions
- Advanced skills using Microsoft Suite (Outlook, PowerPoint, Word & Excel) and other workflow collaboration and automation tools (Jira, Asana, Hive, Smartsheet, Airtable etc.)
If this sounds like you, please apply directly via the job ad ASAP.