Senior Programmatic Trading Specialist

thetradedesk

Chicago

Posted Aug 13, 2026

Full-time
Trading

Job description

The Trade Desk is a global technology company and the world’s leading independent platform for digital advertising, with nearly 4,000 employees across more than 30 offices. Our technology helps advertisers reach the right audiences across the open internet — from streaming TV and podcasts to mobile apps, news, and more.

Advertising powers the content people love. By making it more transparent, effective, and responsible, we help support trusted journalism, quality entertainment, and creators worldwide. The world’s brands and agencies rely on us to reach their customers and grow their businesses responsibly.

The scale of our platform brings unique technical challenges — from processing massive datasets in real time to building systems that operate reliably on a global scale. When you work here, your impact is worldwide. We welcome diverse perspectives, encourage curiosity, and build teams that learn from one another. If you’re driven to solve meaningful challenges, we’d love to meet you.

The Trading Team works with Account Management and Business Development to provide strategic recommendations to retain clients and grow their business. The main responsibilities of a Senior Trading Specialist are to provide detailed performance and pacing recommendations and be a platform expert who can not only teach the nuances to clients but can actively navigate and utilize the platform themselves. Trading Specialists should eventually be viewed as a consultants to clients who are aiming to drive the strongest performance possible.

What you’ll do:

Collaborate with both Account Managers and Business Development colleagues while mentoring other Traders to help drive advertiser performance and account growth
Troubleshoot campaign setup and performance issues across multiple channels including Display, Online Video, and Connected TV
Provide feedback to Product Managers to ideate on platform and product improvements
Utilize excel and other advanced analytics tools, such as Tableau or Power BI, to analyze large sets of data and create actionable insights
Be comfortable presenting data and insights to client stakeholders
Start to build strong relationships with agency and brand direct stakeholders to drive forward business and meet client needs
Work with agency traders and planners to setup campaigns and provide optimization recommendations to ensure budgets deliver in full as well as hitting client KPIs
Become a platform expert who can consult and educate clients on new product updates, platform best practices, and industry news
Comfortable traveling 1-2 times a quarter nationally based on client needs

Who you are:

4+ years of consultative, client-facing work, ideally within ad tech, digital marketing, finance or other data-heavy, industries (hands-on keyboard DSP experience a plus)
Strong technical experience, ability to perform at a high strategic level and ability to think long term
Comfortable with client management, day to day communication, and presenting in front of clients
Strong ability to communicate complex topics to agency and brand direct stakeholders
Effective time management skills with the ability to prioritize client asks as well as long term projects
Fluency in understanding the DSP/Ad Tech landscape is required
Understanding the CPG landscape is a plus
Strong quantitative skills using tools such as MS Excel, Vertica and Power BI
Ability to collaborate across multiple teams and internal stakeholders as well as work independently on daily tasks

The Trade Desk does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm recruiters. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of The Trade Desk. The Trade Desk is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

[LA JOBS ONLY] The Trade Desk will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Ordinance No. 184652.

[SF JOBS ONLY] Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

In accordance with various US state laws, the range provided is the Trade Desk's reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount may differ based on non-discriminatory factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, and location. All employees may be eligible to become The Trade Desk shareholders through eligibility for stock-based compensation grants, which are awarded to employees based on company and individual performance. The Trade Desk also offers other compensation depending on the role such as variable compensation-based incentives and commissions. Plus, expected benefits for this role include comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, and vision) with premiums paid in full for employees and dependents, retirement benefits such as a 401k plan and company match, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, well-being benefits, reimbursement for certain tuition expenses, parental leave, sick time of 1 hour per 30 hours worked, vacation time for full-time employees up to 120 hours thru the first year and 160 hours thereafter, and around 13 paid holidays per year. Employees can also purchase The Trade Desk stock at a discount through The Trade Desk’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

The Trade Desk also offers a competitive benefits package. Click here to learn more.

Note: Interns are not eligible for variable incentive awards such as stock-based compensation, retirement plan, vacation, tuition reimbursement or parental leave

At the Trade Desk, Base Salary is one part of our competitive total compensation and benefits package and is determined using a salary range. The base salary range for this role is

$79,400—$145,500 USD

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, The Trade Desk is committed to creating an inclusive hiring experience where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Please reach out to us at accommodations@thetradedesk.com to request an accommodation or discuss any accessibility needs you may require to access our Company Website or navigate any part of the hiring process.

When you contact us, please include your preferred contact details and specify the nature of your accommodation request or questions. Any information you share will be handled confidentially and will not impact our hiring decisions.