Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for an Ad Operations Manager
An Ad Operations Manager is a professional who oversees the technical and operational aspects of advertising campaigns. They play a critical role in ensuring the successful execution and delivery of digital advertisements. In this blog post, we will delve into the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Ad Operations Managers.
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Main Responsibilities of an Ad Operations Manager
The following list describes the typical responsibilities of an Ad Operations Manager :
Analyze
Analyze and resolve work problems or assist workers in solving problems.
Analyze campaign data and generate performance reports to provide insights and recommendations.
Analyze data using statistical software.
Attend
Attend weekly Sales meeting and business reviews.
Build
Build, flight, QA, and optimize advertising campaigns.
Collaborate with
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless campaign execution and delivery.
Collaborate with data and analytics teams to leverage audience insights for campaign optimization.
Collaborate with internal teams, such as marketing and creative, to gather assets and ensure timely campaign launches.
Collaborate with sales teams to define ad campaign requirements and objectives.
Conduct
Conduct A/B testing to optimize ad creative and messaging.
Conduct ad server and ad network integrations to support new advertising initiatives.
Conduct competitive analysis to identify industry trends and opportunities.
Convert
Convert complex data and findings into understandable tables, graphs, and written reports.
Coordinate
Coordinate and ensure standardised set up for search, social and display media channels.
Coordinate and manage the implementation of advertising campaigns across various platforms.
Coordinate business and sales activity support.
Create
Create daily delivery report analysis for general over-delivery, under delivery and breakage.
Create data-driven applicable recommendations for the media traders to improve performance.
Develop
Develop and implement ad targeting strategies based on audience segmentation and data analysis.
Develop and maintain documentation related to ad operations processes and best practices.
Develop and maintain relationships with advertising vendors and partners.
Ensure
Ensure ads are creative and displayed appropriately.
Ensure compliance with privacy regulations and industry guidelines.
Experiment
Experiment and iterate rapidly with revenue growth tactics and initiatives.
Follow-up
Follow-up with media traders on campaign performance.
Help
Help us mature one of the fastest growing parts of our business.
Implement
Implement ad verification and viewability measurement tools.
Implement and maintain ad trafficking best practices and workflows.
Implement and manage third-party ad tags for tracking and measurement purposes.
Initiate
Initiate or suggest plans to motivate Package Handlers to achieve their goals.
Interpret
Interpret company policies to workers and enforce safety regulations.
Lead
Lead and mentor a team of ad operations professionals.
Leverage
Leverage Data or any 3rd partners capabilities to add value on top of our inventory.
Maintain
Maintain and contribute to a safe work environment.
Manage
Manage ad inventory and ensure proper ad placements and rotations.
Manage all inventory requests.
Manage budgets and financial aspects related to ad operations activities.
Manage multiple campaigns at the same time.
Manage the delivery and execution of rich media and interactive ad formats.
Manage the delivery and optimization of ad campaigns to ensure they fulfill accurately.
Manage weekly departmental meetings and build retargeting segments.
Monitor
Monitor advances in ad tech and recommend appropriate new solutions.
Monitor and address ad fraud and invalid traffic issues.
Monitor and optimize ad placements to maximize performance and achieve campaign objectives.
Monitor and solve campaign-related issues.
Monitor costs and return on investment (ROI).
Monitor platform, tech tools, and industry changes.
Monitor the input and output of our ad campaigns and communicate with clients.
Optimize
Optimize ad targeting and segmentation strategies to reach the desired audience effectively.
Optimize against buyers KPIs (on target, viewability, completion.).
Optimize campaigns, including report review and make suggestions for improved performance.
Optimize JS ad performance (audience development + perf marketing).
Oversee
Oversee the recruiting, interviewing, screening and selection processes of the PM staff.
Oversee the setup and management of programmatic ad campaigns.
Participate in
Participate in Technical meetings and Post mortem analysis.
Perform
Perform any other task or assignment as deemed necessary by the organization.
Perform quality assurance checks to ensure accurate ad delivery and compliance with industry standards.
Prepare
Prepare multiple business transaction / efficiency-related reports on a daily basis.
Provide
Provide best in class ad-serving and trafficking for clients across the portfolio.
Provide data-driven forecasts and pricing in collaboration with the data team.
Provide regular advertising performance data and analytics to the business.
Provide technical guidance and support to internal and external stakeholders as required.
Provide training and support to internal teams on ad operations processes and tools.
Read
Read and understand technical documents.
Review
Review operational procedures at locations to assure optimal energy efficiency is achieved.
Run
Run campaign performance audits (audiences & assets).
Schedule
Schedule advertisement campaigns for a range of clients across digital media platforms.
Stay abreast of
Stay abreast of current and upcoming advertising technologies.
Stay informed about the latest digital advertising formats and emerging technologies.
Stay up-to-date with industry trends and changes in ad serving technologies and platforms.
Supervise
Supervise the daily functions of the PM personnel to ensure timely completion of the PM Operations.
Test
Test / benchmark good practices or tools and provide feedback to Product.
Test out new technologies, and help design the specs of new features for our proprietary tech tool.
Test / troubleshoot new ad products.
Train
Train and mentor team members and new hires.
Troubleshoot
Troubleshoot issues related to campaigns and creative.
Troubleshoot technical issues related to ad serving, tagging, and tracking.
Most In-demand Hard Skills
The following list describes the most required technical skills of an Ad Operations Manager :
Ad server platforms (e.g., Google Ad Manager, DoubleClick Campaign Manager)
Ad tagging and tracking technologies (e.g., Google Tag Manager)
Ad verification tools (e.g., Integral Ad Science, DoubleVerify)
Programmatic advertising platforms (e.g., DSPs, DMPs)
Data analysis and reporting tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Excel)
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for ad creative troubleshooting and customization
Rich media ad platforms (e.g., Google Studio, Sizmek)
Ad trafficking and campaign management processes
Ad inventory management systems
Knowledge of ad formats and industry standards (e.g., IAB guidelines)
Most In-demand Soft Skills
The following list describes the most required soft skills of an Ad Operations Manager :
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
Effective communication and collaboration skills
Time management and organizational skills to handle multiple campaigns and deadlines
Adaptability to navigate through changing ad tech landscapes
Strong project management skills
Client-focused mindset and ability to build relationships
Ability to work well under pressure and in fast-paced environments
Critical thinking and decision-making skills
Continuous learning mindset to stay updated with industry trends and advancements
Conclusion
In this blog post, we have explored the primary responsibilities and the most sought-after hard and soft skills for Ad Operations Managers. By mastering these skills and staying updated with the latest trends in the advertising industry, professionals can thrive in this dynamic and challenging field. Whether it's ensuring accurate ad delivery, optimizing campaign performance, or staying abreast of evolving ad tech landscapes, Ad Operations Managers are vital contributors to the success of digital advertising strategies.
