Warner Bros Discovery—Senior Programmatic Integration Specialist (Fixed Term Contract)

Job description

Description: Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of. Who We Are… When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next… From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive. Job Overview We are looking for a Senior Programmatic Integration Specialist with deep hands-on expertise in FreeWheel Ad Server and FreeWheel Marketplace, and strong knowledge of the wider programmatic advertising ecosystem. The role will own and support technical connectivity across the ad server, FreeWheel Marketplace, DSPs, SSPs, exchanges, and other advertising technology partners. The role will work closely with Ad Sales, Product, Engineering, Trafficking, and external technology partners and vendors to diagnose complex issues, support new integrations, drive technical improvements, and establish best practices. The successful candidate will be a key technical SME for FreeWheel and Marketplace, combining strong hands-on expertise with the ability to lead technical discussions and guide the wider team. Note: This role is a fixed term contract position for a duration of 12 Months on WBD payroll itself. FreeWheel & Marketplace Expertise - Define and promote best practices for FreeWheel and Marketplace integrations, configurations, troubleshooting, and operational processes. - Work directly with FreeWheel and external vendors on technical investigations, product capabilities, new integrations, and resolution of complex issues. - Lead technical investigation and root-cause analysis of FreeWheel Marketplace issues, including integration failures, deal delivery issues, discrepancies, configuration problems, and ad-serving behaviour. - Understand Marketplace configuration, inventory and deal flows, auction/request-response behaviour, partner setup, and dependencies between FreeWheel and external platforms. - Own and support end-to-end FreeWheel Marketplace connectivity with SSPs, DSPs, DSP-side demand, exchanges, and other programmatic partners. - Act as the internal subject-matter expert for FreeWheel Ad Server and FreeWheel Marketplace, with a deep understanding of how the platforms support publisher monetization and programmatic workflows. Key Responsibilities Ad Tech Integration & Connectivity - Own and support end-to-end integrations and connectivity between the ad server, DSPs, SSPs, exchanges, and other programmatic partners. - Manage and support API, oRTB, VAST, and other technical integrations, ensuring robust data and ad-request/response flows across platforms. - Lead technical assessment, testing, validation, and launch of new ad-tech integrations and partner connections. - Ensure integrations are configured correctly and aligned with business, technical, and operational requirements. Technical Troubleshooting & Support - Act as the senior technical point of contact for complex ad-serving, programmatic, integration, and delivery issues. - Troubleshoot issues across the end-to-end ad-tech stack, identifying root causes and driving resolution with internal teams and external partners. - Support the wider Programmatic team with technical investigations, debugging, and resolution of platform or integration issues. - Use tools such as Charles Proxy, Wireshark, browser developer tools, logs, XML/VAST inspection, and platform diagnostics to investigate issues. - Analyze discrepancies, ad-request/response flows, delivery failures, VAST errors, oRTB issues, and other technical problems. Stakeholder & Partner Management - Work closely with Ad Sales partners to understand requirements, resolve technical issues, and ensure programmatic solutions support commercial objectives. - Lead technical discussions with SSPs, DSPs, ad-tech vendors, and other external partners. - Act as a trusted technical advisor to internal stakeholders, translating complex technical issues into clear business implications and actions. - Partner with Product, Engineering, Trafficking, Operations, and other teams to resolve issues and deliver new capabilities. Technical Leadership & Best Practices - Establish and drive best practices for ad-server, DSP, SSP, and programmatic integrations. - Develop and maintain technical documentation, integration guides, troubleshooting playbooks, and operational standards. - Identify recurring issues and opportunities to improve reliability, scalability, and operational efficiency. - Share knowledge with the wider team and provide technical guidance and coaching on ad-tech integrations and troubleshooting. - Stay current with developments in programmatic advertising, ad-server capabilities, oRTB standards, and emerging ad-tech solutions. Performance Monitoring & Continuous Improvement - Monitor the health and performance of integrations and identify trends, recurring issues, and potential risks. - Use data and technical analysis to identify opportunities for improving ad delivery, integration performance, and operational processes. - Support the rollout of new markets, partners, products, and monetization capabilities from a technical integration perspective. Qualifications Education - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Advertising, or a related field. - Relevant certifications in ad tech or programmatic operations are a plus. Experience - 5+ years of experience in programmatic advertising, ad-tech integrations, ad operations, or a related technical role, with significant hands-on experience with FreeWheel Ad Server and FreeWheel Marketplace. - Strong hands-on experience working across FreeWheel Ad Server, FreeWheel Marketplace, SSPs, DSPs, exchanges, and other programmatic platforms. - Experience owning or supporting end-to-end integrations and troubleshooting complex ad-serving and programmatic issues. - Strong understanding of oRTB, VAST/VPAID, APIs, XML, ad-request/response flows, and programmatic data flows. - Hands-on experience with debugging tools such as Charles Proxy, Wireshark, browser developer tools, logs, or similar tools. - Experience working directly with technology vendors and external programmatic partners on technical integrations and issue resolution. Skills - Strong technical problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills. - Strong understanding of the programmatic advertising ecosystem, with deep knowledge of FreeWheel Ad Server, FreeWheel Marketplace, and end-to-end ad delivery. - Ability to lead technical discussions and manage issues across multiple internal and external stakeholders. - Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. - Ability to work independently, prioritize multiple technical issues, and drive problems through to resolution. - Strong ownership mindset with a focus on continuous improvement, scalability, and operational excellence. Preferred Qualifications - Experience in the streaming, CTV, OTT, or digital video advertising industry. - Advanced FreeWheel expertise, including FreeWheel Marketplace; experience with other major ad-server platforms such as Google Ad Manager or Xandr is a plus. - Experience working with CTV/OTT programmatic advertising and video ad delivery. - Understanding of privacy frameworks and their impact on programmatic advertising and ad-tech integrations. Why This Role Matters This is a high-impact technical role at the centre of the programmatic advertising ecosystem. The Senior Programmatic Integration Specialist will help ensure reliable connectivity across the ad-tech stack, enable new commercial opportunities, resolve complex technical challenges, and establish scalable best practices for the wider team. How We Get Things Done… This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview. Championing Inclusion at WBD Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability or any other category protected by law. If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.