VP of Data Operations (Advertising, Marketing, or Digital Media)

Los Angeles, California, United States

Job Summary

We are seeking a strategic and technically strong VP of Data Operations to lead data infrastructure, governance, and analytics operations across media and marketing platforms. This role ensures data integrity, availability, and usability while scaling systems that power performance insights, attribution, and decision-making.

The ideal candidate blends deep technical expertise with operational leadership and a forward-looking vision for automation, AI, and advanced analytics.

Key Responsibilities

Lead and evolve enterprise data architecture, warehousing, and ETL/ELT pipelines
Oversee data governance, privacy compliance (GDPR, CCPA), and quality standards
Drive ad operations strategy including trafficking, tagging, ad serving, and pixel implementation
Partner with strategy, media, and analytics teams to align data with business objectives
Manage and mentor cross-functional teams (data engineers, analysts, operations)
Own vendor relationships and data tool integrations (e.g., cloud platforms, CRMs, BI tools)
Streamline reporting workflows and ensure consistency across dashboards
Build systems supporting real-time insights and campaign performance analysis
Define and monitor KPIs for data pipeline health and team efficiency
Lead initiatives in data automation, AI integration, media mix modeling, and attribution

Required Qualifications

10+ years of experience in data operations within advertising, marketing, or digital media
Proven leadership managing enterprise-scale data environments and teams
Strong expertise in SQL, Python, and modern data stacks (e.g., dbt, Airflow, Fivetran)
Deep knowledge of data privacy, governance, and compliance frameworks
Experience with multi-touch attribution, audience segmentation, and media performance data
Excellent project management, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills

Preferred Skills & Experience

Experience with cloud environments (AWS, GCP)
Familiarity with identity resolution and CDP platforms
Prior agency or consulting experience
Client-facing experience and participation in pitches

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive health, dental, vision, life, and AD&D coverage
Generous vacation and holiday PTO
Work-from-home Fridays
401(k) retirement contributions
Paid volunteer hours
Ongoing professional development opportunities
Collaborative, learning-focused work culture