Freelance Publisher Ad Ops & Ad Product Specialist

We are seeking a versatile, highly analytical, and design-minded Contract Freelance Publisher Ad Ops & Ad Product Specialist to support the monetization, technical infrastructure, and commercial strategy of our digital publishing network. This is a multi-disciplinary role that sits directly at the intersection of Ad Operations, Commercial Product Development, and Sales Enablement.

In this position, you will be responsible for the end-to-end execution of our publisher advertising ecosystem. You will configure and optimize our ad tech stack, engineer high-performing, yield-maximizing direct and programmatic ad products, and package these offerings into visually compelling media kits, pitch decks, and collateral that empower our sales team to close enterprise brand partnerships. If you possess deep technical fluency with Google Ad Manager (GAM) and programmatic platforms, combined with a sharp eye for presentation design and commercial product marketing, this freelance contract is built for you.

Key Responsibilities & Scope of Work

1. Core Ad Operations, Trafficking, and Platform Management

• Campaign Execution: Set up, traffic, test, and launch direct, custom, and programmatic guaranteed campaigns across desktop, mobile web, and app platforms using Google Ad Manager (GAM 360).
• Quality Assurance: Perform rigorous pre- and post-launch QA to verify tracking pixels, impression and click tags (IAS, DoubleVerify, MOAT), custom creatives, targeting criteria, viewability thresholds, and brand safety compliance.
• Monitoring and Troubleshooting: Actively monitor active campaigns to prevent delivery pacing issues, revenue discrepancies, and under-delivery. Troubleshoot creative tags, VAST/VPAID video issues, JavaScript execution errors, and rendering conflicts.
• Programmatic Setup: Oversee Header Bidding (Prebid.js/Open Bidding), Amazon TAM, and SSP integrations to optimize fill rates, CPMs, and page latency.

2. Ad Product Strategy and Engineering

• Custom Product Innovation: Conceptualize, build, and deploy new, innovative ad products (e.g., high-impact skins, interactive display units, sticky footers, native in-feed placements, outstream video, and editorial contextual integrations).
• Yield Optimization: Run continuous A/B testing on ad refresh logic, lazy loading, placement density, and floor pricing strategies to maximize revenue per thousand impressions (RPM) without degrading the Core Web Vitals user experience.
• Technical Documentation: Create and maintain internal ad product spec sheets, SLA documents, and production playbooks to ensure scalable deployment across our properties.

3. Sales Collateral, Pitch Decks, and Commercial Enablement

• Media Kit & Pitch Deck Creation: Design sophisticated, professional, and visually compelling pitch decks and media kits that clearly translate complex technical ad products and audience demographics into clear value propositions for agency and direct advertisers.
• Ad Product One-Sheeters: Draft high-impact collateral, product one-pagers, case studies, and spec guides that clearly outline requirements, dimensions, target KPIs, and benchmark performance metrics.
• Mockups and Prototypes: Build visually appealing live and static creative mockups for prospective clients to showcase brand alignment, customized interactive formats, and high-impact executions during the pre-sale phase.
• RFP Commercial Support: Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders and sales representatives to structure bespoke ad packages, advise on inventory availability, pricing strategies, and tailored solutions in response to Requests for Proposals (RFPs).

4. Analytics, Reporting, and Insights

• Reporting Dashboards: Build and automate weekly, monthly, and post-campaign performance reporting dashboards to evaluate revenue streams, viewability, click-through rates (CTR), and conversion metrics.
• Post-Campaign Analysis: Provide comprehensive end-of-campaign reporting (wrap-up decks) containing actionable performance insights, wrap analyses, and proactive recommendations for client upsells and renewals.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Proven Industry Experience: 4+ years of hands-on experience in digital publisher ad operations, ad product management, or monetization operations.
• Publisher Ad Tech Mastery: Expert-level knowledge of Google Ad Manager (GAM 360), header bidding infrastructures (Prebid.js), supply-side platforms (SSPs), and standard supply chain protocols (ads.txt, sellers.json, OpenRTB).
• Creative & Visual Tooling Proficiency: High proficiency with presentation design tools such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator), Figma, or Canva to build polished, agency-grade sales materials.
• Technical Fluency: Functional understanding of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and tag management frameworks to troubleshoot custom code, build mockups, and work alongside web developers on ad-tag implementations.
• Commercial Acumen: Deep understanding of digital media buying metrics and trends (CPM, CPC, vCPM, CTR, Core Web Vitals, viewability, privacy regulations like GDPR/CCPA).
• Independent and Reliable: Proven track record of operating successfully as an autonomous freelance contractor, managing multiple tight deadlines, and maintaining clear communication across distributed teams.

Contract Details & Engagement Terms

• Role Type: Freelance / Independent Contractor (1099 / B2B engagement).
• Commitment: Approximately 20 to 30 hours per week, with fluctuating demand depending on campaign volume, product launches, and sales cycles.
• Compensation: Highly competitive hourly rate or monthly retainer commensurate with depth of experience and technical proficiency.
• Tools Provided: Access to publisher accounts, ad servers, analytics suites, and internal communication platforms.