Ad Product Manager, Digital Advertising

PlayOn is seeking a remote Ad Product Manager to lead the development and optimization of digital advertising products that drive revenue growth and enhance advertiser satisfaction within the high school event space. The role involves managing the full product lifecycle, collaborating across teams, and ensuring compliance with privacy standards.  

The Outcomes You’llDeliver 

-Launch and optimize an innovative digital ad strategy (display, video, native, branded content, email and CTV/OTT) that drives measurable revenue growth. 

-Improve yield performance across direct-sold, open auction, PMPs, and programmatic guaranteed. 

-Increase advertiser adoption and satisfaction by developing scalable, high-performing ad products. 

-Ensure all ad products meet privacy, identity, and industry standards (GDPR, CCPA, IAB, etc). 

-Provide actionable insights and performance reporting that guide sales, yield management, and product strategy decisions. 

• Own the end-to-end lifecycle of publisher ad products, from concept to launch to continuous improvement.
• Partner with product, sales, ad operations, yield, engineering, and editorial to balance revenue goals with user experience. 
• Translate business needs, market trends, and advertiser demand into clear product requirements and roadmaps. 
• Monitor KPIs such as CPM, CTR, viewability, and revenue contribution to evaluate and refine product performance. 
• Stay ahead of industry trends in programmatic, first-party data strategies, and evolving ad formats to keep our offering competitive. 
• Act as a subject matter expert for ad products across the organization, enabling cross-team alignment and adoption. 

• 3–6 years of experience in ad product management, ad operations, or digital advertising at a publisher, media company, or ad-supported platform. 
• Strong knowledge of the publisher ad tech stack: ad servers (GAM, Freewheel, etc.), SSPs, header bidding, programmatic marketplaces, and data platforms. 
• Proven success in creating, launching, and optimizing ad formats that generated revenue growth. 
• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret revenue, yield, and engagement data to inform decisions. 
• Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively across sales, ops, engineering, and content teams. 
• Familiarity with privacy regulations and identity challenges impacting publishers (GDPR, CCPA, cookie deprecation, first-party data strategies). 
• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or related field (advanced degree a plus, not required). 

• Ownership over Participation- You take responsibility for achieving holistic outcomes, prioritize key objectives, and adapt quickly when situations require a different approach. You follow through even against the toughest challenges.  

• Team over Stars- You are a bridge builder, establishing processes and relationships with teams outside your own. You work to rally around common goals, find win-win solutions, compromise when necessary, and help others succeed.  

• Growth over Comfort- You are driven by a desire to grow and actively seek opportunities to expand your comfort zone, skills, and confidence. You embrace new challenges with curiosity, accepting discomfort and failure as opportunities to learn.   

• Fairness over Popularity- You approach decisions with a scientist’s mindset, challenging your assumptions and remaining objective. You consider long-term impact rather than relying on short-term gains, proactively seek others’ perspectives, and manage emotions in decision-making.   

Company Overview 

PlayOn is a dynamic growth-stage company dedicated to championing the spirit of play in the high school space. Backed by KKR, our family of brands—including GoFan, NFHS Network, and MaxPreps—empowers schools with innovative solutions and exceptional service. Our fan engagement platform is the only one that offers event ticketing, streaming, fundraising, concessions, merchandise sales, and website management in one place. We save administrators time so they can focus on what truly matters: supporting the students, staff, and fans who bring their programs to life. 

Trusted by thousands of schools across the country, we're here to help create more instant replays, hold-your-breath moments, last-minute comebacks, and games you want to watch over and over again. 

When being there means everything, we make sure you never miss a moment.  

Why you’ll love working at PlayOn  

Product, potential, and people. We’re a leader in the high school event space, constantly evolving our product to meet the needs of administrators. We focus on solving real challenges, learning quickly, and creating impactful solutions. 

This is a growth-stage company, meaning your contributions have real impact. You’ll have opportunities to grow your skills, tackle meaningful problems, and make a difference in the lives of schools and the students and fans they serve. 

Our culture is built on accountability, collaboration, growth, and fairness. We don’t just show up—we show up for each other. Everyone wears the same jersey, and we play hard, make the extra pass, and cheer one another on. Losses teach us, challenges motivate us, and persistence drives us forward. We value integrity over shortcuts, choosing to do what’s right even when it’s hard. Together, we strive to be better every day—because we know that’s how we win as a team. 

The Benefits We Offer 

Multiple medical insurance plans to choose from 

Dental, vision life and disability insurance 

Employee Emergency Fund  

Company equity (stock options) 

Open PTO policy  

401K plan with company match 

Hybrid/flexible work environment 

Note: Must be a full-time employee to participate in the company’s employee health benefit plan. Part-time employees and interns are not eligible to participate.