Product Operations Specialist

Overview and Summary We are Automotive Business Scientists. We empower our clients to turn overwhelming industry data into discovery, action, and measured success.  We are unique market leaders because we find and examine possibilities through the clarity of a scientific lens. To solve the toughest client challenges, we need curious, creative, and dedicated people to join our team. We search out individuals who align with our core values and who adhere to the highest standards of integrity and ethics in everything they do.  Our company is filled with the brightest minds and the biggest hearts at every level. We recognize that personal success takes on many different forms of the course of our lives – both professional and personally – so we provide a myriad of benefits and programs focused on Wellbeing, Growth, Community and Recognition.  One size does not fit all, so we encourage every Urban Scientist to discover their own formula for success including hybrid and remote work options.  If this sounds like the kind of company you would like to work with, Apply Now! POSITION OVERVIEW With guidance from the Global Practice Director, the Product Operations Specialist supports the activation, implementation, and ongoing execution of Media Performance products and solutions. This includes sales fulfilment, product setup and implementation, vendor coordination, operational communications, quality control, and delivery support for new or evolving processes as products and operations scale. This role partners closely with Product, Sales, and Account teams to ensure operational requirements are well supported, consistently executed, and aligned with product roadmaps and client needs. The Specialist plays a key role in providing operational coverage, continuity, and execution capacity across a growing portfolio of product solutions. Workplace flexibility has taken on a whole new meaning here at Urban Science. The requirements of each team, role and employee can look quite different. Leaders work with their teams to determine the right balance for working in-person and remotely, considering the needs of the business, our clients, cross-functional projects, individual work, and individual preference. This role has current Hybrid Workplace flexibility local to our Detroit, MI office.  Candidate must be available and willing to work in-person two days per week (Wednesday & Friday). URBAN SCIENCE DOES NOT AND WILL NOT PROVIDE IMMIGRATION RELATED SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS ROLE, NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Executes product activation and implementation requests using operational systems and tools, supporting audience onboarding and distribution, campaign and measurement setup, and insertion order fulfillment, while meeting all service levels and delivery commitments with ad servers, DSPs, SSPs, agencies, and OEMs. Supports both new client activations and ongoing support and maintenance for active programs, contributing to consistent delivery and ongoing operational support across programs and client commitments. Coordinates operational tasks across internal teams and external partners, providing clear communication on activations, timelines, and status updates. Serves as an operational point of contact for account teams, product managers, and clients on implementation, scheduling, monitoring, and execution activities. Provides troubleshooting support and leads the resolution of operational and delivery issues, escalating risks and constraints to the Global Practice Director as appropriate. Collaborates with the Product Operations Manager and Practice/Product teams to provide user feedback and collaborate on the development and iteration of operational tools, workflows, and automation to improve efficiency, scalability, and execution quality. Monitors operational performance, productivity, and quality against established goals and KPIs, diagnosing issues and supporting continuous improvement of deliverables. Provides troubleshooting support and leads the resolution of operational and delivery issues, leveraging data to improve accuracy and efficiency and escalating risks and constraints as appropriate. Plans, organizes, and delivers operational reports, project deliverables, and status updates on time and in alignment with client and internal deadlines. Identifies, documents, and helps implement process improvements and operational efficiencies in collaboration with the Product Operations Manager. Supports billing and invoicing activities by providing accurate operational data and coordinating with finance teams as needed. Collaborates with account management teams to ensure operational needs are met, solutions remain in good standing, and best practices are consistently followed. Works with clients and subcontractors to support onboarding and execution activities required for active solutions. Maintains and contributes to operational documentation, client setup guides, sales training materials, and communication templates to support onboarding, knowledge sharing, and continuity. Builds strong internal relationships to foster collaboration, consistency, and knowledge sharing across teams and offices. Prepares and presents operational updates, reviews, and process improvements to internal stakeholders, leaders, and, as appropriate, external clients. Works with manager on annual goal setting, performance reviews, and prioritization of responsibilities. Performs additional duties as assigned based on operational priorities. Qualifications - Education and Experience To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each essential duty. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Multi-tasking: Ability to manage multiple clients and projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment. Technical/Software: Requires the ability to understand and work with software tools & packages used by Urban Science. Specifically, requires the ability to use internal and external user interfaces to manage and carry out operational tasks Verbal Communication: Requires the ability to compose and verbally deliver information of varying levels, using appropriate grammar, tone, inflection, and non-verbal cues, while also listening to and correctly deciphering verbal communication delivered by others Written Communication: Requires the ability and capacity to communicate ideas, facts and data in writing using appropriate grammar, syntax, and sentence structure Analytical Thinking: Requires the ability to understand a situation by breaking it apart into smaller pieces, and/or tracing the implications of a situation in a step-by-step causal way Results Oriented: Requires the ability to strive for optimal results by taking responsibility for timeliness, commitment to task and adherence to performance standards Ethics & Integrity: Requires the ability to behave in a trustworthy & transparent manner Teamwork & Cooperation: Requires the ability to work cooperatively with others and be part of a team Self-Control: Requires the ability to keep emotions under control and to restrain from negative actions or behaviors Information Seeking: Requires the drive to gain a deeper understanding of work-related issues and events. Initiative: Requires the drive to go above and beyond in order to improve or enhance job results Quality Control: Requires the ability to monitor and check work related information and deliverables ensuring high quality and accuracy Customer Service: Requires the ability to understand and help/assist both internal and external customers and meet their needs Flexibility/Adaptability: Requires the ability to adapt to and work effectively within a variety of situations, individuals, or groups, as well as understand and appreciate different and opposing perspectives Conceptual Thinking: Requires the ability to understand a situation or problem by putting the different pieces together to see the bigger strategic picture Interpersonal Understanding: Requires the ability to understand internal and external clients’ feelings and concerns, be able to relate to others and to value individual differences in people Self-Confidence: Requires the ability to express confidence in dealing with challenging circumstances, in reaching decisions or forming opinions and in handling failures or setbacks constructively Organizational Commitment: Requires the ability and willingness to align his/her own behavior with the needs, priorities, and goals of the organization Relationship Building: Requires the ability to effectively build and maintain friendly, warm relationships or networks of contacts with clients/customers Industry, Solution & Product Expertise: Requires in depth knowledge & expertise in the advertising technology and marketing technology domains and with the use of Urban Science solutions and products within the industry Assertiveness: Requires the ability and intent to appropriately display assertive behaviors Math & Statistics: Knowledge of basic descriptive statistics and the ability to collect, analyze, understand, and interpret statistical analyses is strongly preferred. MS Office: Requires advanced knowledge and experience with Excel, PowerPoint, and Word Time Management: Requires strong capability to prioritize competing demands, manage multiple concurrent tasks and run meetings on schedule Strategic Influence: Requires the ability to effectively persuade, convince, and influence others in order to gain support to achieve work related goals/objectives EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE Bachelor’s degree preferred in Business, Communications, Marketing, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. 2+ years of relevant experience in digital advertising operations, media or campaign implementation, marketing or advertising technology, analytics, or data distribution implementation; motivated candidates with strong aptitude and willingness to learn will also be considered. Familiarity with demand side or supply side media and data activation workflows and concepts like data technology workflows like APIs, data clean rooms, data sharing and collaboration, identity concepts is a plus. Strong attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, and demonstrated interest in improving operational quality and efficiency. Experience working in fast paced or agile operational environments preferred; prior automotive industry exposure is a plus but not required. WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This description is intended to describe the type and level of work being performed by a person assigned to this position. It is NOT an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by a person so classified. The job may require additional hours beyond a traditional 40-hour workweek. Some travel may be required.