We analyzed hiring data to predict where advertising is going next

Talent acquisition has long been a bellwether for where programmatic and ad tech are going next.

Today, a fundamental transformation is reshaping the talent landscape moving well beyond traditional media buying and planning functions. Agencies are restructuring programmatic teams, while brands are building capabilities in-house.

Three critical trends are emerging: the rise of AI-enhanced technical roles, the geographic redistribution of expertise to regional hubs and the development of vertical-specific talent pools aligned with evolving digital channels.

“Agencies tend to go into cycles with roles,” explains Helen Buchan-Connor, managing director of Uncommonly Good People. 

“Right now, we are at the end of a senior cycle. Some agencies are relooking at how their programmatic teams are organized and also how they future-proof these teams.”

Beyond “head of AI” roles

LinkedIn’s 2025 workforce data shows exponential growth across a spectrum of specialized positions — from AI engineers and implementation specialists to data architects and commerce-focused programmatic buyers. 

The data reveals that 58% of professionals globally are planning job changes, while AI and data science roles are leading industry growth. 

Ben Roberts, executive director of Curador, points to a growing demand for specialized technical talent. He notes everyone is chasing a few key profiles.

For example, AI-meets-creative hybrids like AI content strategists, creative technologists and first-party data specialists who can untangle the mess left by cookies.

“In demand are also retail media planners who know how to monetize the digital shelf, and CTV and programmatic experts, as streaming platforms finally build proper ad stacks,” Roberts adds.

Despite this excitement, Buchan-Connor cautions that adoption varies.

“People are not moving quickly enough with these roles … and that is quite typical in this industry, especially in the last few years where VC funding has dwindled,” she explains.

The emerging skill matrix

The talent market is becoming more granular and technical. For example, data from LinkedIn shows that growth rates for AI engineer and consultant roles exceed 70% to 80% year –over year, and hybrid skill sets are in the highest demand.

In agencies and vendor organizations, several specialized roles are gaining traction:

1. Code-savvy programmatic specialists: “We are looking at programmatic talent that also is expert across Java/Python so that ML feels like a natural progression,” Buchan-Connor says.
   
2. SEO/agentic search experts: As search evolves with AI agents, a new breed of SEO specialists who understand how these systems function is emerging.
   
3. Prompt engineers: While still early, these roles are increasingly embedded within creative teams to maximize generative AI outputs.
   
4. Synthetic talent managers: Roberts highlights a novel role: “People running virtual influencers and avatars” as digital celebrities become mainstream marketing channels.
   
5. Zero-party data specialists: With cookies deprecating, professionals who can “gamify how brands collect info directly” are in high demand.

Regional centers reshape global talent distribution

Geographic shifts are also transforming the distribution of ad tech talent distribution.

Buchan-Connor says she is seeing a shift of many juniors into regional centers of excellence.

“This means the roles come out of traditionally more expensive hubs like Singapore, London, Sydney and are being built in lower-cost locations such as Manila, Delhi and Ho Chi Minh.”

Roberts notes distinct regional patterns emerging. In APAC, for example, Singapore skews toward AI and strategy-heavy roles, while the Philippines and Indonesia focus more on creator and social commerce. 

“Other countries like Thailand are strong on programmatic and influencer marketing, and Vietnam is going hard on local SEO and performance,” he adds.

Vertical-specific talent needs

Different sectors are prioritizing distinct skill sets as they build specialized teams. In-demand skills include programmatic buying, data analytics, AI-led optimization and cross-functional campaign management across platforms like Netflix, Amazon and Walmart.

“CTV players are building proper ad functions like hiring ops, audience and interactive video roles,” Roberts says. 

Buchan-Connor agrees: “In vendors, there is a huge focus on CTV and OTT, as well as publisher and stakeholder management.”

As more retailers build media networks, specialized talent is in high demand. For example, Lazada, Shopee and FairPrice are all building internal ad units and looking for feed managers and retail planners.

LinkedIn data confirms this trend, with retail media network managers and programmatic specialists with commerce experience among the fastest-growing roles globally. With commerce experience among the fastest-growing roles globally.

Perhaps most notable is what’s happening to traditional programmatic roles.

According to Buchan-Connor, they have shrunk over the last 10 years due to the convergence of business and AI, based on her business’s own internal data.

However, she says this does not mean doom for programmatic professionals, but rather a need to evolve skill sets. 

“Just as the industry adapted when programmatic first emerged, it is now shifting toward roles that combine programmatic expertise with data science, creative technology and specialized vertical knowledge,” Buchan-Connor explains.

“Just like in 2008 when traditional press and OOH ruled, the whole thing is about to be flipped on its head,” Buchan-Connor concludes. “Fun times!”