Director, Advertising Sales

About the role

AccuWeather is seeking an accomplished, strategic and results-driven Advertising Sales Director in New York to help build and sell digital advertising solutions. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced sales leader with a proven track record to navigate complex digital media and data targeting solutions, work cross-functionally to develop innovative advertising solutions and build lasting client relationships.

You'll contribute to a high-caliber team in a business that is experiencing rapid and dramatic growth. We are looking for demonstrated performance in a constantly changing, ambiguous environment and problem-solving leadership with limited oversight.

This role will manage Holding Company agency relationships with a focus on the C-Suite, Agency Investment Leads, Brand Teams, Buying Teams, Programmatic Buying Arms and Data Analytics & Strategy Teams. In partnership with senior leadership, this role will develop a strategy specific to assigned holding companies, while driving AccuWeather's media, data, measurement and analytics revenue.

This position requires extensive knowledge of the changing agency & media landscape, the drive to develop industry-transforming strategies and the ability to build relationships with senior agency management and brands direct.

The ideal candidate has media agency planning experience, a deep knowledge of measurement & analytics used to evaluate performance, ability to develop and effectively communicate creative ideas and solutions along with a proven ability to influence multiple levels of an organization.

This position will be located onsite at AccuWeather's New York City office with the expectation of being in office with teammates three days a week.

Key Responsibilities

• Achieve and exceed revenue goals set by the company for existing and new accounts. Focus on selling AccuWeather digital advertising products to advertising agency and brand direct partners maintaining and fostering positive relationships across both new and existing clients.
• Build and elevate relationships at the highest levels within the assigned agencies, C-Suite, Senior Agency Influencers to continuously uncover strategic opportunities to drive AccuWeather revenue on a global, regional, and local level.
• Serve as internal voice of the agency customer to help shape product and marketing roadmaps. Assess the revenue potential of assigned account list and identify highest value targets.
• Prospect new business opportunities within territory through regular, thoughtful outreach to new clients/agencies with face-to-face meetings, presentations, events, entertainment and other related efforts.
• Identify revenue opportunities to grow existing clients/advertising agencies relationships.
• Client account management including, but not limited to: maintaining contact lists, establishing meeting cadence with (internal and external) key stakeholders, seeking out new relationships/contacts, developing quarterly business reviews, organizing and coordinating agency education initiatives (cross discipline agency days and/or training sessions), fulfilling ad hoc client requests, campaign performance reviews along with client entertaining.
• Consistent pipeline maintenance, and strong internal communications skills to ensure leadership and cross functional partners are apprise of pipeline updates, progress to goal, territory updates and opportunities, along with challenges
• Contribute to AccuWeather's tentpole senior-level events, conferences and activations within assigned agencies.
• Collaborate with internal specialists (i.e. marketing, strategy, data, operations/analytics) as needed to meet revenue requirements and to continuously identify relevant opportunities for agencies/brands.
• Contribute to agency holding company partnership level agreements, with opportunity to lead specific initiatives in addition to capturing revenue opportunities at the account level
• Be a trusted thought leader to both external stakeholders and investment teams by leading consistent customer and prospect education initiatives and events.
• Operate at the 'tip of the spear', immersing in industry shifts (in-housing, rise of independent agencies and consultancies etc.) and competitive offerings, to bring an 'outside-in' perspective, framing new sales initiatives and recommendations
• Demonstrate thought leadership in the industry; act as an ambassador and spokesperson for AccuWeather in the advertising community.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree required with 5+ years digital ad sales experience with a focus on digital media, programmatic, first party data and analytics; experience executing large scale brand partnerships across channels ideal.
• High performer - achieve and exceed revenue targets through effective sales strategies, performance optimization and development of innovative campaign strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically about a particular industry and/or product set to achieve customer goals and KPIs; ability to think creatively to solve problems to maintain and grow revenue, and to break new business
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills along with strong presentation skills in both small and large groups.
• Familiarity with agency holding companies and strong relationships across the agency and brand direct
• Ability to work collaboratively amidst cross-functional teams including but not limited to strategy, marketing, ad operations and analytics.
• Tenacious and driven self-starter who takes a hands-on approach in discovering new business opportunities and proactive outreach with a focus on high-value prospects.
• Hunter mentality - focus on cold outreach and prospecting to secure meetings with new clients and expanding relationships with existing.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills. Ability to build internal networks to accomplish goals through collaboration with resources across teams.
• Driven and solution-oriented and can overcome obstacles to drive projects through completion and can balance the need for quick turnaround with longer-term strategic efforts.
• Strong writing and copy-editing skills.
• Comfortable with a fast-paced, always-on, start-up environment
• Strong belief in AccuWeather's vision and goals

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated marketing abilities, programmatic advertising expertise and experience pitching first party data
• Exhibits a high level of competency in oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrated expertise in building relationships with senior agency decision makers.

Pay Transparency

AccuWeather offers a competitive salary commensurate to experience in the range of $130K - $150K base + commission.