Account Executive, Agency Partnerships (AI Brand Agents)

Firsthand has built the first AI-powered Brand Agent platform, transforming the way marketers and publishers engage consumers through their own AI agents, anywhere online.

While most AI applications in marketing and advertising focus on back-office automation, the Firsthand Brand Agent Platform™ powers front-line consumer engagement. Operating across both owned properties and paid media, Firsthand's Brand Agents make a company’s expertise accessible in real time, adapting to consumers’ interests and guiding them towards the information they need to take action. Central to the platform is Lakebed™, the company’s AI-first data and knowledge rights management system that ensures brands retain full ownership and control of their expertise.

Firsthand is led by Jon Heller, Michael Rubenstein, and Wei Wei, whose previous ventures helped build the foundations of modern digital advertising. Backed by Radical Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Aperiam Ventures, and Crossbeam Venture Partners, Firsthand is shaping the future of AI-driven consumer engagement.

Firsthand is headquartered in NYC, with team members working together in-office three days a week.

About the Role

Firsthand is hiring an Account Executive to help define and scale a new category: AI Brand Agents. This is not a traditional media sales role. You won’t just be selling into an existing budget line — you’ll be helping agencies and brands understand why this category should exist in the first place. Think early programmatic: the companies that won weren’t just selling products, they were shaping the market. That’s the opportunity here.

You’ll inherit a strong foundation of agency relationships and be responsible for deepening partnerships across major holding companies and independent agencies while unlocking net-new opportunities with Fortune 500 brands and their agency partners.

What You’ll Do

1. Expand Existing Agency Relationships (Farmer ~40%)

• Grow current agency footprint from a handful of active accounts into broader adoption across multiple client teams

• Build multi-threaded relationships across investment, strategy, programmatic, search and innovation functions

• Identify repeatable use cases and scale them across verticals and clients

• Turn pilots into longer-term, revenue-generating programs

2. Drive Net-New Growth Within Agencies (Hunter ~60%)

• Prospect into new client teams, divisions, and offices within existing agency partners

• Open new lines of business across both independent agencies and holding companies

• Create and manage pipeline from first conversation through close

3. Define and Evangelize the Category

• Educate agencies and brands on AI Brand Agents and the broader shift toward agentic experiences. Clearly articulate the value of:

  • Paid media brand agents

  • Agentic site experiences

  • The full “agentic journey” across paid and owned environments

  • Position the company as a category leader, not just a vendor

4. Own the Full Sales Cycle

• Lead discovery, solutioning, deal strategy, and negotiation

• Partner cross-functionally with product, marketing, and leadership to close deals

• Navigate long, complex sales cycles with multiple stakeholders

5. Use Data to Drive Growth

• Translate campaign and product insights into clear, actionable narratives

• Show clients why to reinvest, not just what happened

• Build credibility through performance, measurement, and outcomes

What We’re Looking For

• 5–8 years of experience in digital media, ad tech, or SaaS sales

• Proven ability to both grow existing accounts and generate net-new business (60/40 motion)

• Strong experience selling into agencies (holding companies and/or independents)

• Experience selling emerging or complex products that require education (not just transactional sales)

• Data-oriented mindset, you can translate performance into a compelling story that drives repeat investment

• Ability to navigate and influence across complex agency org structures

• High ownership and urgency: you build pipeline, you don’t wait for it

• Strong point of view: you can simplify and sell a new concept clear

What Success Looks Like

• You expand from a few active agency relationships to multi-client, scaled partnerships

• You consistently open new doors within agency organizations

• You become a trusted voice on the agentic shift in marketing, not just a salesperson

• You turn early-stage deals into repeatable, scalable revenue streams

• You use data and insights to drive renewals and deeper investment

If you are ready to embark on an exhilarating journey at the forefront of AI, seize this incredible opportunity and apply here. We eagerly anticipate hearing from you!

Note: Compensation and equity will be market-competitive for well-capitalized, early stage startups and will be discussed during the interview process.