SVP/Head of Agency Development

About OpenAP

Powered by the largest premium publishers in the U.S., OpenAP is uniquely positioned as the accelerant and facilitation layer that is enabling the transformation of video advertising by removing the silos that have historically existed across publishers, screen types and currencies. We simplify the process so advertisers can target, reach and measure advanced audiences holistically wherever they are consuming content.  Our technology is interoperable, serving as the unifying layer that removes barriers of cross-publisher, cross-platform buying on advanced audiences and enhances supply-side service and capabilities.  

Built on an open philosophy and anchored in collaboration, OpenAP helps advertisers connect their message with the right audience for a more relevant and meaningful viewing experience. Founded in 2017, we are today a collective of innovators, builders, dreamers and doers building a company that is fundamentally changing the way advertising is bought and sold on television. Together with our partners, we are powering a more sustainable model for ad-supported data-driven video. 

About the Role

OpenAP is seeking an executive to lead the agency development team who is passionate about shaping and driving strategic relationships at the most senior level with the largest agencies and brands in the U.S.  The SVP/Head of Agency Development will play a pivotal role within our fast-paced commercial organization, managing the agency development team, securing renewals, and driving net new revenue through our Advanced TV, Streaming, and Cross-Platform solution suite. To accelerate the next phase of OpenAP’s development, increase penetration and further scale, this person will be tasked with driving OpenAP adoption through product knowledge, enablement, and strategic innovation while identifying areas of opportunity within white space.

Reporting directly to the EVP, this executive will manage the agency development team, will cultivate relationships with direct marketers and media agencies (holding company, independent), and will represent and accurately communicate demand side interests, needs and opportunities cross functionally internally.  This position demands a deep understanding of the complexity of the data-driven advanced advertising landscape from targeting, activation, measurement and workflow to identity; leadership acumen and a passion for mentorship and driving measurable results via marketplace evangelization and education; and the ability to operate effectively at the intersection of traditional media and advertising technology.

Demonstrating a naturally consultative and educational style and demeanor, candidates must be excellent communicators with high EQ, experienced at C-Level engagements with agencies and advertisers, and able to earn trust with senior stakeholders across the OpenAP organization. In addition, candidates should be comfortable with complex data sets and have the ability to invent and simplify for customers. A strong knowledge of the data-driven and programmatic trading landscape is a necessity.  A passion for and successful track record of leading agency focused revenue organizations and agency development sellers is a prerequisite.  Candidates should be self-motivated, happy to work autonomously and be goal-oriented to drive towards OpenAP’s ambitious growth plans.

Responsibilities

• Revenue: Drive data-driven linear / alternative currency, streaming and cross-platform convergent sales education from pitch to pay. Develop commercial structures with media agencies to facilitate the development of incremental opportunities across audience targeted media executions. Candidates must have a track record of consistently exceeding revenue targets and driving hyper growth and broad scale
• Leadership: Manage and provide strategic guidance and leadership to the agency development team. Establish, refine if/as needed territories and define both tactical and strategic agency development objectives. Evaluate the performance of the agency development team and manage pacing and tracking against these goals and desired quantitative and qualitative outcomes. Perform periodic performance reviews and check ins. Create training curriculum and provide ongoing support and education as needed.
• Client Partner Relations: Foster and maintain strong relationships with media agencies, Fortune 500 brands and direct-to-consumer companies, serving as a neutral, objective and trusted counselor and advisor. Build and manage a detailed engagement strategy for agency and marketer relationships, including business reviews.
• Strategy Development: Develop and execute a customer-led strategy for growth of media agency and brand advertiser business. Monitor market trends, competitor activity and identify opportunities for innovation. Liaise internally and externally with teams to identify transformative opportunities for agency and advertiser direct partnerships.  Must demonstrate mastery of the ability to cut through complexity and translate data strategies into actionable insights and strategic plans for clients, ensuring total clarity, simplicity and confidence
• Marketplace Education: Evangelize and educate agency teams and brand marketers on advanced advertising marketplaces, including emerging and existing advanced advertising suppliers/capabilities/platforms, workflows, products, technologies, and measurement, identity, and attribution offerings.  Lead education and enablement of key agency functions including hosting agency-wide events.
• Translation: Translate data strategy into digestible insights and strategic plans and recommendations. 
• Creative Problem Solving: Apply strategic, technical and analytical skills to solve client business issues, synthesizing recommendations into compelling proposals and solutions.
• Multitasking: Manage multiple concurrent initiatives simultaneously, maintaining optimal communication flow across disciplines and cross-functional teams.
• Internal Collaboration: Work closely with internal teams.  The ideal candidate is a five-star athlete in driving towards consensus and working harmoniously across Publisher facing teams, Partnerships & Business Development, Client Success, Audience Solutions, Measurement/Data Science, Product, Legal, and Finance. 
• Industry Representation: Represent the company (and/or speak) at relevant advanced advertising industry events and conferences.

Qualifications

• Experience: 15+ years of relevant sales leadership/management experience, preferably in advanced advertising sales (Advanced TV, Data Driven, Alternative Currency, Addressable, Identity, Measurement, Programmatic Platforms & Automation, Audience targeted Connected TV Sales), is required.
• Sales Expertise: Proven track record of consistently exceeding billion-dollar revenue targets by growing business with recurring and new client partners.
• Industry Knowledge & Subject Matter Expertise: Strong understanding of data-driven Advertising Technology, Advanced Television, and Connected TV.  Participation in and deep understanding of the television Upfront is a plus. 
• Relationship Management: Pre-established deep relationships at the highest levels with media agencies, broadcast TV buyers, Digital, Precision/Programmatic agency teams, Programmatic Platforms (DSP, SSP), and Video investment teams.
• Negotiation Skills: Strategic thinker, with exceptional negotiation and consultative skills. Ability to navigate complex, matrixed organizations and problem sets. Ability to successfully engage and negotiate at C-Level within agencies and agency groups.
• Process Orientation: Ability to stand up new BI systems, tools and establish team processes to best manage the demand business as needed. Adept at enforcing organizational discipline and adoption.
• Operational & Strategic Excellence: Must apply laser precision to bottoms-up and top-down analyses, as well as be thoughtful about customer segmentation, with a strong focus on where/how best to focus the team’s attention to maximize return on time spent.  Must also be comfortable with total addressable market analyses and creating and sizing and quantifying demand strategies. 
• Project Management: Excellent project and time management skills, comfortable working under tight deadlines.
• Communication: Strong interpersonal, oral and written communication skills; capable of presenting autonomously to senior executives and clients. Masterful ability to articulate an idea as well as distill complex concepts down to their simplest forms and principles. 
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Ability to create net new but scalable offerings and capabilities out of white space as well as credibly suggest feature enhancements and process improvements in a manner that elicits buy in from peers to cross-functional senior leadership team colleagues.
• Leadership: Experience managing and building highly performant sales teams, with a history of elevating team production. 
• Culture Creator: Self-motivated, positive, collaborative, outgoing, organized, efficient, team player. 

Life at OpenAP
At OpenAP, our most valuable asset is our people. We put great emphasis on creating a work environment where our people can grow and do the best work of their career. We’re are proud to offer:

• Flexible time off and a full calendar of company holidays (including your birthday!)
• Comprehensive healthcare benefits for you and your family
• Retirement savings plan options
• A generous gender-neutral Parental Leave Policy
• A one-time home office stipend to set up your ideal WFH environment
• A culture focused on personal growth and development
• Wellbeing-based perks, including stipend for L&D, a Headspace membership for every employee and more