Director, Agency Partnerships

About the role

Smartly is a marketing technology company that helps brands automate and optimize their advertising campaigns across multiple digital platforms. The company provides tools that enable businesses to manage their ad spend, targeting, and creative assets more efficiently. The Director of Agency Partnerships will lead the development and management of relationships with external marketing agencies that use Smartly's platform to serve their own clients. This role is responsible for building a scalable partnership program, setting strategic direction for agency engagement, and driving mutual growth between Smartly and its agency network. The Director will work closely with internal teams including sales, product, and customer success to ensure agencies have the tools and support they need to succeed. Additionally, this position involves shaping the long-term vision for how Smartly collaborates with agencies to deliver better outcomes for their end clients.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Build and manage a growing portfolio of agency partnerships across diverse industries and market verticals.
• Develop strategic plans to expand the agency partner network and increase platform adoption rates over time.
• Collaborate with the sales team to identify and qualify new agency prospects for partnership opportunities.
• Create comprehensive onboarding programs that help agencies integrate Smartly's platform into their existing workflows efficiently.
• Work with the product team to gather agency feedback and prioritize feature requests for future releases.
• Design joint marketing initiatives and co-branded campaigns with partner agencies to drive mutual awareness.
• Monitor agency performance metrics and provide actionable recommendations for improving campaign outcomes and ROI.
• Lead regular business reviews with agency partners to strengthen relationships, address concerns, and drive retention.
• Represent Smartly at industry events, conferences, and agency gatherings to build brand recognition and credibility.
• Establish clear partnership terms, pricing structures, and performance benchmarks for all agency agreements and contracts.
• Coordinate with the customer success team to ensure agencies receive timely support and technical assistance.
• Identify opportunities for expanding Smartly's platform usage within existing agency accounts through upselling and education.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or a related field is required for this position.
• Minimum of eight years of experience in agency management, partnership development, or a similar role.
• Demonstrated track record of building and scaling meaningful relationships with external partners and stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of digital marketing platforms, ad technologies, and programmatic advertising ecosystems.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to engage senior-level agency contacts.
• Experience managing a team or leading cross-functional initiatives in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
• Familiarity with CRM and partnership management software tools is essential for success in this role.
• Willingness to travel occasionally for in-person meetings with agency partners and industry events.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of partnership goals with minimal supervision.
• Strong organizational skills with the capacity to manage multiple agency relationships simultaneously and effectively.

Nice to have

• Master's degree in business administration or a related discipline is preferred but not required.
• Prior experience working at a marketing technology or SaaS company is highly valued.
• Existing relationships with large or mid-size marketing agencies can be a significant advantage.
• Knowledge of data analytics and attribution modeling for marketing campaigns is considered a plus.
• Background in building agency networks within the advertising or martech space is beneficial.

Skills & tools

• Partnership development and channel management expertise with a focus on long-term relationship building.
• Proficiency in CRM platforms such as Salesforce or HubSpot for tracking partner interactions.
• Strong analytical skills with experience interpreting campaign performance data and generating insights.
• Familiarity with project management tools like Asana or Monday.com to coordinate cross-team work.
• Excellent negotiation and contract management abilities for structuring mutually beneficial partnership agreements.
• Comfort with presentation tools such as PowerPoint or Google Slides for agency-facing meetings.
• Understanding of digital advertising ecosystems including ad networks, exchanges, and demand-side platforms.
• Ability to create clear documentation including partnership playbooks, process guides, and performance reports.

Practical notes

• This role is based in New York and requires on-site presence during standard business hours.
• The Director reports to the Vice President of Partnerships or a comparable senior leadership role.
• The position involves regular interaction with agency leadership and internal cross-functional teams across the company.
• Candidates should expect a mix of strategic planning and hands-on partnership management duties on a daily basis.
• The company values candidates who are proactive, detail-oriented, and committed to building lasting agency relationships.