Programmatic Sales Director

About the Role

Wunderkind is seeking a Director of Programmatic Sales to spearhead the expansion of the Publicis Account. This position is a strategic hire designed to drive net new business and establish Wunderkind as a core component of programmatic strategy for a defined set of agencies, trading desks, and brand teams. The role centers on aggressive, high-growth acquisition rather than account maintenance. The ideal candidate will act as a proactive hunter, penetrating new markets and fundamentally changing how new clients perceive behaviorally triggered, brand-safe ad experiences. Success is measured by the ability to open new doors and establish first-time partnerships that become non-negotiable within the buyer's programmatic ecosystem. This is an opportunity for a seasoned leader to own the go-to-market strategy for a specific territory and drive explosive revenue growth through sophisticated demand generation.

What You'll Do

The primary responsibility of this role is to prospect and secure new programmatic demand for display and video ad inventory across a designated territory. You will own the full sales cycle for new buyers, managing every stage from initial outreach and education through negotiation, contract execution, and first-campaign launch. This involves building and scaling a robust network of first-time decision makers, including in-house marketers and trading desk professionals who are central to the programmatic buying cycle. You will develop and execute sophisticated sales strategies specifically designed to displace competitors and capture new market share from premium inventory. A critical part of this role is educating the market on Wunderkind's unique value proposition to overcome skepticism and barriers to entry associated with new technology. You will act as a strategic liaison between the market and internal product teams to ensure offerings align with the needs of emerging buyers. Collaboration with account management is essential to ensure a smooth transition for newly secured clients, allowing you to immediately move on to the next high-value acquisition target. This role requires constant identification and penetration of untapped accounts that represent significant opportunities for brand-safe, high-impact display and video campaigns. You will champion the core behaviorally triggered model that waits until a user finishes reading before rendering an ad, highlighting its ability to maximize attention and engagement. Maintaining a robust pipeline of qualified opportunities will be a daily focus to ensure consistent progress toward aggressive growth targets.

Requirements

To be successful in this role, candidates must possess 8+ years of total relevant experience in online programmatic advertising sales. A minimum of 5 years of this experience must be specifically focused on growing your own book of programmatic business against a quota in an agency or vendor setting. While not essential, experience of starting from scratch in new territories or new books of business is highly desirable for this position. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a consistent history of exceeding quotas and securing new business in highly competitive environments. Strong evidence of building long-term strategic partnerships with marketing decision makers is necessary for success. A deep understanding of programmatic ecosystems, including demand-side platforms and trading desk operations, is required. Exceptional verbal and written communication skills are mandatory to articulate complex value propositions to senior stakeholders and C-level executives. The role demands a resilient, hunter-oriented mindset capable of thriving in a fast-paced, target-driven growth environment. Candidates must be self-starters with the resourcefulness to navigate complex buying centers and enterprise-level sales processes. The ability to translate product capabilities into clear client outcomes is essential for overcoming objections and establishing trust with new business partners.

Nice to Have

The source material does not specify any additional qualifications or preferences beyond the core requirements listed above.

Practical Notes

This is a full-time role based in New York. The engagement is full-time, and no specific visa sponsorship details are provided in the source material. No explicit travel requirements, visa details, or application deadlines are stated in the source text.