NielsenIQ

Director, Audience Activation

NielsenIQ$117K — $150K *
Media
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree required.
  • 5-10+ years in advanced advertising or ad tech sales.
  • Proven success driving audience activation initiatives.
  • Strong network within ad agencies, especially in programmatic and investment teams.
  • Deep understanding of the programmatic data ecosystem, including digital video and CTV.
  • Exceptional communication and relationship management skills.
  • Experience in complex negotiations and commercial agreements.

Responsibilities

  • Identify and drive new business focused on audience activation and data enablement.
  • Manage the entire customer engagement process from proposal to negotiation.
  • Lead discussions around commercial terms to align with audience needs.
  • Leverage industry relationships to promote MRI-Simmons solutions to agencies and brands.
  • Deliver advanced advertising proposals that showcase audience intelligence value.
  • Act as a trusted advisor aligning solutions to client media objectives.
  • Collaborate with internal teams to inform audience development and go-to-market strategies.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive healthcare plan including dental and vision.
  • Flexible spending and Health Savings Account options.
  • Life and AD&D insurance coverage.
  • 401(k) with company matching contributions.
  • Paid time off and 11 holidays.
  • Tuition reimbursement for further education.
  • Opportunities for volunteering time off.
  • Access to LinkedIn Learning resources.
Full Job Description


Hybrid: 1-2 days/week in office (200 West 41st Street FL 5, New York, NY 10036)

(US role, candidates must reside in US at time of application to be considered for this role)

Job Description

About this job

The Director, Audience Activation will be a key player in leading the sales initiatives for MRI-Simmons to grow our Advanced Advertising business, with solutions including data enrichment and audience activation. The ideal candidate will work collaboratively with the Media, Brand and Agency verticals to develop new sales opportunities, lead or participate in Advanced Advertising presentations, assist in developing new Advanced Advertising product initiatives, and finalize negotiations and contracts in relation to closing new business. This position will lead our engagement and penetration of Agency holding companies, specifically with Investment, Programmatic, Video and Activation teams, while supporting our relationships with their Client teams.

Responsibilities:

Revenue Growth & Deal Leadership
  • Identify, develop, drive new business and upsell existing opportunities focused on audience activation, enrichment and data enablement.
  • Manage end-to-end customer engagement, including strategy, discussions, proposal and presentations development, negotiation, and contracts where necessary
  • Own commercial discussions and manage deal terms and conditions in partnership with internal stakeholders to ensure audiences meet customer needs to drive utilizations

Client & Partner Engagement
  • Leverage strong, preferably existing, industry relationships across advertising and media agencies, and at times brands, and ad tech partners, with a strong focus on stakeholders in programmatic, digital, video, investment, and account teams
  • Lead advanced advertising, audience activation, and other data-driven proposals and presentations that clearly articulate the value of MRI-Simmons audience intelligence
  • Act as a trusted advisor to customers by aligning MRI-Simmons audience solutions to customer business, media, and campaign activation objectives
  • Requires approximately 25% travel; in-agency presence expected.

Product & Go-to-Market Collaboration
  • Partner closely with Commercial, Marketing, Operations and Product teams to provide client feedback and input that informs audience development and utilization prioritization
  • Support the development of new data enablement and activation initiatives, partnerships, and go-to-market strategies
  • Serve as a subject matter expert for advanced advertising and audience-based activation, use cases, both external with customers and internal guiding sales colleagues on cross-team opportunities
  • Coordinate outreach and engagement where needed with internal sales colleagues across all verticals

Operational Excellence
  • Manage internal sales and audience revenue tracking processes; ensure tracking sheets, audience taxonomies, and CRM accuracy
  • Support revenue collection team where necessary, aligning communication with all stakeholders
  • Collaborate with Operations and Account Management teams when needed define data, technical, and delivery requirements
  • Ensure client reporting requirements and con


Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree required
  • 5-10+ years of experience in sales or business development within advanced advertising, programmatic, addressable, data enablement, audience data, or ad tech
  • Proven success driving audience activation initiatives within agencies or brands
  • Strong ad tech industry network across agency stakeholders, including programmatic, activation, investment, and digital teams
  • Deep understanding of the advanced advertising, programmatic activation, and audience data ecosystem, including planning/insights, activation, and measurement/attribution solutions for digital video and CTV
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate the value of audience and data-driven solutions in a clear, compelling way
  • Experience applying syndicated audience data to activation, planning, and partnership opportunities preferred
  • Exceptional relationship management and executive-level communication skills
  • Strong negotiation skills with experience navigating complex commercial agreements
  • Highly collaborative, proactive, and self-directed

Seller Profile
  • Consultative, self-directed seller and evangelist with a "hunter" mindset and the ability to create opportunity where none previously existed
  • Comfortable leading complex, multi-stakeholder communication efforts, connecting silos in an enterprise environment like a large agency holding company
  • Familiarity with Challenger sales methodology and MEDDICC frameworks preferred
  • Strategic thinker who proactively identifies new use cases and growth opportunities
  • Strong agency presence is preferred with hands-on experience operating within ad agencies, leading educational programming, thought leadership initiatives, and events for agency planning and buying teams

#LI-Hybrid

US Benefits
  • Comprehensive healthcare plan (medical, Rx, dental, and vision).
  • Flexible spending accounts and a Health Savings Account (including company contributions).
  • Life and AD&D insurance.
  • 401(k) retirement plan including company matching contributions.
  • Disability insurance.
  • Tuition Reimbursement.
  • Discretionary paid time off program and 11 paid holidays.
  • Flexible working environment
  • Volunteer time off
  • LinkedIn Learning
  • Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP)


Additional Information

This role has a market-competitive salary with an anticipated base compensation of the following range: $117,250.00 - $150,000.00. Actual salaries will vary depending on a candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, and location. This role is eligible for a sales-based incentive or performance-based bonus. Other benefits include flexible working environment, comprehensive health insurance, industry-leading parental leave, life insurance, education support and more.

Our Benefits
  • Flexible working environment
  • Volunteer time off
  • LinkedIn Learning
  • Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP)

About NielsenIQ

NielsenIQ is a global measurement and data analytics company that provides insights into consumer behavior and media consumption. The company was founded in 1923 as the AC Nielsen Company and has since grown to become a leading provider of market research and audience measurement services. NielsenIQ operates in over 100 countries and has a diverse client base that includes media companies, advertisers, and consumer goods manufacturers. The company's services include audience measurement, advertising effectiveness, consumer insights, and product innovation. NielsenIQ is known for its Nielsen TV ratings, which are used to determine the popularity of television programs and inform advertising decisions.
Learn more about NielsenIQ
Size
46,000 employees
Industry
Founded
2008

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