The Trade Desk

Director, Business Development

The Trade Desk$146K — $267K *
Business Services
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-10 years of leadership experience in sales, specifically managing multi-person teams.
  • Demonstrated success in high-volume outbound sales within the online advertising or digital media sector.
  • Familiarity with online publishers, ad networks, or digital marketing platforms.
  • Strong relationships with senior decision-makers at major agencies and advertisers.
  • Proven analytical skills and comfort with complex commercial situations.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and coach a team of high-performing sales professionals.
  • Oversee and represent strategic client relationships in the central growth category.
  • Establish performance excellence and accountability within the team.
  • Set clear activity standards and manage sales pipeline health.
  • Provide ongoing coaching on outbound strategies and effective closing techniques.
  • Drive growth strategies for portfolios across agencies and brands.
  • Design scalable sales processes and frameworks for consistent growth.

Benefits

  • Collaborative work environment with strong internal connections.
  • Focus on professional development and coaching.
  • Opportunities for influencing company strategy and client engagement.
  • Access to strategic relationships with major industry figures.
Full Job Description
The Opportunity

We are seeking a Director, Business Development - to lead our Accelerate function across the Midwest region. This role is designed for a senior sales leader who excels as a player coach - someone who drives portfolio growth by developing talent and shaping strategy.

You will be accountable for the performance, growth, and scalability of the central growth portfolio, guiding your team through complex sales environments while building repeatable frameworks that drive sustainable net-new revenue.

What You'll Do:

Lead & Coach High Performing Sales Team
  • Take ownership of representing some of our most strategic relationships with The Trade Desk's clients in the central growth category
  • Lead, develop, and inspire an existing team of high-performing and experienced sellers
  • Establish a culture of accountability, performance excellence, and disciplined execution
  • Set clear expectations for activity standards, pipeline management, forecasting accuracy, and portfolio health
  • Coach consistently on outbound strategy, deal prioritization, objection handling, and closing effectiveness
  • Act as a strategic escalation point for complex opportunities, executive conversations, and high-impact negotiations

Drive Portfolio & Net-New Growth (Player Coach Model)
  • Guide and influence portfolio growth strategies across agencies and brands segments
  • Partner with sellers on deal strategy, account planning, and opportunity progression
  • Support team engagement with senior brand and agency decision-makers when strategic or executive alignment is needed
  • Lead value-based, measurement-driven commercial conversations that strengthen win rates and deal quality

Build the Blueprint for Scale
  • Operate effectively in ambiguity - bringing structure, clarity, and repeatability to a growing business
  • Design and evolve scalable outbound processes, sales playbooks, and pipeline frameworks
  • Identify patterns and insights across the portfolio to improve conversion, deal size, and velocity
  • Build lasting internal connections across The Trade Desk to ensure comprehensive client support and seamless cross-functional collaboration.

Who You Are:

Experience & Background
  • Proven experience managing and developing sales talent; prior leadership of multi-person teams required
  • Strong track record in high-volume outbound sales within online advertising or digital media environments
  • Experience at an online publisher, ad network, ad exchange, ad server, DSP, SEM platform, or similar organization
  • Established relationships with senior decision-makers at major agencies and advertisers

Skills & Capabilities
  • Demonstrated ability to build and maintain long-standing, consultative client relationships
  • Strong quantitative and analytical skills; comfort guiding teams through complex commercial and legal considerations
  • Executive-level communication skills with the ability to influence C-level clients and internal senior stakeholders
  • Passion for coaching sellers, shaping strategy, and solving clients' media investment challenges
  • Proven success driving team-level revenue growth and exceeding portfolio expectations
  • Strong cross-functional collaborator


In accordance with various US state laws, the range provided is the Trade Desk's reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount may differ based on non-discriminatory factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, and location. All employees may be eligible to become The Trade Desk shareholders through eligibility for stock-based compensation grants, which are awarded to employees based on company and individual performance. The Trade Desk also offers other compensation depending on the role such as variable compensation-based incentives and commissions. Plus, expected benefits for this role include comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, and vision) with premiums paid in full for employees and dependents, retirement benefits such as a 401k plan and company match, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, well-being benefits, reimbursement for certain tuition expenses, parental leave, sick time of 1 hour per 30 hours worked, vacation time for full-time employees up to 120 hours thru the first year and 160 hours thereafter, and around 13 paid holidays per year. Employees can also purchase The Trade Desk stock at a discount through The Trade Desk's Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

The Trade Desk also offers a competitive benefits package. Click here to learn more.

Note: Interns are not eligible for variable incentive awards such as stock-based compensation, retirement plan, vacation, tuition reimbursement or parental leave

At the Trade Desk, Base Salary is one part of our competitive total compensation and benefits package and is determined using a salary range. The base salary range for this role is

$146,000-$267,700 USD

About The Trade Desk

The Trade Desk is a global advertising technology company that provides a self-service platform for buyers of digital advertising. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Ventura, California. The Trade Desk's mission is to empower buyers of advertising with the tools they need to reach their target audiences in a more efficient and effective way. The company's platform allows buyers to manage their advertising campaigns across multiple channels, including display, video, mobile, and social. The Trade Desk's technology uses advanced algorithms and machine learning to optimize ad campaigns in real-time, ensuring that buyers get the best possible return on their investment.
Learn more about The Trade Desk
Size
1,967 employees
Market Cap
$21.4 billion
Industry
Net Income
$242.3 million
Founded
2009
5 Year Trend
+42.6%
Revenue
$836 million
NASDAQ

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