Associate Director, Commercial Partnerships

Job Description

The US Trading Team is responsible for maintaining and growing diversified income across the US market and providing support (as needed) to our colleagues regionally. The team is split into two groups - Media Solutions and Commercial Partnerships. Media Solutions is tasked with developing and offering a stable of value-creating products to our clients across disclosed (Amplifi) and non-disclosed (Agyle).  Commercial Partnerships own the discovery, negotiating and activation of partnerships and new revenue models to power those products. Media Solutions sells through products and ensures existing activity is delivered to the high standard our clients expect. Both teams work closely together to deliver the US trading vision, which is to improve business outcomes for clients and deliver value for all.

This role is an Associate Director level role in the Commercial Partnerships team, involving the sourcing, negotiation and execution of partnerships – as well as supporting the commercial models (pricing, profitability) of dentsu proprietary products. At present, this role does not include any direct reports, although a high degree of collaboration and interdependence within the team is key

The Associate Director partners with the VP, Commercial Partnerships to ensure that any commercial opportunities within the supply-side ecosystem are identified, seized upon and ultimately fulfilled. The Associate Director is expected to have a strong working knowledge of the media space and tools, as well as the finance and compliance processes inherent in a   media buying business.  The Associate Director may be responsible for managing their team – developing their skills, evaluating their performance, and managing their growth.  In addition to their core account assignments, the Associate Director is expected to take part in larger areas of agency development – aiding new business, collaborating across teams, and participating in dentsu learnings. This role is a step toward greater leadership within the network.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Identifies, negotiates, and delivers commercial partnerships with existing and new partners in multiple media spaces.
• Consistently source the wider ecosystem for new opportunities, and ensure that any potential opportunities can be quickly converted for maximum value
• Working with the VP, Commercial Partnerships, ensure that the wider commercial strategy of the team is fulfilled
• Analyzing data and understanding market patterns in order to generate strategic revenue opportunities
• Recognizes the general media landscape, including leading and emerging media channels/partners
• Collaborates with internal team to contribute to day-to-day strategic work for client(s) & commercial analysis for deals and partnerships
• Oversees the financial tracking and reporting of deals and client spend trends

Client & Internal Relationships:

• Manage expectations for deliverables and ensure that feedback from teams is addressed in negotiation process
• Thorough understanding of all elements of investment and revenue-generating partnerships and contracts/agreements
• Looks to identify opportunities to improve revenue generation, whether by creating new products/partnerships, identifying new partners or client opportunities, or margin improvement
• Serve as a resource for Associates, Analysts & Managers, for advice, counsel and mentorship
• Participate and present in New Business efforts and presentations, where appropriate
• Establish strong internal relationships with other service line personnel

Strategic Thinking & Leadership

• Balance, prioritize and properly assign work associated with multiple, concurrent projects

• Provide guidance to team members and nurture/promote team environment
• Assists in the training of new or junior team members
• Ensure key information is being provided to the team regarding client issues, internal agency issues, changes in account status, etc.
• Is approachable and solution-oriented when presented with problems/issues by staff and team
• Responsible for constructing and delivering accurate, honest and timely performance management documents
• Is mindful of the client’s point of view when reviewing work, leverage this perspective when providing feedback to team
• Breaks down problems and issues into critical parts which can be resolved
• Oversees management of specific projects as assigned and maintain overall plan quality control
• Is an engaged member of the media industry, and proactively solicits and contributes innovative ideas

Communications Skills

• Express