Director, Strategic Partnerships

Jackalope Digital LLC; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Verve seeks a seasoned Partnerships leader to drive strategic growth across supply, demand, and data partnerships in its global ecosystem. You will source and close high-impact agreements, expand market reach, and collaborate with Sales, Product, and Operations to prioritize integrations that unlock revenue and improve performance.

You will manage executive relationships, monitor key metrics, and translate market dynamics into roadmap inputs, ensuring operational excellence post-launch.

Qualifications

• 5–8+ years of business development, partnerships, or strategic account management in ad tech, programmatic, or mobile advertising.
• Proven cross-functional collaborator across Engineering, Product, Ops, Legal, and Finance.
• Established network with SSPs, DSPs, or major publishers across mobile, CTV, or in-app ecosystems.
• Proven track record of sourcing, negotiating, and closing end-to-end commercial agreements.
• Deep technical proficiency in SSP/DSP mechanics, OpenRTB specs, header bidding, and ad server integration QA.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into business insights for non-technical stakeholders.
• Exceptional executive communication skills and experience presenting to senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Market Intelligence: Track programmatic trends and identify white-space partnership opportunities.
• Partnerships Management: Prioritize and secure demand, supply, and data partnerships; negotiate terms.
• Performance Analytics & Operations: Monitor portfolio metrics and translate needs into product requirements.
• Govern processes to ensure compliance, risk management, and timely deal execution.

Skills

Business Development

Partnerships

Strategic Accounts

Cross-functional Collaboration

Ad Tech

OpenRTB

Header Bidding

Financial Modeling

Tools

Ad Server QA

OpenRTB Specs

Job description

Who We Are

Verve has created a more efficient and privacy-focused way to buy and monetize advertising. Verve is an ecosystem of demand and supply technologies fusing data, media, and technology together to deliver results and growth to both advertisers and publishers–no matter the screen or location, no matter who, what, or where a customer is. With 30 offices across the globe and with an eye on servicing forward-thinking advertising customers, Verve’s solutions are trusted by more than 90 of the United States’ top 100 advertisers, 4,000 publishers globally, and the world’s top demand-side platforms. Learn more at verve.com.

About the Position

This role drives the strategic expansion of supply, demand, and data partnerships across Verve and all business lines. Sitting at the intersection of Business Development, Product, and Operations, you will source and negotiate high-impact agreements, deepen strategic accounts, and collaborate with Sales Engineering and Product to prioritize integrations that move the needle. As a build-and-own role, success is measured by the partnerships you source and close, the top-line revenue they unlock, and their operational performance post-launch.

What You Will Do

Market Intelligence

• Track programmatic, in-app, web, and CTV trends to anticipate shifts in supply and demand economics.
• Identify white-space partnership opportunities and deliver data-backed recommendations to guide company’s strategy.
• Monitor competitive dynamics, pricing, and deal structures to maintain Verve’s market edge.
• Share actionable market intelligence with Product, Sales, and Leadership to shape GTM and product roadmaps.

Partnerships Management

• Identify, prioritize, and secure high-impact demand, supply, and data partnerships to maximize liquidity and expand market reach.
• Negotiate market-competitive commercial agreements across key pricing, revenue, and exclusivity frameworks.
• Drive the partner lifecycle from initial sourcing through live integration, collaborating cross-functionally to ensure rapid deployment.
• Lead executive partner relationships to gather performance insights, mitigate operational risks, and unlock strategic expansion opportunities.

Performance Analytics & Operations

• Track key metrics, including fill rates, yield, latency, and quality, to continuously optimize portfolio health, diagnose underperformance, and execute cross-functional corrective action plans.
• Translate market needs into product requirements, collaborating with Product, Engineering, and Finance on roadmaps, deal economics, and forecasting.
• Deliver executive reporting and business reviews on portfolio performance, revenue health, and strategic growth drivers.
• Govern end-to-end partnership operational flows, ensuring full alignment with corporate compliance frameworks, risk policies, and SLA standards.

What Success Looks Like

• Deliver Revenue Growth: Source and close supply, demand, and data deals that expand marketplace liquidity.
• Accelerate Time-to-Live: Lead end-to-end onboarding cross-functionally to convert signed contracts into live, optimized traffic in a timely and efficient manner.
• Maximize Portfolio Yield: Maintain strong account health by continuously tuning fill rates and resolving performance bottlenecks.
• Guide Strategy with Intel: Translate competitive dynamics and market trends into actionable inputs for Product, Sales, and Leadership.

What You Will Bring

• 5-8+ years of business development, partnerships, or strategic account management in ad tech, programmatic, or mobile advertising (e.g., Partner Manager, BD Manager, Strategic Partnerships Manager).
• Proven cross-functional collaborator, skilled at driving alignment across Engineering, Product, Ops, Legal, and Finance to navigate ambiguity, streamline workflows, and execute complex product launches.
• Established network and active relationships with SSPs, DSPs, or major publishers across mobile, CTV, or in-app ecosystems.
• Proven track record of sourcing, negotiating, and closing end-to-end commercial agreements, owning deal terms and financial modeling rather than solely relationship management.
• Deep technical proficiency in SSP/DSP mechanics, OpenRTB specifications, header bidding, yield optimization, and ad server integration QA.
• Ability to bridge technical and commercial teams, translating complex engineering and product concepts into accessible, business-driven insights for non-technical stakeholders.
• Exceptional executive communication skills, with a track record of articulating strategy, deal economics, and complex operational performance to senior leadership and C-suite executives.

Verve provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
If you are a California resident subject to the California Consumer Privacy Act, click here to understand how Verve processes your personal information and how you can exercise your rights.
If you are located in the EU or UK visit our privacy policy to understand how Verve processes your personal information and how you can exercise your rights.

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