Demand Partnerships Director, Italy

Equativ; Lombardia; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Equativ is seeking a highly strategic Demand Partnerships Director to lead its agency and demand-side business in Italy. This is a market-maker role built on deep executive credibility, designed to elevate Equativ’s profile and secure long-term partnerships for both Equativ Maestro and premium Managed Services.

Reporting to the Managing Director, you will negotiate JBPs with major HoldCos and independent agencies, evangelize SPO and Curation strategies, acquire new business, and drive revenue

Qualifications

• Executive network across Italian HoldCos, Agency Trading Desks and direct brands.
• Proven experience structuring, negotiating, and managing complex commercial deals.
• Fluent Italian and English in executive communication.
• Deep understanding of programmatic ecosystem, SPO, and Curation models.
• Strategic thinker able to sell infrastructure and exclusive access to senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead negotiation and execution of upfront Trading Agreements and JBPs with major HoldCos and agencies.
• Drive top-down adoption of Equativ Maestro and SPO strategies among CIOs and Heads of Trading.
• Prospect and acquire new business for premium Managed Services.
• Collaborate with Supply & Publisher Deals team to monetize exclusive inventory and first-party data.
• Own the Italian demand revenue target and align with Global Product/Tech roadmaps.

Skills

Executive network

Deal structuring

Ad-tech fluency

Strategic mindset

Leadership

Italian language

English language

Job description

About the Role

We are seeking a highly strategic and well-connected Demand Partnerships Director to lead our agency and demand-side business in Italy. This is not a standard sales role; it is a "Market Maker" position. You will be responsible for elevating Equativ’s market perception, leveraging your personal credibility and "Trust" to secure long-term partnerships, and driving the exponential growth of both our Curation (Equativ Maestro) and premium Managed Service businesses.

Reporting to the Managing Director, you will play a pivotal role in strengthening and expanding our Managed Service offering (acquiring new business) alongside our scalable curation solutions, deeply integrating Equativ into the core buying strategies of major HoldCos, independent agencies, and direct brands.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Deal Making (JBPs): Lead the negotiation, structuring, and execution of upfront Trading Agreements and Joint Business Plans (JBPs) with major HoldCos (e.g., GroupM, Dentsu, Publicis, OMG) and independent agencies to secure predictable revenue and increase our share of wallet.

• Curation (Equativ Maestro) & SPO Evangelism: Drive the top-down adoption of Equativ Maestro. Evangelize Supply Path Optimization (SPO) strategies to Chief Investment Officers and Heads of Trading, shifting agency budgets to our high-margin curated deals.

• Managed Services New Business: Actively prospect and acquire new business for our premium Managed Service offering, positioning it as a high-value, white-glove solution for direct brands and agencies. Ensure a balanced growth strategy between Curation and Managed Services.

• Cross-Functional Synergy: Work in tight synergy with the Supply & Publisher Deals team to identify, package, and aggressively monetize exclusive local inventory, first-party data, and emerging CTV opportunities for key demand partners.

• Revenue Growth: Take ownership of the Italian demand revenue target, focusing on accelerating Programmatic revenue and securing new business across both self-serve and premium white-glove managed service tiers.

• Market Feedback Loop: Act as the primary feedback loop between the Italian market and Global Product/Tech teams, ensuring our Curation and Product roadmaps align with local agency needs.

About You

• Executive Network: You possess a deep, C-level and senior executive network across Italian HoldCos, Agency Trading Desks (Head of Trading, Chief Investment Officers), and direct brands. You bring a high level of "Trust" and personal credibility to the market.

• Deal Structuring Expertise: Proven experience in structuring, negotiating, and managing complex commercial deals, volume incentive programs, and retroactive rebates (Trading Agreements).

• Ad-Tech Fluency: Deep understanding of the programmatic ecosystem, DSP/SSP dynamics, Supply Path Optimization (SPO), Curation business models, and the evolving privacy-first data landscape.

• Strategic Mindset: You are a strategic thinker who can move beyond selling single campaigns, capable of selling infrastructure, efficiency, and exclusive access to senior agency leadership.

• Leadership & Drive: You are highly autonomous, resilient, and driven by ambitious growth targets, comfortable navigating a fast-paced and evolving ad-tech environment.

• Language: Native Italian and fluent English are mandatory.

What We Offer

• A pivotal role in scaling a high-growth ad-tech company in the Italian market.

• A competitive compensation package with a bonus structure heavily weighted towards the successful execution of long-term strategic deals (JBPs) and net revenue growth.

• The opportunity to shape the future of Equativ’s demand strategy in Southern Europe.