Head of Vertical Strategy & GTM Growth

Yahoo Holdings Inc.; Reston (VA); Hybrid; USD 163,000 - 355,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work options

Equal opportunity workplace

Job summary

Yahoo is seeking a Director, Vertical Strategy in Reston, VA to lead a team of industry-focused strategists crafting innovative, client-centric advertising and GTM solutions across Yahoo's core verticals. This role combines strategic leadership, category expertise, operational rigor, and deep cross-functional collaboration to drive sustainable revenue growth.

Lead vertical GTM packages, whitespace opportunities, and tiered sponsorships while partnering with Sales, Editorial, Product and Tech to

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in sales strategy, brand strategy, media planning, or category strategy within a digital media, publisher, or agency environment.
• 6+ years of experience leading and managing teams, with a proven track record of developing talent and driving team performance.
• Deep vertical knowledge across core advertising sectors (e.g., Tech, Finance, Retail, Automotive, CPG, Entertainment, or Travel).
• Proven track record of partnering with enterprise ad sales teams to achieve ambitious revenue targets through creative brand solutions and GTM playbooks.

Responsibilities

• Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team of Vertical Strategists, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and strategic excellence.
• Set and execute the vertical strategy roadmap, aligning category-specific sales solutions with overall revenue targets and broader corporate goals.
• Serve as a senior category advisor to internal sales leadership and key client decision-makers, providing deep expertise on market dynamics and brand opportunities within key industry verticals.
• Develop vertical-specific GTM packages, category playbooks, and tentpole sponsorship offerings that address the unique marketing challenges of key industries.
• Identify category growth opportunities and whitespace, translating market trends into scalable revenue-generating ad products and content solutions.
• Partner with Sales leadership to build proactive category narratives, top-tier account strategies, and multi-market revenue acceleration plans.
• Cultivate strong partnerships with key internal stakeholders, including Vertical Sales Leaders, Account Management, Ad Operations, Editorial, and Product/Tech teams.
• Act as the primary liaison between Publishers and Sales for vertical-specific content series, custom sponsorships, and editorial integrations.
• Collaborate with Product and Yield teams to refine category ad formats, pricing structures, and inventory packaging for optimal monetization.
• Support the Agency Sales Team in upfront sales efforts by providing category-specific expertise and strategic partnership.
• Oversee the creation of high-impact pitch narratives, category positioning decks, and bespoke client responses to RFPs.
• Leverage first-party data and market intelligence to uncover deep consumer insights and demonstrate ROI for category advertisers.
• Drive client discovery workshops and strategy sessions, building trust and credibility with C-level client and agency leaders.

Skills

Market trend analysis

Executive presentation

First-party data platforms

Integrated ad experiences

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Yahoo is seeking a Director, Vertical Strategy in Reston, VA to lead a team of industry-focused strategists crafting innovative, client-centric advertising and GTM solutions across Yahoo's core verticals. This role combines strategic leadership, category expertise, operational rigor, and deep cross-functional collaboration to drive sustainable revenue growth.

Lead vertical GTM packages, whitespace opportunities, and tiered sponsorships while partnering with Sales, Editorial, Product and Tech to