Lead Associate Account Director

The Trade Desk; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 93,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

401(k) with company match

Stock purchase plan

Paid time off

Job summary

The Trade Desk is a global technology company and the world’s leading independent platform for digital advertising. This role oversees mid‑market accounts, guiding problem‑solving discussions and delivering best‑in‑class service to agency holdings, independents, and brand‑direct clients.

You will drive revenue growth, lead client meetings, and collaborate with product and BD teams to shape solutions that meet client objectives.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of digital advertising experience with at least 2 directly managing and developing a team.
• Experience in developing, nurturing and managing client relationships.
• Proven track record of driving revenue growth with large customer accounts.
• Strong management and leadership skills through a collaborative team approach.
• Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, executive team and industry groups.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ambition to develop personally and nurture the development of others.
• Excellent influencing and negotiation skills.
• Highly organized with a strong attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the health of a portfolio of mid‑market accounts and will work closely with agency holding groups, independent agencies as well as brand‑direct relationships as a strategic advisor.
• Demonstrate the value of The Trade Desk to clients by providing innovative solutions that meet the clients’ needs and our business goals.
• Lead key agency or brand client meetings in collaboration with business development and trading counterparts.
• Develop trusting and productive relationships with key stakeholders both internally and externally.
• Lead the development of portfolio‑specific goals based on the company’s vision and values and responsible for tracking progress of portfolio revenue goals on a monthly and quarterly basis.
• Become heavily involved in product development by identifying how to build product that provides solutions for our clients’ business objectives and serving as a liaison between our clients and our product team.
• Coach a small and nimble team of Account Managers; overseeing their day‑to‑day management, motivating the team by setting clear expectations, developing career path plans, providing constructive feedback, and maintaining a high level of performance from the team to develop the next generation of leaders.

Skills

Account leadership

Client relationships

Revenue growth

Strategic thinking

Communication

Team coaching

Negotiation

Time management

Job description

The Trade Desk is a global technology company and the world’s leading independent platform for digital advertising, with over 3,000 employees across more than 30 offices. Our technology helps advertisers reach the right audiences across the open internet — from streaming TV and podcasts to mobile apps, news, and more.

Advertising powers the content people love. By making it more transparent, effective, and responsible, we help support trusted journalism, quality entertainment, and creators worldwide. The world’s brands and agencies rely on us to reach their customers and grow their businesses responsibly.

The scale of our platform brings unique technical challenges — from processing massive datasets in real time to building systems that operate reliably on a global scale. When you work here, your impact is worldwide. We welcome diverse perspectives, encourage curiosity, and build teams that learn from one another. If you’re driven to solve meaningful challenges, we’d love to meet you.

What you’ll do:

• Oversee the health of a portfolio of mid‑market accounts and will work closely with agency holding groups, independent agencies as well as brand‑direct relationships as a strategic advisor, guiding problem‑solving discussions and providing best‑in‑class client service.
• Demonstrate the value of The Trade Desk to clients by providing innovative solutions that meet the clients’ needs and our business goals.
• Lead key agency or brand client meetings in collaboration with business development and trading counterparts.
• Develop trusting and productive relationships with key stakeholders both internally and externally.
• Lead the development of portfolio‑specific goals based on the company’s vision and values and responsible for tracking progress of portfolio revenue goals on a monthly and quarterly basis.
• Become heavily involved in product development by identifying how to build product that provides solutions for our clients’ business objectives and serving as a liaison between our clients and our product team.
• Coach a small and nimble team of Account Managers; overseeing their day‑to‑day management, motivating the team by setting clear expectations, developing career path plans, providing constructive feedback, and maintaining a high level of performance from the team to develop the next generation of leaders.
• Manage for team bandwidth, delivering a high‑level of account support and reporting progress against goals to management.
• Communicate effectively with other functional leaders by solving business challenges together, identifying opportunities for growth, and collaborating to drive efficiency and effectiveness across the organization.

Who you are:

You are an effective client‑facing leader who is skilled in building and nurturing client relationships while also leading an agile team and developing talent. We are looking for an individual possessing excellent communication, strategic and leadership skills to serve as a player‑coach across a portfolio of accounts.

• 7+ years of digital advertising experience with at least 2 directly managing and developing a team
• Experience in developing, nurturing and managing client relationships.
• Proven track record of driving revenue growth with large customer accounts.
• Strong management and leadership skills through a collaborative team approach.
• Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, executive team and industry groups.
• Execute (and coach others to execute) timely in fast‑paced environment through effective time management and prioritization skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ambition to develop personally and nurture the development of others.
• Excellent influencing and negotiation skills.
• Highly organized with a strong attention to detail.

The Trade Desk does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm recruiters. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of The Trade Desk. The Trade Desk is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

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

$92,500—$169,600 USD

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, The Trade Desk is committed to creating an inclusive hiring experience where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Please reach out to us at accommodations@ thetradedesk. com to request an accommodation or discuss any accessibility needs you may require to access our Company Website or navigate any part of the hiring process.

When you contact us, please include your preferred contact details and specify the nature of your accommodation request or questions. Any information you share will be handled confidentially and will not impact our hiring decisions.