Senior Programmatic Account Manager - Key Accounts

Samba TV; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement savings plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Samba TV in Los Angeles is looking for an experienced Account Manager to oversee relationships with key Media & Entertainment clients. Your role will involve strategic account management, driving renewals, and ensuring successful utilization of Samba's audience data. Ideal candidates will have 5–8 years of experience in account management and familiar with programmatic advertising ecosystems.

The position requires in-office presence three days a week, expanding to four days by January 2027. Compensation ranges from $90,000 to $100,000 annually, along with benefits including health insurance and retirement plans.

Qualifications

• 5–8+ years of experience in account management or client services roles.
• Direct experience with Media & Entertainment clients preferred.
• Familiarity with programmatic buying across DSPs and SSPs.

Responsibilities

• Manage account for key Media & Entertainment clients.
• Develop strategic account plans and drive account renewals.
• Ensure effective activation of Samba audience data across platforms.

Skills

Account management

Client services

Programmatic strategy

Digital advertising knowledge

Strong communication skills

Education

BA/BS with a focus on marketing, business, or related experience

Tools

Salesforce

Jira

Excel

Job description

Location Requirement

Must live within 50 miles of a Samba office. Required in office 3 days a week (Tuesday through Thursday), moving to 4 days a week (Monday through Thursday) starting January 4th, 2027, with the possibility of moving to 5 days a week in office after that.

Client Growth, Retention & Satisfaction

• Own day‑to‑day account management for a portfolio of key Media & Entertainment accounts — major studios, streamers, networks, and gaming brands — across both HoldCo agency partners (WPP, Omnicom/OMG, Publicis, Dentsu, Havas) and brand‑direct teams.
• Partner with Sales to develop strategic account plans, drive renewals, and identify upsell and expansion opportunities across complex, multi‑stakeholder M&E relationships.
• Ensure agency and brand teams are effectively activating Samba audience and contextual data across major DSPs, SSPs, DMPs, and social platforms — especially during tune‑in, theatrical, and tentpole windows.
• Build trusted, senior‑level relationships with programmatic, trading, strategy, analytics, and brand‑side media stakeholders across HoldCo and brand‑direct organizations.
• Lead executive business reviews focused on adoption, delivery, performance insights, and expansion across brand and agency teams.

Campaign & Platform Execution

• Oversee audience segment setup and delivery across SSPs and programmatic buying platforms for M&E campaigns spanning HoldCo environments and brand‑direct activations.
• Support partners through the full activation lifecycle: planning, audience building, activation, and QA (without directly managing or optimizing campaigns), with particular attention to time‑sensitive M&E launch windows.
• Provide platform education and training on how to request, build, and deploy Samba audiences within HoldCo programmatic workflows and brand‑direct buying teams.
• Troubleshoot audience delivery or integration issues and coordinate with technical teams to resolve activation challenges efficiently — especially under launch‑window pressure.

Strategic Partnership & Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Serve as a senior feedback loop between key M&E accounts and internal teams to improve ease of activation, workflow efficiency, and audience performance.
• Partner with Sales on pre‑sale planning, platform demos, and aligning agency and brand goals with Samba's audience and measurement solutions.
• Represent Samba's audience products with deep subject‑matter expertise and a consultative approach when working with senior agency and brand stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Product, Measurement, Revenue Operations, and Finance to deliver enhanced solutions for the complex, multi‑agency, multi‑brand account structures typical of major M&E clients.

Who You Are

• Strategic – You operate at the account‑strategy level, not just the ticket level, and can shape multi‑quarter plans across brand and agency stakeholders.
• Curious – Always learning and staying current on programmatic trends, M&E marketing dynamics, agency operating models, and CTV innovation.
• Proactive – You anticipate client needs and identify opportunities to add value across both HoldCo agency teams and brand‑direct stakeholders.
• Collaborative – You thrive in cross‑functional environments and are comfortable navigating large, matrixed organizations across both holding companies and brand‑direct marketing teams.

What You Bring

• 5–8+ years of experience in account management, client services, or programmatic strategy roles, with a track record of owning strategic accounts.
• Direct experience working with Media & Entertainment clients — studios, streamers, networks, or gaming brands — is strongly preferred.
• Experience working at or closely with agency holding companies such as WPP, Omnicom, Publicis, Dentsu, or Havas, and/or directly with brand‑side media teams.
• Deep understanding of audience activation and programmatic buying across DSPs (e.g., The Trade Desk, DV360, Yahoo DSP).
• Solid working knowledge of DMPs (e.g., LiveRamp, Lotame, Adform) and SSPs (e.g., OpenX, Magnite, Freewheel).
• Background in programmatic trading or campaign management at a HoldCo, operating agency, or brand‑direct team is a strong plus, even if not hands‑on today.
• Familiarity with M&E‑specific measurement needs — tune‑in lift, theatrical attribution, franchise audience strategies — is a plus.
• Strong executive communication and problem‑solving skills with a proactive, consultative approach.
• CRM and project management tool proficiency (Salesforce, Jira, Asana, Trello, etc.).
• Strong Excel skills (SUMIFS, INDEX MATCH, pivot tables, VLOOKUP); SQL is a plus.
• Deep understanding of the digital advertising and programmatic ecosystem, particularly HoldCo and brand‑direct workflows in the M&E vertical.
• BA/BS with a focus on marketing, business, data, or related experience.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Samba is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We strive to empower connection with one another, reflect the communities we serve, and tackle meaningful projects that make a real impact.

Applicant Privacy Policy

Samba may collect personal information directly from you as a job applicant. We may also receive personal information from third parties, for example, in connection with a background, employment or reference check, in accordance with the applicable law. For further details, please see Samba's applicant privacy policy. For residents of the EU, Samba Inc. is the data controller.

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary range: $90,000 – $100,000 per year for roles performed in New York or California. Actual base salary offered will depend on various factors, including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. Base salary is just one component of Samba’s total compensation package. Other rewards may include bonuses, short‑term incentives, and long‑term incentives. In addition, Samba provides health insurance, wellness offerings, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and paid time off (PTO), and other employee benefits.