Business Development Director (Political & Advocacy)
The Trade Desk · Washington DC
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- Washington DC
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Subject: Interested in the Business Development Director (Political & Advocacy) role at The Trade Desk
Hi Avery — I came across the Business Development Director (Political & Advocacy) opening and wanted to reach out directly. I've spent the last few years doing exactly this kind of work, and The Trade Desk stood out because…
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About the role
The Trade Desk is a global technology company and the world’s leading independent platform for digital advertising, with nearly 4,000 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.
You will lead the full sales cycle—from high-level prospecting with major political agencies to negotiating complex deals and overseeing the strategic execution of programmatic campaigns. As a thought leader in the space, you will bridge the gap between sophisticated data strategies and cutting-edge programmatic execution across CTV, video, display, and audio.
What You’ll Do
- Revenue Leadership: Identify, pursue, and close high-value partnerships with political agencies, national committees, and advocacy organizations. Own a significant book of business and consistently exceed seven-figure revenue targets.
- Consultative Strategy: Act as a trusted advisor to clients, mapping our platform’s AI-driven capabilities to their specific campaign goals, district-level targeting needs, and voter file integrations.
- Campaign Stewardship: Partner closely with Account Management and Trading teams to ensure seamless campaign activation and optimization.
- Market Leadership: Represent the company as a thought leader at industry events (e.g., AAPC Pollies, MediaPost, Digiday) and contribute to industry publications regarding the future of programmatic political media.
- Pipeline Management: Maintain rigorous forecasting and deal-tracking.
- Product Strategy: Provide actionable feedback to the Product team to help shape our political-specific roadmap and data partnership integrations.
- Industry Expertise: 7+ years of dedicated experience in Political and Advocacy advertising, with a deep understanding of the unique pressures and KPIs of Political and Advocacy organizations.
- AdTech Proficiency: Strong knowledge of programmatic platforms (DSPs/DMPs), real-time bidding, and the evolving landscape of identity.
- Strategic Network: An established network of decision-makers across political agencies and advocacy groups.
- Communication Skills: Proven ability to present complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, from campaign managers to executive leadership.
- Agility: A "campaign-ready" mindset - thriving in high-pressure, fast-changing environments where rapid response and strategic pivoting are required.
- This role follows a hybrid work model, with in-office expectations Tuesday through Thursday in our Washington, DC office.
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
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.