Agency Development Lead - Independent Agencies

Applovin•New York City, NY

About The Position

The Agency Development Lead will build and own partnerships with independent agencies based in North America. This highly visible, externally facing role is a zero-to-one opportunity to define how AppLovin Ads engages and grows with the independent agency community, establishing it as a core performance channel across agency client rosters. The role focuses on winning new agency partnerships and expanding AppLovin’s footprint within existing partners. The lead will build relationships with agency leadership and activate programs spanning co-marketing, technology integration, enablement and joint business planning. They will develop a deep understanding of each agency’s business, media strategy and growth priorities, and act as a consultative, executive-level growth partner to agency leaders and their client teams. The role works alongside Agency Success Managers to support client onboarding, spend growth and retention.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in digital advertising, with significant experience in agency development, agency sales or agency partnerships at a leading ad tech, paid social, search, e-commerce or technology company.
A consistent track record of winning new agency business and expanding existing partnerships for performance-focused products and/or services.
Deep understanding of agency operating models, economics, and how media planning and channel decisions are made across independent agencies of all sizes.
Established network of senior relationships across North American independent agencies.
Executive presence and outstanding communication, storytelling, negotiation and presentation skills, with the ability to build credibility from practitioner to C-suite.
Strong prospecting and account-planning skills, with sound judgment in prioritizing opportunities, relationships and actions most likely to create material growth.
Analytical, data-driven operating style and ability to manage a high-volume, high-value portfolio of agency relationships.
Builder mindset; ability to thrive in early-stage business settings, work with ambiguity and minimal direction, and establish programs from scratch.

Nice To Haves

BA/BS degree preferred.
Direct agency management experience at a performance advertising platform such as a paid social, search, mobile or programmatic company.
Experience structuring and negotiating commercial agreements, joint business plans or incentive programs with agency partners.
Experience building scaled agency partnership, certification and training programs from an early stage.
Agency-side experience in media planning, investment or performance marketing.
Understanding of the mobile advertising ecosystem and performance advertising for e-commerce.
Travel expected as and when possible.

Responsibilities

Own full-cycle sales opportunities across North American independent agency prospects and existing partners, building trusted relationships with senior agency leadership, pod leads and media buyers that lead to multi-client activation and durable revenue growth.
Build and manage a strong pipeline of qualified agency partner opportunities through strategic account planning, targeted prospecting, executive referrals, inbound demand, industry events and conferences.
Lead joint business planning conversations with agency partners to understand their client portfolios, commercial priorities, media planning processes and practice areas where AppLovin Ads can support their growth strategies.
Partner with Agency Success Managers and cross-functional teams to help new agencies and their clients launch successfully on the platform.
Expand agency partnerships by identifying and activating net-new clients within agency rosters, alongside Agency Success Managers who own growth of clients already spending on the platform.
Serve as the trusted primary point of contact, escalation point and thought leader for assigned agencies.
Design and deliver scaled enablement programs, including trainings, workshops, certifications and roadshows, to build agency fluency in AppLovin Ads and performance best practices for creative, measurement and campaign setup.
Partner with the Consumer Business Development team to connect agency relationships to direct brand opportunities and coordinate the experience for agency and brand partners.
Drive co-marketing, thought leadership and case study programs with agency partners to establish AppLovin as a full-funnel performance advertising channel opportunity.
Translate partner feedback, competitive intelligence and market trends into prioritized business cases that inform the product roadmap and agency offering.
Represent AppLovin at industry events, agency summits and executive briefings.
Mentor and develop Agency Partnerships team members, raise the bar on best practices and playbooks, and help build the team as the channel grows.