Brand Partnerships Director, US

Verve•New York, NY

1d•$160,000 - $180,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Verve is building a Brand Direct function, a new, small, senior team focused on selling and servicing select brand accounts directly. The goal is to integrate Verve's data, formats, and capabilities into brand planning conversations earlier and demonstrate that dedicated brand-side support accelerates account growth. This is a founding hire role where the individual will help shape the brand direct function at Verve, collaborating closely with the Global VP of Brand Partnerships from the outset. The Brand Partnerships Director, US will manage a portfolio of named brand accounts, acting as a generalist across categories. This is a senior individual contributor role with the potential to grow into managing a local team as the function expands. The ideal candidate is a proactive "hunter" who can establish credibility with brands, build revenue-generating relationships, and open doors at the brand level. Prior experience or established relationships within specific verticals like CPG/Retail, Travel, Finance, or Beauty/Lux are advantageous and could lead to specializing in a vertical team in the future.

Requirements

Proven track record of directly building and managing senior client relationships with brands or marketers, not solely through agencies.
Genuine "hunter" instincts, with comfort in prospecting, opening new doors, and driving momentum in a new role without an existing playbook.
Existing network of brand-side contacts.
Comfort with ambiguity and building processes as the role evolves.
Strong commercial instincts to assess account growth potential and prioritize time effectively.
Experience in media, adtech, data, or a related commercial sales environment.
Ability to build credibility quickly and turn initial meetings into lasting, revenue-generating relationships.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience or relationships in a specific vertical (e.g., CPG/Retail, Travel, Finance, Beauty/Lux).
Specific category or vertical angle experience.

Responsibilities

Build senior brand relationships, including with CMOs, Global Heads of Media, and VPs of Brand, as well as key leads in Data, Creative, and Measurement.
Engage early in brand planning cycles to ensure Verve's data, formats, and capabilities are considered before briefs are issued to agencies.
Represent Verve at brand-side forums, marketing conferences, and roundtables to enhance Verve's direct profile with brand teams.
Commission insight work from data and insights teams to create brand-specific audience stories, category reports, and trend analyses to foster engagement.
Secure Joint Business Plans to establish annual brand frameworks that guarantee investment and strategic commitment at the brand level, irrespective of agency involvement.
Develop and pitch a defined target list of named accounts, tracking revenue separately to validate the brand direct model.
Collaborate with the existing agency sales team under a joint commercial framework, ensuring this role complements rather than competes with agency relationships, with double-counted revenue to incentivize collaboration.