Senior Programmatic Account Manager - Key Accounts

Samba•Los Angeles, CA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Samba is a media intelligence company that provides data on what the world is watching, reading, and thinking in real time. The company's data, gathered with consumer consent, offers a comprehensive view of consumer attention used by major brands for decision-making. The Senior Programmatic Account Manager will be part of Samba's Key Accounts team, focusing on strategic Media & Entertainment relationships, including studios, streamers, networks, and gaming brands, as well as their agency partners. The role involves ensuring these partners maximize value from Samba's solutions during critical moments like premieres and openings. The position requires collaboration with Sales to grow accounts, drive activation strategies, and deliver a seamless experience across planning, activation, and measurement, directly impacting client retention and growth.

Requirements

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 (WPP, Omnicom, Publicis, Dentsu, 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.
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.

Nice To Haves

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.
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.
SQL is a plus.

Responsibilities

Own day-to-day account management for a portfolio of key Media & Entertainment accounts (studios, streamers, networks, gaming brands) across HoldCo agency partners and brand-direct teams.
Partner with Sales to develop strategic account plans, drive renewals, and identify upsell/expansion opportunities.
Ensure agency and brand teams effectively activate Samba audience and contextual data across major DSPs, SSPs, DMPs, and social platforms.
Build trusted, senior-level relationships with programmatic, trading, strategy, analytics, and brand-side media stakeholders.
Lead executive business reviews focused on adoption, delivery, performance insights, and expansion.
Oversee audience segment setup and delivery across SSPs and programmatic buying platforms for M&E campaigns.
Support partners through the full activation lifecycle: planning, audience building, activation, and QA.
Provide platform education and training on requesting, building, and deploying Samba audiences.
Troubleshoot audience delivery or integration issues and coordinate with technical teams to resolve activation challenges.
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 goals with Samba's solutions.
Represent Samba's audience products with subject-matter expertise and a consultative approach.
Collaborate with Product, Measurement, Revenue Operations, and Finance to deliver enhanced solutions for complex M&E clients.