Director of Sales, Programmatic Advertising

The Guardian is a global news organization that delivers fearless, independent journalism. From breaking news and award-winning investigations to in-depth coverage of technology, sports, film, culture, and lifestyle, the Guardian offers a global view that deepens our audiences' understanding of America and the world.

Headquartered in New York City, Guardian US is an entirely digital operation that seeks to engage US readers by combining the Guardian's international coverage with US voices and expertise. Core coverage areas include US politics, technology, the climate emergency, economic and racial inequality, health, sports, culture, and more. Guardian US launched in 2011 and has bureaus in New York, Washington DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. The Guardian is an independently owned, mission-driven organization funded by readers around the globe.

It's the talent, energy, and commitment our people bring to The Guardian that makes us who we are. Across our business, we have some of the most creative thinkers in media and beyond, award-winning journalists, cutting-edge commercial teams, digital talent, and more.

Role overview 

We are seeking a Programmatic Sales Lead to drive revenue growth across programmatic channels for The Guardian US. This role requires a highly motivated and strategic seller with a deep understanding of the AdTech landscape and experience building programmatic relationships with agencies, brands, and technology partners. You will be instrumental in maximizing The Guardian's programmatic revenue potential through deal-based activity.

Department: Sales

Reports to: Head of Programmatic Sales

Location: New York (preferred)

Hybrid/Remote/In-Person: Hybrid (mandatory 2-days in office at minimum)

Terms and Conditions: Full-time, permanent

Annual Salary Range: $130k - $150k

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the programmatic lead within the Revenue Organization, maintaining strong visibility in the marketplace and actively developing new revenue opportunities.
• Build, manage, and grow a robust pipeline of programmatic partnerships through 1:1 deals, preferred deals, and private marketplaces (PMPs).
• Establish and deepen relationships with trading desks, DSPs, agencies, and client teams to ensure The Guardian is top-of-mind in programmatic planning.
• Work collaboratively with Direct sales team to identify and activate existing and new partners through proactive outreach, joint business planning, and solution-based selling.
• Monitor campaign performance and provide strategic insights for optimization, renewal, and upsell opportunities.
• Collaborate closely with Ad Ops, Yield, Product, and Marketing to ensure smooth delivery, inventory strategy alignment, and go-to-market planning for programmatic products.
• Act as an internal advocate and thought leader on all things programmatic — including first-party data strategies, SSP partnerships, and evolving privacy regulations.
• Provide accurate forecasting, reporting, and tracking for all programmatic revenue lines and consistently maintain a clear path to quarterly goals.

Key skills & qualifications 

• 5+ years of experience in digital advertising with a focus on programmatic sales, account management, or platform-side business development.
• Demonstrated success in building and closing programmatic revenue partnerships with agency and brand partners.
• Deep understanding of the AdTech ecosystem including DSPs, SSPs, DMPs, ad servers, and data targeting strategies.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to derive actionable insights from campaign performance data.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills — adept at both internal cross-functional collaboration and external client-facing engagements.
• Strategic and consultative approach to sales, focused on long-term value creation and client satisfaction.
• Passion for mission-driven media and an understanding of how premium content plays a role in the programmatic marketplace.
• Experience in a news publishing or international media environment (preferred).

About you

• Self-starter with a relentless drive to meet and exceed goals.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and developing new solutions in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to lead client conversations with both technical knowledge and business acumen.
• Collaborative team player who is both independent and generous in sharing success and credit.
• Respectful leader who values inclusive communication and open feedback.

How to apply

We know there are great candidates who might not check all these boxes or who possess important skills we haven’t thought of. If that’s you, we encourage you to apply and tell us about yourself.

All candidates interested in applying should upload a resume and cover letter.  

All roles at the Guardian are open for everybody to apply. It is important to us that you feel supported and comfortable throughout your recruitment process, in order to perform your best. Please let us know if there are any changes we could make to the application process to make it easier and more comfortable for you. Please email the recruiter listed on the job posting or at [email protected] to discuss further so we can work with you to support you through your application.

Compensation and benefits

• 20 days of vacation leave in addition to 12 company holidays and 2 personal days
• Unlimited sick time
• Employee Assistance Programs
• 401(k) Match
• Subsidized healthcare coverage including medical, vision, and dental
• Medical and Dependent Flexible Spending Accounts
• Generous parental leave with 100% pay
• Long Term and Short Term Disability insurance 
• Life insurance 
• Commuter benefits 
• Wellhub
• Work/Life balance: Flexible hybrid schedule 

Culture & wellbeing

We want everyone to feel like they belong at the Guardian and we champion diversity of thought. You will also have the opportunity to hear unique insight from our journalists in our morning conference, a live discussion on the news story of the day. 

We offer great tools to help you prioritize your wellbeing including access to Employee Assistance Programs. 

Learning & development

We encourage personal and professional growth. Employees have access to a broad range of tools and solutions, and we are happy to support the pursuit of professional qualifications through vocational courses and apprenticeships.

Sustainability

Our goal is to become an environmentally regenerative company and we have signed up to a sustainability vision and strategy to reach it. Find more information about sustainability at GNM here.

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The Guardian is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, citizenship status, disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law in its employment policies. In addition, the Guardian will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities.

We value and respect all differences (seen and unseen) in all people at the Guardian. We aspire to have inclusive working experiences and an environment that reflects the audience we serve, where our people have equal access to career development opportunities, their voices are heard and can contribute to our future.