Programmatic Account Manager - Key Accounts

As a Programmatic Account Manager on Samba TV's Key Accounts team, you'll own the most strategic Media & Entertainment relationships in our book of business - the studios, streamers, networks, and gaming brands that drive cultural conversation, plus their agency partners across the major holding companies (WPP, Omnicom/OMG, Publicis, Dentsu, Havas) and brand-direct teams. You'll ensure these partners derive maximum value from Samba's audience targeting and measurement solutions during the moments that matter most: theatrical openings, series premieres, tune-in windows, and franchise tentpoles. You'll work closely with Sales to grow these accounts, drive sophisticated activation strategies across HoldCo and brand-direct workflows, and deliver a seamless experience across planning, activation, and measurement. Your efforts will directly impact retention and growth of Samba's highest-value M&E accounts.

Location requirement: Must live within 50 miles of a Samba office. Required in office 3 days a week (Tuesday through Thursday), moving to 4 days a week (Monday through Thursday) starting January 4th, 2027, with the possibility of moving to 5 days a week in office after that.

Requirements

Client Growth, Retention & Satisfaction

• Own day-to-day account management for a portfolio of key Media & Entertainment accounts - major studios, streamers, networks, and gaming brands - across both HoldCo agency partners (WPP, Omnicom/OMG, Publicis, Dentsu, Havas) and brand-direct teams

• Partner with Sales to develop strategic account plans, drive renewals, and identify upsell and expansion opportunities across complex, multi-stakeholder M&E relationships

• Ensure agency and brand teams are effectively activating Samba audience and contextual data across major DSPs, SSPs, DMPs, and social platforms - especially during tune-in, theatrical, and tentpole windows

• Build trusted, senior-level relationships with programmatic, trading, strategy, analytics, and brand-side media stakeholders across HoldCo and brand-direct organizations

• Lead executive business reviews focused on adoption, delivery, performance insights, and expansion across brand and agency teams

Campaign & Platform Execution

• Oversee audience segment setup and delivery across SSPs and programmatic buying platforms for M&E campaigns spanning HoldCo environments and brand-direct activations

• Support partners through the full activation lifecycle: planning, audience building, activation, and QA (without directly managing or optimizing campaigns), with particular attention to time-sensitive M&E launch windows

• Provide platform education and training on how to request, build, and deploy Samba audiences within HoldCo programmatic workflows and brand-direct buying teams

• Troubleshoot audience delivery or integration issues and coordinate with technical teams to resolve activation challenges efficiently - especially under launch-window pressure

Strategic Partnership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as a 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 agency and brand goals with Samba's audience and measurement solutions

• Represent Samba's audience products with deep subject-matter expertise and a consultative approach when working with senior agency and brand stakeholders

• Collaborate with Product, Measurement, Revenue Operations, and Finance to deliver enhanced solutions for the complex, multi-agency, multi-brand account structures typical of major M&E clients

Who You Are

• Strategic - You operate at the account-strategy level, not just the ticket level, and can shape multi-quarter plans across brand and agency stakeholders

• Curious - Always learning and staying current on programmatic trends, M&E marketing dynamics, agency operating models, and CTV innovation

• Proactive - You anticipate client needs and identify opportunities to add value across both HoldCo agency teams and brand-direct stakeholders

• Collaborative - You thrive in cross-functional environments and are comfortable navigating large, matrixed organizations across both holding companies and brand-direct marketing teams

What You Bring

• 3-5 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 such as WPP, Omnicom, Publicis, Dentsu, or 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, even if not hands-on today

• 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