Associate Director, Programmatic Account Management, EMEA Full Time NEW

Samba is an AI-powered media intelligence company on a mission to give marketers the complete picture of their audiences. Our AI indexes media consumption across millions of smart TVs and 2.5 billion web pages, combining that data with third-party signals through the Samba Knowledge Graph, a map of the real interests, behaviors, and purchase intent of 1.5 billion user profiles globally. Brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms use Samba to make smarter decisions across every stage of the marketing funnel.

Samba tracks streaming and broadcast video across the world with our proprietary data and technology. We are on a mission to fundamentally transform the viewing experience for everyone. Our data enables media companies to connect with audiences for new shows and movies, and enables advertisers to engage viewers and measure reach across all their devices. We have an amazing story with a unique perspective on culture formed by a global footprint of data and AI-driven insights.

The Role

In this role, you will lead and scale Samba’s Programmatic Account Management team across the EMEA region. Your team functions as the primary support layer for Samba’s programmatic audience products, owning the client relationship from planning through renewal while driving revenue retention and expansion. You will serve as the connective tissue between Sales, Product, and Platform partners. Reporting to the Global Director of Programmatic Activation, you hold a mandate to ensure that Samba’s audience and measurement products deliver measurable value to a rapidly expanding client base. This is a high-growth environment requiring a leader who can combine strategic leadership with operational rigor, building team structures while remaining close enough to the work to unblock problems and raise the bar on execution.

Must live within 50 miles of the Samba London office. Required in the office 3 days a week (Tuesday-Thursday).

Strategic Responsibilities and Impact

• Revenue Growth & Retention Drive programmatic revenue retention and expansion by partnering with Sales through the full campaign lifecycle
• Strategic Advisement Own the health of EMEA client and agency relationships by acting as a strategic advisor and escalation point for complex account issues.
• Team Architecture Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team of Programmatic Account Managers across EMEA while owning headcount planning and performance management.
• Technical Mentorship Apply hands-on programmatic trading knowledge to coach the team on campaign setup, optimization strategies, and delivery troubleshooting across DSPs, SSPs, and DMPs.
• Ecosystem Management Evaluate and manage DSP, SSP, and DMP partner relationships to ensure Samba’s audience products are activated effectively and positioned competitively.
• Product Feedback Loop Partner with Revenue, Product, and Measurement teams to surface client feedback and inform product roadmap priorities.

Strategic Responsibilities and Impact

• Revenue Growth & Retention Drive programmatic revenue retention and expansion by partnering with Sales through the full campaign lifecycle.
• Strategic Advisement Own the health of EMEA client and agency relationships by acting as a strategic advisor and escalation point for complex account issues.
• Team Architecture Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team of Programmatic Account Managers across EMEA while owning headcount planning and performance management.
• Technical Mentorship Apply hands-on programmatic trading knowledge to coach the team on campaign setup, optimization strategies, and delivery troubleshooting across DSPs, SSPs, and DMPs.
• Ecosystem Management Evaluate and manage DSP, SSP, and DMP partner relationships to ensure Samba’s audience products are activated effectively and positioned competitively.
• Product Feedback Loop Partner with Revenue, Product, and Measurement teams to surface client feedback and inform product roadmap priorities.

Requirements

• Proven Leadership 10+ years of experience in programmatic advertising including 5+ years building and managing teams in ad ops, programmatic solutions, or client success.
• Revenue Accountability 3+ years of quota-carrying or revenue-accountable experience with a proven track record of growing client accounts.
• EMEA Market Expertise Experience managing multi-market or international teams with an understanding of regional nuances in EMEA programmatic buying.
• Versatile Management Ability to operate at both strategic and tactical levels with a comfort for both leadership discussions and campaign delivery issues.

• Hands-on Practitioner Direct hands-on experience executing programmatic campaigns including trafficking and optimization within DSPs such as The Trade Desk, DV360, or Xandr.
• Ecosystem Depth Deep knowledge of the programmatic ecosystem including DSPs, SSPs, DMPs, ad servers, and audience data products.
• Data Fluency Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel, Google Sheets, Databricks, and BI tools such as PowerBI or Tableau.
• Operational Stack Proficient in CRM tools such as Salesforce and project management tools such as Jira.
• Forward-Looking Expertise Up-to-date on trends in digital advertising including CTV, programmatic video, identity resolution, and audience measurement methodologies.

Samba is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  We strive to empower connection with one another, reflect the communities we serve, and tackle meaningful projects that make a real impact.

Samba may collect personal information directly from you, as a job applicant, Samba may also receive personal information from third parties, for example, in connection with a background, employment or reference check, in accordance with the applicable law. For further details, please see Samba’s Applicant Privacy Policy. For residents of the EU , Samba Inc. is the data controller.