Business Development Director, Growth

The Trade Desk The Trade Desk · Media · Tokyo, Japan · Direct Sales

This role is for a Business Development Director focused on growth in the digital advertising space. It involves executing discovery processes, partnering with sales and client services, building strategic relationships, articulating platform value, leading RFP responses, identifying upsell opportunities, and collaborating with product, marketing, and revenue teams. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in digital advertising sales, a strong network within key verticals, and a background in programmatic media. This is not an AI/ML-focused role.

What you'd actually do

  1. Execute a high-quality discovery process to set new advertisers up for success with The Trade Desk, uncovering core business objectives and aligning tailored solutions
  2. Partner closely with global Sales, Client Services, and Trading teams to grow and scale a focused portfolio of accounts
  3. Build and cultivate strategic relationships with commercial and contract leads across advertising clients and agencies
  4. Clearly articulate The Trade Desk’s media buying philosophy and platform value, tailoring messaging to each client’s priorities
  5. Lead RFP responses end-to-end, including qualification, strategy development, and execution

Skills

Required

  • 10 to 15 years’ experience in digital advertising sales, consistently exceeding revenue targets
  • Strong, existing network within one or more key verticals such as Pharma, Consumer Electronics, Financial Services, Consumer Goods (F&B & Lifestyle), and Gaming & Entertainment with established access to senior decision-makers
  • Strong background in programmatic or adjacent digital media environments (DSPs, SSPs, publishers, exchanges, or similar)
  • Proven ability to build and close complex, senior-level commercial deals
  • Established relationships with decision-makers across major advertisers
  • Experience building annual business plans, leading QBRs, and driving structured account growth
  • Strong commercial acumen with excellent negotiation and quantitative capability
  • Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence C-level stakeholders
  • Ability to simplify complex concepts into clear, compelling commercial narratives
  • Highly collaborative, able to align cross-functional teams toward shared outcomes
  • Deep curiosity for the programmatic ecosystem with a strong learning mindset

What the JD emphasized

  • digital advertising sales
  • programmatic or adjacent digital media environments
  • build and close complex, senior-level commercial deals
  • senior decision-makers
  • C-level stakeholders