Business Development Director (Political & Advocacy)

The Trade Desk is a global technology company and the world’s leading independent platform for digital advertising, with nearly 4,000 employees across more than 30 offices. Our technology helps advertisers reach the right audiences across the open internet — from streaming TV and podcasts to mobile apps, news, and more. Advertising powers the content people love.

By making it more transparent, effective, and responsible, we help support trusted journalism, quality entertainment, and creators worldwide. The world’s brands and agencies rely on us to reach their customers and grow their businesses responsibly. The scale of our platform brings unique technical challenges — from processing massive datasets in real time to building systems that operate reliably on a global scale.

When you work here, your impact is worldwide. We welcome diverse perspectives, encourage curiosity, and build teams that learn from one another. If you’re driven to solve meaningful challenges, we’d love to meet you.

We are looking for a seasoned Business Development Director to lead and expand our footprint within the Political Advocacy Sector. This is a high-impact role designed for a strategic seller who understands the unique, fast-paced nature of election cycles and the nuance of advocacy-based media buying. You will lead the full sales cycle—from high-level prospecting with major political agencies to negotiating complex deals and overseeing the strategic execution of programmatic campaigns.

As a thought leader in the space, you will bridge the gap between sophisticated data strategies and cutting-edge programmatic execution across CTV, video, display, and audio.

What You’Ll Do

Revenue Leadership: Identify, pursue, and close high-value partnerships with political agencies, national committees, and advocacy organizations. Own a significant book of business and consistently exceed seven-figure revenue targets. Consultative Strategy: Act as a trusted advisor to clients, mapping our platform’s AI-driven capabilities to their specific campaign goals, district-level targeting needs, and voter file integrations.

Campaign Stewardship: Partner closely with Account Management and Trading teams to ensure seamless campaign activation and optimization. , AAPC Pollies, MediaPost, Digiday) and contribute to industry publications regarding the future of programmatic political media. Pipeline Management: Maintain rigorous forecasting and deal-tracking.

Product Strategy: Provide actionable feedback to the Product team to help shape our political-specific roadmap and data partnership integrations. What You Bring to the Table Industry Expertise: 7+ years of dedicated experience in Political and Advocacy advertising, with a deep understanding of the unique pressures and KPIs of Political and Advocacy organizations. AdTech Proficiency: Strong knowledge of programmatic platforms (DSPs/DMPs), real-time bidding, and the evolving landscape of identity.

Strategic Network: An established network of decision-makers across political agencies and advocacy groups. Communication Skills: Proven ability to present complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, from campaign managers to executive leadership. Agility: A "campaign-ready" mindset - thriving in high-pressure, fast-changing environments where rapid response and strategic pivoting are required.

This role follows a hybrid work model, with in-office expectations Tuesday through Thursday in our Washington, DC office. The Trade Desk does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm recruiters. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of The Trade Desk.

The Trade Desk is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs.