GM, Business Development, Independent Agency- East

thetradedesk

New York

Posted Jul 30, 2026

Full-time
Direct Sales

Job description

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.

What we do: Independent Agencies BusinessDevelopment

The Trade Desk (TTD) is seeking an accomplished General Manager, Business Development - Independent Agency- East to lead a significant portfolio of independent agency relationships and business development teams.

This leader will be responsible for accelerating revenue growth, strengthening agency partnerships, developing talent, and ensuring consistent execution across their portfolio. By understanding the unique dynamics of independent agencies, this leader will help shape joint strategies that accelerate growth and deepen strategic partnerships. They will serve as a senior strategic partner to agency executives while translating broader GTM priorities into measurable business outcomes.

We’re changing the way global brands and their agencies advertise to audiences around the world. Why? Because at its best, the internet is an open marketplace of ideas, content, and commerce fueled by relevant advertising. That’s why we created an independent media buying platform designed for the open internet. One that helps marketers reach more customers in more places, with more transparency and choice at every stage.

The Indy Agency team is the strategic bridge between TTD and the top independent media agencies in the world. By owning relationships with agency leadership teams, this team ensures we are deeply aligned with the organizations that shape global media investment. We partner with agency leadership to improve profitability, streamline planning and buying workflows and unlock new ways to deliver value across the open internet. Through a deep understanding of agency economics, the Indy BD team influences product innovation, informs roadmap priorities and drives join strategies that make media more effective and efficient.

What you'll do:

Lead Independent Partnership Strategy: Develop and execute an East Region strategy for deepening agency partnerships, aligning on shared objectives that drive growth and operational excellence.
Own Executive Engagement: Build trust-based relationships with agency leadership and influence strategic decisions across commercial, operational and partnership priorities.
Integrate Agency Feedback into Product Roadmap: Partner with Product and Engineering to ensure agency insights inform platform development, measurement capabilities and workflow innovation.
Drive Commercial Outcomes: Collaborate with agency leadership on initiatives that improve profitability, strengthen partnerships and unlock new growth opportunities
Orchestrate Cross-Functional Execution: Work closely with Sales, Client Services, Marketing and Product to deliver integrated solutions that strengthen agency partnerships across the East Region.
Represent TTD externally: Lead, coach and develop a team of business development leaders while serving as a senior ambassador for TTD within the agency ecosystem

Who you are:

QUALIFICATIONS

15+ years of experience in agency leadership, strategic partnerships or business development roles with deep knowledge of independent agency operations and economics
Proven track record influencing agency leadership, leading teams and driving commercial growth
Strong commercial acumen, including understanding of agency P&L, principal buying models and profitability levers
Experience leading business development teams through growth, organizational change and market evolution
Exceptional communication and negotiation skills, capable of navigating complex multi-party agreements

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

Authentic and values driven leader, someone who embodies our core values
Collaborative leadership style, you're someone who develops talent, builds trust and creates alignment across diverse stakeholders
A forward-looking perspective, you’re someone who anticipates industry shifts and demonstrates grit and adaptability navigating complexity and change
Inclusive and empathic- you champion diversity of thought and foster an environment where all voices are heard and respected
Low ego, high impact- you prioritize outcomes over credit

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. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

[LA JOBS ONLY] The Trade Desk will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Ordinance No. 184652.

[SF JOBS ONLY] Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

In accordance with various US state laws, the range provided is the Trade Desk's reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount may differ based on non-discriminatory factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, and location. All employees may be eligible to become The Trade Desk shareholders through eligibility for stock-based compensation grants, which are awarded to employees based on company and individual performance. The Trade Desk also offers other compensation depending on the role such as variable compensation-based incentives and commissions. Plus, expected benefits for this role include comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, and vision) with premiums paid in full for employees and dependents, retirement benefits such as a 401k plan and company match, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, well-being benefits, reimbursement for certain tuition expenses, parental leave, sick time of 1 hour per 30 hours worked, vacation time for full-time employees up to 120 hours thru the first year and 160 hours thereafter, and around 13 paid holidays per year. Employees can also purchase The Trade Desk stock at a discount through The Trade Desk’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

The Trade Desk also offers a competitive benefits package. Click here to learn more.

Note: Interns are not eligible for variable incentive awards such as stock-based compensation, retirement plan, vacation, tuition reimbursement or parental leave

At the Trade Desk, Base Salary is one part of our competitive total compensation and benefits package and is determined using a salary range. The base salary range for this role is

$147,200—$269,900 USD

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, The Trade Desk is committed to creating an inclusive hiring experience where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Please reach out to us at accommodations@thetradedesk.com to request an accommodation or discuss any accessibility needs you may require to access our Company Website or navigate any part of the hiring process.

When you contact us, please include your preferred contact details and specify the nature of your accommodation request or questions. Any information you share will be handled confidentially and will not impact our hiring decisions.