Head of Publisher Sales & Strategic Partnerships

About Firsthand

Firsthand is building the industry's first AI-powered Brand Agent platform that transforms how advertisers and publishers engage with consumers, anywhere online. Through Brand Agents, Firsthand leverages a company's knowledge to support consumers at any point in their journey – answering questions, solving problems, and guiding decisions – while keeping the company in control of their brand experience.

Firsthand's founding team brings unparalleled expertise in building transformative adtech platforms. Co-CEOs Jon Heller and Michael Rubenstein previously created ventures that now power the advertising businesses of today's tech giants: DoubleClick Ad Exchange became the foundation of Google's $200B+ advertising business, AppNexus evolved into Microsoft Advertising's global platform, and FreeWheel (acquired by Comcast) transformed streaming TV advertising. This track record of creating industry-defining companies uniquely positions Firsthand to pioneer the next evolution in consumer engagement.

Built with a focus on control and security, Firsthand's platform safeguards a company's data, voice, and customer relationships. At its core, Lakebed™ – our AI-first data and knowledge rights management solution – powers custom Brand Agents that transform protected company information into dynamic, personalized consumer engagements, seamlessly integrated into the user's online experience.

Firsthand is headquartered in NYC. Most team members come to the office to work together three days a week.

The Role

Firsthand is looking to hire a Head of Publisher Sales who will be at the forefront of Firsthand’s growth, educating, evangelizing, and selling our AI-driven vision to premium publishers and large media organizations. In this role, you will not only lead direct sales efforts but also play a critical part in developing and managing channel sales programs to expand our reach. This position emphasizes both individual sales excellence and the strategic leadership needed to create a thriving channel partner ecosystem. The ideal candidate will be located in the New York metropolitan area.

This senior leader will be responsible for generating new business, advancing strategic partnerships, providing actionable feedback to the product team to drive continuous improvement and build the Publisher Commercial Team in line with revenue growth. The ideal candidate combines enterprise sales expertise with the temperament required to thrive in an early stage company. Excelling in high-stakes, complex sales environments,  the candidate will have a solid network of existing relationships, foster innovation, and operate with a scrappy, data-oriented approach to identifying and scaling market opportunities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive sales strategy targeting premium publishers and large media organizations. Accountable for meeting / exceeding revenue targets.

• Lead direct sales efforts personally closing new business; effectively communicate Firsthand’s value propositions tailored to publishers' audience and monetization goals.

• Be a self-sufficient sales executive while laying the groundwork to recruit and mentor a future team of sellers.

• Act as an operator driving the full lifecycle of channel partner relationships, ensuring their success through strategic alignment and effective collaboration.

• Create and nurture strong, multi-level relationships within large media organizations and channel partners, establishing Firsthand as a trusted partner.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with marketing and product teams to align strategies, share client insights, and develop innovative solutions for the marketplace.

• Identify market opportunities that leverage Firsthand’s capabilities and expertise.

• Maintain accurate sales forecasts and manage CRM systems to ensure operational excellence and transparency.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience selling marketing and advertising solutions to premium publishers and large media organizations.

• Has successfully introduced new products / concepts to market where the ability to educate customers & partners is critical. 

• Proven success in direct sales and managing complex, multi-stakeholder deals.

• Experience building and leading channel sales programs, including contracts, pricing strategies, and communication pipelines.

• Strategic mindset with a consultative selling approach that addresses client needs across multiple business units.

• A domain expert with in depth working knowledge of publisher monetization strategies, audience engagement, and advertising innovation.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, capable of translating complex concepts for diverse audiences.

• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, start-up environment with a high level of autonomy and accountability.

How to Apply

If you are ready to embark on an exhilarating journey at the forefront of AI, seize this incredible opportunity and apply here. We eagerly anticipate hearing from you!

Note: Compensation and equity will be market-competitive for well-capitalized, early stage startups and will be discussed during the interview process.