Commercial Director - Enterprise & Agency in London

About Pulse: Pulse is an AI‑powered contextual video targeting platform built specifically for YouTube advertising. Developed by Xapads Media – a global Adtech company with 50+ industry awards – Pulse enables brands and agencies to move beyond basic keyword and demographic targeting, delivering ads into the right moments based on real content signals: context, theme, visual cues, brand suitability, and audience attention. The platform combines three capabilities in one: AI‑driven content scanning and classification, GARM‑aligned brand safety enforcement, and real‑time campaign optimisation. The result is YouTube advertising that is more relevant, more efficient, and provably safer for brand reputation.

With strong product‑market fit, an award‑winning platform, and a growing roster of enterprise clients, Pulse is now investing in its commercial function to accelerate revenue across direct advertisers and agency channels in the UK and EMEA.

Role Overview: We are looking for a senior, commercially ambitious Sales Director to own and grow revenue across two high‑priority segments: large and mid‑market direct advertisers, and media agencies spanning independent networks through to the major holding companies (Publicis, WPP, IPG, Omnicom, Havas, Dentsu). This is a hands‑on, new business‑focused role. You will sell Pulse directly – driving platform adoption among brand‑side marketing and digital teams who run significant YouTube investment – while simultaneously building strategic relationships across agency planning, trading, investment, and data functions.

The ideal candidate understands how brands and agencies plan and buy YouTube media, has genuine credibility in the UK advertising ecosystem, and can compellingly articulate why contextual intelligence and brand safety are business‑critical – not optional extras – for any brand running video at scale.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build and manage a pipeline of large and mid‑market direct advertiser accounts, targeting Heads of Digital, Performance Marketing Directors, Brand Managers, and CMOs across verticals with significant YouTube investment including retail, FMCG, finance, travel, and entertainment.
• Lead consultative, end‑to‑end sales cycles: from identifying brands with meaningful YouTube budgets through to demonstrating Pulse's contextual and brand safety value, structuring commercial terms, and closing platform agreements.
• Position Pulse as a strategic enhancement to existing YouTube media activity – helping in‑house teams improve placement relevance, reduce brand risk exposure, and generate clearer performance reporting without disrupting established buying workflows.
• Partner with Customer Success post‑sale to drive platform adoption, ensure measurable campaign outcomes, and identify upsell and expansion opportunities.
• Own and develop relationships across media agency groups, engaging at group trading, investment, data and technology, and brand partnerships levels within both mid‑market independents and the six major holdco.
• Build a network of senior agency advocates – Group Investment Directors, Heads of Digital & Programmatic, Data Strategy leads, and Planning Directors – who understand Pulse's differentiated value and can deploy it across client portfolios.
• Structure and negotiate agency partnership agreements, including preferred supplier arrangements, reseller terms, and joint go‑to‑market programmes that embed Pulse within agency planning and activation workflows.
• Conduct regular business reviews and executive‑level stakeholder engagement across key agency groups, ensuring Pulse remains front‑of‑mind as YouTube budgets and brand safety requirements evolve.
• Own a clearly defined ARR target with full accountability for new business, expansion, and renewal performance across your book.
• Maintain rigorous pipeline forecasting, providing regular and accurate visibility to the VP on deal stages, conversion timelines, risks, and market signals.
• Bring a structured, prioritised approach to territory management with proactive outbound into high‑value accounts.

Market Positioning & Industry Presence:

• Serve as a credible external voice for Pulse at industry events, roundtables, and conferences (IAB, Advertising Week, ISBA, IPA, Programmatic Pioneers, etc.), generating qualified pipeline and reinforcing Pulse's reputation as a leading YouTube contextual intelligence platform.
• Feed market intelligence back into the business – sharing advertiser and agency perspectives on YouTube buying behaviour, brand safety concerns, competitor activity, and product gaps to inform roadmap and GTM decisions.
• Operate as a senior commercial stakeholder within the business, contributing to GTM strategy, commercial model design, and cross‑functional initiatives as Pulse scales its revenue operations.
• In time, recruit, onboard, and mentor junior sales talent – building a team culture grounded in consultative selling, deep product knowledge, and a genuine commitment to client outcomes.

What We’re Looking For:

• 7+ years of B2B sales experience, with a clear track record in digital advertising technology, media SaaS, or programmatic solutions – ideally with direct exposure to YouTube, video, or contextual advertising.
• Proven ability to sell into both direct advertiser and media agency environments, with an understanding of the distinct buying dynamics, stakeholder structures, and value criteria in each.
• Experience managing complex, multi‑stakeholder sales cycles and closing platform or SaaS agreements at five to six‑figure contract values.
• Strong commercial acumen – able to structure bespoke deals, navigate procurement, and build compelling business cases that connect platform capability to measurable brand and performance outcomes.
• Fluency in the YouTube advertising landscape, including how brands and agencies currently plan, buy, and measure YouTube campaigns, and where brand safety and contextual relevance sit on the agenda.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the credibility and gravitas to engage at Director and C‑suite level across both client‑side and agency‑side organisations.
• Existing senior relationships across UK holdco and mid‑market agency groups (Publicis Groupe, WPP, IPG Mediabrands, Omnicom Media Group, Havas, Dentsu and/or large independents such as Essence Mediacom, Wavemaker, Zenith).
• Familiarity with GARM brand safety standards, contextual targeting methodologies, and the broader conversation around YouTube inventory quality and suitability.
• Experience selling to in‑house marketing teams at brands with direct YouTube investment – particularly performance‑focused or DTC advertisers.
• An established presence in the UK advertising community through IAB, ISBA, or IPA engagement.

What We Offer:

• Competitive base salary with an uncapped commission structure and clear, attainable OTE.
• A market‑leading product with genuine client traction.
• Hybrid working from our London office with built‑in flexibility.
• The backing of Xapads Media's global infrastructure, technology team, and industry network.

Location: London (Hybrid) | Department: Commercial | Reports to: VP Strategic Partnerships