UK Senior Ad Sales Manager

Job Summary 

This role will sit within the London-based Disney Advertising Sales team, with a focus on driving revenue growth for the Disney+, ESPN and Disney Media lines of business.  The candidate will be accountable for growing advertising investment from agency, advertiser and Disney brand relationships by combining a deep industry knowledge of TV, Digital and TWDC advertising solutions. The role focuses on driving revenue for Disney+, ESPN, Disney digital (YouTube) and social (FB, Instagram & Twitter), working with key UK Agencies and advertisers along with other LOBs including CPGP (Licensees), theatrical and corporate alliance partners.  

The role will be concentrated on managing senior external relationships with key UK Agencies and Clients directly, and developing strong partnerships across the industry.  With Disney+ Ad Supported Tier recently launching in the UK,  this candidate will need a strong UK TV understanding and an ability to position Disney+ as a key platform within the CTV space. 

The successful candidate will ensure that TWDC brand partners are equipped with market expertise and leading-edge digital/AV solutions to continue to drive optimal commercial revenues from all current and future Disney digital touchpoints.   

The role will have 3 x direct reports (2x Sales Manager, 1 x Senior Exec), so management of this team in crucial, ensuring clarity on areas of focus, responsibility and client management, to ensure the team is focused and effective in driving revenue and delivering results. 

This is a highly visible role within The Walt Disney Company, requiring high personal accountability and will involve internal stakeholder management and the need to influence senior executive thinking internally. 

This is an office-based role, requiring four days per week onsite and one day working from home.

The Opportunity & Responsibilities

• Drive sales revenue for Disney+, ESPN and Disney Media through standard advertising and custom content partnerships across our full portfolio of platforms 
• Accountable for AV, digital and social revenue generation from external and internal partners of TWDC 
• Define the sales opportunities for partners to invest in Disney’s digital commercial platforms 
• Manage 3 direct reports, ensuring clarity of roles and focus on driving the revenue goals of the team 
• Managing, Mentoring and developing the direct reports and growing their skills and progress 
• Consult and educate other LOB to understand our digital media proposition, and the opportunities and products available through the Disney Advertising team. 
• Accurate revenue forecasting with reports to UK Sales Director 
• Open new cooperative business pitches to top-level agency contacts 
• Understand key market trends and how these can influence our sales approach  
• Work closely with all LOBs to identify new clients and identify relevant opportunities, and developing specific packages to support product launches, IP releases or key franchise campaigns. 
• Work with the Client Servicing, Revenue & Yeild Management, Research and Trade Marketing teams to ensure we deliver effective and efficient campaigns for clients, providing best in class services to our clients, ensuring repeatable business.   
• Manage external agency relationships with key trading partners and monitor and ensure the full delivery of trading agreements. 
• Help manage the commercial model for TWDC partners ensuring we build margin but still deliver on value for client 
• Provide leadership within the team and accountable for the performance and results of the team Pod. 

The Experience We Require From You 

• Graduate level or equivalent experience 
• Previous experience at Manager level 
• Experience working with both clients and agencies at a senior level 
• Proven experience delivering revenue success and growth through digital campaigns and partnerships 
• Excellent knowledge of multi-media platforms, including digital, TV and CTV 
• Ambitious self-starter who is driven to hit sales targets from existing and new clients 
• Excellent presentation and communication skills 
• Excellent understanding of digital and social media landscape, covering the buying and planning of media on various digital platforms 
• A minimum of 8 years digital media sales/partnership experience 

Skills & Competencies Required 

• Independent self-starter, comfortable with ambiguity, and with the ability to thrive in a team environment 
• Numerate and analytical with the ability to draw actionable recommendations from complex data 
• Confident communicator, with excellent presentation skills for both small and large audiences 
• A strong commercial mind-set – an understanding of the need to create measurable value from media partnerships 
• Ability to calculate industry-wide measurements such as CPMs, CPVs, CPAs etc and ROIs for media campaigns 
• Experience in educating new advertisers on the benefits of digital marketing strategies 
• Comfortable handling commercial discussions 
• Effective communication skills, with the ability to provide comprehensive advertising solutions to prospective clients 
• Understand and leverage the broader Walt Disney Company value proposition, particularly around insight and data, to drive advertiser spends 
• Experience managing a direct report and leading a team 

The Perks

• 25 days annual leave
• Private medical insurance & dental care
• Free Park Entry: You will have the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free
• Disney Discounts: you are entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing
• Excellent parental and guardian leave
• Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney DIVERSITY, Disney PRIDE, ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided the necessary accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive all benefits of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.