Senior Director, Advertising Sales – Independent & Brand Direct

Teamwork makes the stream work. Roku is changing how the world watches TV. As the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, we’ve set our sights on powering every television in the world. We pioneered streaming to the TV with a mission to connect the entire TV ecosystem—consumers to the content they love, content publishers to large audiences, and advertisers to unique engagement capabilities.

About the role

The Independent & Brand Direct team is a major growth engine for Roku’s advertising business, focused on net-new advertiser acquisition across independent agencies and client-direct advertisers. This segment helps diversify Roku’s advertiser base, maximize yield in an underpenetrated market, and build the next generation of Roku’s advertising business.

Roku is seeking a Senior Director, Advertising Sales to lead and scale the Independent & Brand Direct team, a newly created vertical reporting directly to the VP of Ad Sales. This leader will set the strategic vision for a high-performing organization, drive meaningful revenue growth, and shape the go-to-market strategy for one of Roku’s highest-growth opportunities. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise across CTV/streaming, performance, and digital-first advertising, along with a strong network in the independent agency and emerging brand ecosystem.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership
  • Own Roku’s advertising sales strategy and performance for the Independent & Brand Direct vertical, including go-to-market planning, forecasting, and delivery against revenue targets.
  • Build, lead, and develop a team of Directors, Managers, and Account Executives while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and growth.
  • Set goals, conduct quarterly business reviews, and provide executive-level coaching to drive consistent performance across the organization.
  • Identify emerging market trends and competitive threats, then translate those insights into strategies that accelerate Roku’s advertising business.
• Revenue & Go-to-Market
  • Lead net-new advertiser acquisition by expanding Roku’s business into independent agencies, brands with direct/in-house buying teams, performance-first, and digital-native brands.
  • Grow relationships across independent agencies and client-direct advertisers while expanding Roku’s footprint with emerging advertisers.
  • Build and evolve full-funnel sales and go-to-market strategies that connect audiences with the brands they love while driving both reach and measurable business outcomes.
  • Lead solutions-oriented selling across the full spectrum of Roku opportunities, from home screen native sponsorships and premium video to programmatic, Ads Manager, and automated buying strategies and tactics.
  • Drive new broadcast and calendar-year commitments through upfront and strategic partnership planning in collaboration with Roku’s Global Agency Partnership team.
  • Develop insights, case studies, and packaging strategies that clearly demonstrate Roku’s value for Independent and emerging brands.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Partner with Revenue Operations, FP&A, and Media leadership to forecast business performance and optimize pipeline, yield, and margin at scale.
  • Collaborate with Account Management, Business Development, and Marketing teams to build custom solutions and compelling narratives for agency partners, bringing together programmatic strategy, measurement, data, and go-to-market capabilities to meet client needs and unlock growth.
  • Work closely with Marketing, Product, and Engineering to ensure the needs of this customer segment are reflected in Roku’s ad product roadmap.
  • Build strong partnerships with Client Services to support customer satisfaction, retention, and long-term account growth.
• Industry Presence
  • Represent Roku as a senior spokesperson in executive client engagements and at major industry events.
  • Cultivate senior relationships across independent agencies, emerging brands, and performance-oriented marketers.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in digital advertising sales, including at least 6 years in progressive leadership roles managing multi-level sales teams.
• Demonstrated success building and scaling sales organizations focused on independent agencies, DTC brands, or performance-driven advertisers.
• Deep expertise in OTT/CTV, programmatic, data-driven targeting, and performance-based advertising solutions.
• A strong network of relationships across independent agencies, emerging brands, and performance-first marketers.
• A hunter mentality with a track record of winning net-new business while expanding existing accounts.
• Strong strategic and analytical skills, with the ability to use data to shape sales strategy, pipeline management, and organizational planning.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence at the C-suite level.
• Experience partnering cross-functionally with Product, Marketing, Operations, and Finance to drive business outcomes.
• A passion for the streaming industry and a commitment to shaping its future through innovative advertising solutions.

AI at Roku

At Roku, we don’t just use AI—we work with it. AI agents and smart tools help power drafts, analysis, and repetitive workflows, while our people bring direction, judgment, and accountability. We value curious, adaptable builders who can show how they’ve used AI, agents, or automation to move faster, improve quality, and scale their impact. Strong candidates know how to frame problems, guide AI-assisted work, check the output, and learn quickly.

Schedule

Roku fosters an inclusive and collaborative environment where teams generally work in the office Monday through Thursday. Fridays are generally flexible for remote work, except for employees whose specific roles or assigned office location require five days’ a week attendance.

Pay

For New York only: The estimated annual base salary for this position is between $428,000 - $533,000. Compensation packages are based on factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, certifications, and specific geographical location.

Benefits

• Incentive compensation/commissions
• Health insurance (medical, dental, and vision)
• Equity awards
• Life insurance
• Disability benefits
• Parental leave
• Wellness benefits
• Paid time off
• Retirement options (401(k)/pension)
• Commuter benefits
• Global access to mental health and financial wellness support and resources

It’s important to note that not every benefit is available in all locations or for every role.

Culture

Roku is a fast-paced environment where everyone is focused on the company’s success rather than their own. We surround ourselves with people who are great at their jobs, easy to work with, and keep their egos in check. We appreciate a sense of humor and believe a fewer number of very talented folks can do more for less cost than a larger number of less talented teams.

We’re independent thinkers with big ideas who act boldly, move fast, and accomplish extraordinary things through collaboration and trust. At Roku, you’ll be part of a company that’s changing how the world watches TV. We think of ourselves primarily as problem-solvers—coming up with solutions and ensuring they’re built and delivered to the customer. That penchant for action gives us a pragmatic approach to innovation, one that has served us well since 2002.