Senior Director, Platform Partnerships

About Index Exchange

Index Exchange is a global advertising supply-side platform enabling media owners to maximize the value of their content on any screen. As a trusted partner and ally, we connect leading experience makers with the world’s largest brands to ensure a quality experience for consumers. We’re a proud industry pioneer with over 20 years of experience accelerating the ad technology evolution.

What’s it like to work at Index?

Index is an exciting and fast-paced place to work. You'll be able to feed your ambition, lean into trust and transparency, and feel genuine support from your colleagues. We’re built on our core values and live them each day. They're‌ not just buzzwords. We pride ourselves on our independence and openness, not only in our technology, but in our teams, too. Our diverse and inclusive culture celebrates how we can leverage our unique differences to help drive Index forward.

Here’s What You’ll Be Doing

• Signal Intelligence

  • Understand how each DSP’s algorithm scores, evaluates, and bids on Index inventory.
  • Map the signals each DSP values — identity coverage, contextual data, publisher quality, auction transparency, GPID — and identify where Index is not being read correctly.
  • Own the signal gap identification and prioritization process per DSP partner.
  • Drive joint test design with Technical Ops to close identified gaps; own the outcome, not just the diagnosis.
  • Translate signal findings into commercial positioning and partner conversations.
  • Deliver measurable improvement in bid density and win rate across the partner portfolio.

• Commercial Deal Architecture

  • Know how each DSP structures its market and close the gaps between how DSPs buy and how Index supply is packaged.
  • Own deal discoverability and activation per DSP market structure.
  • Drive deal pipeline in partnership with Publisher Development and Sales; own the structuring, pitching, and closing.
  • Deliver incremental deal revenue and format diversification across the portfolio.
  • Know the troubleshooting tools DSP clients use and where Index inventory is or is not accessible within those systems.

• Strategic Partnership Embedding

  • Show up to every DSP conversation with a joint growth agenda — not a data deck.
  • Understand each DSP’s commercial priorities, the verticals they are scaling, the advertisers they are chasing, and how Index complements their motion in market.
  • Use earnings calls, press releases, and product announcements as inputs; be inside the DSP’s planning cycle before decisions are made, not after.
  • Own a joint growth agenda per DSP partner, refreshed quarterly.
  • Lead DSP QBRs that produce decisions, commitments, and roadmap intelligence — walk in with a point of view, open with insight, walk out with a named next step.
  • Drive spend growth tied to specific commercial milestones.
  • Develop and execute long-term strategic account plans that deepen platform integration and expand Index’s share of wallet.

• Product Intelligence Loop

  • The DSP Partnerships team sits closer to DSP product and engineering roadmaps than any other team at Index. That intelligence belongs in the product planning cycle — not siloed in relationship notes.
  • Own DSP roadmap intelligence gathering across formats, identity strategy, AI and bidding infrastructure, and agentic buying.
  • Deliver quarterly product input briefs to the Index Product team; this is a standing accountability, not an ad hoc contribution.
  • Advocate for Index capabilities that match where DSP demand is actually heading.
  • Ensure IX product priorities are shaped by DSP roadmap signals gathered by this team.

Experience & Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in digital media or ad technology, with significant tenure in a senior partnerships, business development, or commercial leadership role.

• Deep expertise in the programmatic advertising landscape, with a strong command of DSP dynamics, auction mechanics, and the broader buy-side ecosystem.

• Hands-on experience with signal diagnostics, bid quality analysis, or technical integration work with DSP partners — not just commercial relationship management.

• Demonstrated ability to build and manage commercial deal pipelines across multiple deal types: open auction, PMP, PG, curated, and API-driven.

• Proven track record of building and managing high-value strategic partnerships at a senior level, including complex commercial negotiations.

• Proven success in business development and new partner acquisition in a competitive market.

• Exceptional business acumen with the ability to develop and articulate long-term strategic visions for partners and the broader business.

• Fluency in English with excellent oral and written communication skills and strong attention to detail.

Competencies

• Technical fluency: Can sit with DSP product and engineering teams, understand auction mechanics and signal logic, design diagnostic tests, and translate technical findings into commercial strategy. This is not optional — the team’s credibility with DSP technical counterparts depends on it.

• Commercial architecture: Understands how DSPs structure their markets, where Index fits in each buying structure, and how to close gaps between DSP buying motion and Index supply access.

• Strategic: An expert in strategic account management capable of translating market intelligence into actionable growth agendas. Builds joint growth plans with DSP partners based on their commercial priorities — not just Index’s.

• Communicative: Able to communicate effectively at all levels — from technical working sessions with DSP engineering to executive briefings with ELT. Leads with the headline and the strategic implication, not the operational detail.

• Collaborative: Skilled at building trusted relationships across internal and external stakeholders. Orchestrates cross-functional motion — Technical Ops, Sales, Product, Agency — as a standard part of how work gets done.

• Accountable: Owns goals and KPIs and drives a culture of accountability within the team. Measures outcomes, not activity.

• Player/coach: Carries your own partner relationships while developing the team. Does not disappear into management or defer on technical and commercial questions the role requires them to lead.

Pay

The base salary range for this role is USD $265,000 to $300,000. The total compensation package may vary depending on non-discriminatory factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Accessibility

For Applicants With Disabilities: Index Exchange welcomes and encourages individuals with disabilities to apply to work with us. If you require an accommodation, please share the details of your request and any information how we can assist you with the hiring recruiter when they contact you. Index Exchange will make reasonable efforts to ensure accommodation requests are met throughout the recruitment process.

Vacancy Status

This posting is for an existing vacancy.