Strategic Account Manager

VERSANT (Nasdaq: VSNT) is an industry-changing media and entertainment business and home to trusted brands that shape culture, inform audiences, and build lasting connections. It operates across four core markets: political news and opinion, business news and personal finance, golf, and sports and genre entertainment. These markets are served through a powerful portfolio of iconic and innovative brands, including CNBC, MS NOW, USA Network, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Versant's sports division USA Sports, along with complementary digital assets including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and GolfPass.

About the role

The Digital Planning Team at Versant is a strategic, collaborative group of digital experts representing our premium sports and entertainment portfolio. The team partners closely with Account Directors to develop audience-first, data-driven advertising solutions that align with client business objectives. Serving as a key connector across Sales, Strategy, and Operations, Digital Planning supports the full RFP lifecycle — from pitch development through campaign launch and post-sale stewardship. The team builds compelling proposals, packages innovative cross-platform solutions, develops client-specific materials, and ensures a seamless transition from proposal to activation.

As a Strategic Account Manager, you will partner closely with Account Directors and cross-functional teams to translate advertiser objectives into strategic media plans and integrated digital solutions. You will help manage opportunities from initial RFP through campaign launch and stewardship, bringing together audience insights, portfolio capabilities, pricing considerations, campaign requirements, and performance data to create solutions that deliver for clients and support Versant’s revenue goals.

This role sits at the center of how Versant brings its digital advertising capabilities to market. By working across sports and entertainment, you will help create a connected experience for advertisers, identify opportunities to unlock the value of the broader portfolio, and ensure strong continuity from proposal development through campaign activation and performance.

This position is hybrid, requiring a minimum of three days per week in our New York office.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic digital media plans. Partner with Account Directors to understand advertiser and agency objectives and build audience-first, data-driven proposals across Versant’s sports and entertainment digital portfolio.
• Own the RFP process from pitch through activation. Manage proposal development, media planning, pricing inputs, inventory considerations, client-specific materials, and internal coordination to deliver thoughtful and timely responses.
• Build integrated advertising solutions. Work across digital brands, platforms, products, and capabilities to package solutions that address client objectives while identifying opportunities to maximize revenue across the portfolio.
• Ensure seamless campaign activation and stewardship. Partner with Ad Operations, Sales, Strategy, Marketing, Product, and other stakeholders to transition sold campaigns from proposal to launch, monitor delivery, identify risks, and support optimizations.
• Turn insights into client value. Use audience intelligence, campaign performance, marketplace trends, and client feedback to inform recommendations, develop compelling presentations and recaps, and support renewal and growth conversations.
• Strengthen how Digital Planning operates. Collaborate across teams to improve processes, share best practices, and build consistent, scalable planning approaches that support clients and Versant’s evolving digital revenue strategy.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of experience in digital media, advertising, media planning, account management, client services, or a related field.
• Experience developing digital media plans or advertising proposals based on client objectives.
• Working knowledge of the digital campaign lifecycle, including RFP response, planning, activation, delivery, optimization, and reporting.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret audience and campaign data and translate insights into clear recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience developing client-facing presentations and proposal materials.
• Strong project-management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple RFPs, campaigns, stakeholders, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across Sales, Strategy, Ad Operations, Marketing, Product, Finance, and other cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint or comparable tools.

Skills

• Trust: Build credibility with clients and colleagues through sound judgment, integrity, reliability, and consistent follow-through.
• Teamwork: Partner across Sales, Strategy, Operations, brands, and functions to develop stronger advertising solutions and deliver shared outcomes.
• Transparency: Communicate clearly and proactively about priorities, campaign performance, risks, opportunities, and decisions.
• Agility: Adapt quickly as advertiser needs, business priorities, inventory, campaign performance, and the digital media landscape evolve.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Look beyond the immediate request to identify creative solutions, new opportunities, and smarter ways to create value for clients and Versant.
• Accountability: Take ownership of commitments, proposal quality, campaign transitions, client experience, and results from RFP through stewardship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing advertising solutions across multiple digital properties, brands, or audience segments.
• Familiarity with paid social, programmatic media, ad-serving and business management platforms (e.g., Google Ad Manager, FreeWheel, Operative One), CRM systems, or digital measurement tools.
• Experience supporting advertisers across sports, entertainment, streaming, theatrical, or other consumer-focused categories.
• Experience using campaign performance and audience insights to identify renewal, upsell, or cross-portfolio opportunities.

Benefits

Versant offers company-sponsored benefits, subject to applicable eligibility requirements and plan terms.

Pay

New York Pay Transparency: salary range is $75,000 - $85,000 plus bonus.

Schedule

This position is hybrid, requiring a minimum of three days per week in our New York office.