Director, Partnership Strategy - Automotive

WHO WE ARE 

Zeta Global (NYSE: ZETA) is the AI-Powered Marketing Cloud that leverages advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and trillions of consumer signals to make it easier for marketers to acquire, grow, and retain customers more efficiently. Through the Zeta Marketing Platform (ZMP), our vision is to make sophisticated marketing simple by unifying identity, intelligence, and omnichannel activation into a single platform – powered by one of the industry’s largest proprietary databases and AI. Our enterprise customers across multiple verticals are empowered to personalize experiences with consumers at an individual level across every channel, delivering better results for marketing programs. Zeta was founded in 2007 by David A. Steinberg and John Sculley and is headquartered in New York City with offices around the world. To learn more, go to www.zetaglobal.com.

THE TEAM 

Our mission is to create a state-of-the-art Activation Partnership Enablement team – centered in platform and intelligence as a key differentiator.  We want to lead the market seamlessly integrating first-party and strategic prospect behavioral data into our go-to-market for activation – from RFI responses to proposals and pitches. Through a “One Zeta” approach to collaboration across business units, we aim to provide our clients with insightful intelligence, innovative activation strategies, and grounded in deterministic measurement; as well as repeatable set up and process for execution.  By doing so, we strive to unlock the true potential of media spend, establish Zeta as an irreplaceable partner, and drive predictable and repeatable outcomes for our clients and agency partners.  

THE ROLE 

We are seeking a Director of Activation Partnership Strategy – Auto to serve as both a strategic lead for one of Zeta’s largest agency partnerships and a subject matter expert (SME) for the Automotive category. This individual will lead Tier 2 Auto strategy across a growing portfolio of regional dealer groups and Tier 2 co-op programs, helping Zeta unlock repeatable, data-driven activation frameworks that convert audiences into in-market buyers. 

This role is ideal for a strategic hybrid—part strategist, part operator, part storyteller—who thrives at the intersection of data, intelligence, and media performance. You will play a critical role in ensuring Zeta’s auto clients and agency partners see measurable value through precision targeting, seamless activation, and closed-loop measurement grounded in first-party data. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

1. Automotive Strategic Leadership 

• Serve as the Tier 2 Automotive subject matter expert across Zeta’s Activation Partnership Enablement team, defining vertical standards, benchmarks, and go-to-market frameworks. 
• Act as a consistent consultant and collaborator on Zeta’s largest automotive accounts for pre-sales, partnering with Sales, Activation, and Product Marketing to deliver strategic, data-driven narratives that differentiate Zeta in-market. 
• Translate OEM and Tier 1 brand strategies into localized, high-performance Tier 2 & Tier 3 activation plans, ensuring creative consistency, dealer group alignment, and measurable ROI. 
• Develop audience and creative frameworks that integrate Zeta’s proprietary Data Cloud intelligence with regional demand signals, inventory data, and behavioral intent. 
• Champion the use of first-party, CRM, and behavioral data in activation strategies to drive leads, service appointments, and showroom traffic. 

2. Partnership Strategy & Agency Enablement 

• Serve as the primary strategic liaison to one of Zeta’s largest agency partners, ensuring unified GTM strategies and operational consistency across all Tier 2 & Tier 3 Auto engagements. 
• Partner with agency leadership and internal stakeholders to standardize intake, workflow, and collaboration processes that increase speed and efficiency across RFPs, retention, and upsell opportunities. 
• Support new business and upsell opportunities by crafting strategic narratives, audience insights, and activation frameworks that highlight Zeta’s unique value proposition. 
• Liaise with Product Marketing to ensure competitive differentiation, messaging alignment, and category-specific positioning in all go-to-market materials. 

3. Performance Measurement & Intelligence Integration 

• Collaborate with Activation Analytics and Data Cloud teams to build and maintain repeatable measurement frameworks tailored to Tier 2 and Tier 3 Auto KPIs such as CPL, VDP engagement, showroom visits, and digital retail conversions. 
• Drive Agile Intelligence adoption to optimize campaigns in-flight and provide data-driven insights that inform future media and audience strategies. 
• Create executive-level reporting frameworks that translate campaign performance into compelling business stories for agency and client leadership. 

4. Process, Product, and GTM Standardization 

• Partner across teams to develop standardized templates, playbooks, and best practices that scale Tier 2 and Tier 3 Auto activation strategy across the organization. 
• Liaise with Product Marketing and Product Management to translate market needs, activation insights, and client feedback into product roadmap recommendations. 
• Ensure strong pre- to post-sales alignment, including closed-loop validation of pricing, measurement, audience taxonomy, and execution requirements. 
• Uphold and continuously improve Zeta’s pre-sales workflow discipline, ensuring efficiency, quality, and cross-functional clarity. 

REQUIREMENTS

• 5-7 years of experience in media strategy, activation, or partnership enablement, preferably within the automotive vertical (Tier 2 or Tier 3). 
• Deep understanding of OEM, co-op, and regional dealer association models, including compliance and funding structures. 
• Proven experience developing data-driven activation strategies that connect first-party data, media performance, and measurement. 
• Proficiency with Google Ads, Meta, DV360, YouTube, CTV/OTT, and programmatic buying platforms; strong understanding of attribution and full-funnel optimization. 
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to simplify complex concepts for executive audiences. 
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with Product Marketing to align GTM messaging, competitive positioning, and client-facing enablement content. 
• Skilled at cross-functional partnership across Sales, Product, Data Cloud, and Analytics teams. 

WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS

The Director, Activation Partnership Strategy – Auto plays a mission-critical role in expanding Zeta’s automotive footprint. By bridging intelligence, data, and media performance, this leader will: 

• Establish Zeta as the preferred data-driven activation partner for Tier 2 and Tier 3 automotive organizations. 
• Drive predictable, measurable, and repeatable success across top agency and OEM-aligned partnerships. 
• Strengthen Zeta’s market position and competitive differentiation in one of the most dynamic and performance-oriented verticals. 

BENEFITS & PERKS

• Unlimited PTO
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Employee Equity
• Employee Discounts, Virtual Wellness Classes, and Pet Insurance And more!!

SALARY RANGE

The salary range for this role is $140,000 - $150,000, depending on location and experience. 

PEOPLE & CULTURE AT ZETA

Zeta considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Zeta discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.  

We’re committed to building a workplace culture of trust and belonging, so everyone feels invited to bring their whole selves to work. We provide a forum for employees to celebrate, support and advocate for one another. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion here:  https://zetaglobal.com/blog/a-look-into-zetas-ergs/ 

ZETA IN THE NEWS!

https://zetaglobal.com/press/?cat=press-releases 

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