Strategic Growth Specialist
Summary
GumGum is a global technology and media company specializing in contextual intelligence. For over a decade, we have applied our proven machine learning expertise to extract value from digital content for the advertising industry. The company’s contextual advertising engine, Verity™, comprehends the meaning of text, images and video online, allowing marketers to safely and precisely place ads where people are most engaged. Combining that contextual targeting and brand safety intelligence with proprietary high-impact ad formats, GumGum’s advertising solutions deliver industry leading efficiency, accuracy and performance.
The Strategic Growth Specialist is responsible for partnering across the Growth team to drive domestic deal demand (managed direct & programmatic). This involves taking a proactive approach, being a trusted advisor and thought partner to Sales and CGO, and bringing clarity, simplicity, and solutions, both internally and for our clients.
The Strategic Growth Team focuses 95%+ of its time in the Pre-Deal stage of the sales cycle, when opportunities do not have a voiced budget (or, if programmatic, are not planning for a specific initiative). The Strategic Growth Team’s primary quantitative measure of success is total received RFP value (i.e., deal demand). This involves partnering with Sales and CGO on Pre-Deal efforts for:
1. Strategic accounts
2. Qualified ad-hoc projects beyond strategic accounts.
The Strategic Growth Specialist participates in key client meetings associated with his/her Pre-Deal partnership with Sales.
The Strategic Growth Team is also responsible for the following throughout the sales cycle for strategic accounts:
3. Deal Response phase: Thoroughly briefing pod during RFP Brainstorms for strategic accounts
4. Across sales cycle phases: Leading cross-functional understanding of account strategy and needs to drive client solutions for strategic accounts
The Strategic Growth Specialist is responsible for delivering on the Strategic Growth Team’s four core responsibilities (above).
Please note, GumGum is only open to hiring remote candidates who are residents in the following states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, and MN.
Responsibilities
- For Strategic Accounts, partner with Sales to create, socialize, and drive execution of an account strategy & plan, as well as respond to unanticipated Pre-Deal needs/requests
- Lead creation of account strategy & plan (Pre-Deal for current half-year). This involves working with the seller and Sales Leader to level-set on account history, advertiser’s business health, priorities, and needs, and 2021 account objectives. Then working with the seller and Sales Leader to define an account strategy and half-year plan to maximize deal demand.
- Lead socialization of account strategy & plan. This involves sharing level-set information, the account strategy, and the account plan with the pod, making refinements based on pod feedback, and finalizing.
- Drive execution of account strategy & plan. This involves using the account strategy & plan as the ‘north star’ to align with the pod, evaluate progress, and discuss account developments that may warrant a change. Specifically, the Strategic Growth Specialist is expected to lead a recurring strategic account pod meeting (at least monthly) to evaluate progress and discuss account developments; he/she should guide each recurring pod meeting using an Account Snapshot, which ties back to the account strategy and plan.
- Partner with the seller and Sales Leader on unanticipated Pre-Deal needs/requests associated with the account. The Strategic Growth Specialist is expected to partner with him/her Sales counterparts to scope and prioritize, relative to proactive actions/outputs that are part of the account plan
- Beyond Strategic Accounts, partner with Sales or CGO on ad-hoc projects
- Lead delivery of qualified ad-hoc projects, working with Sales Leader and seller. Projects may be led by any Strategic Growth team member, regardless of region, and will be matched based primarily on skill/knowledge required and bandwidth.
- Not only must the project be delivered on time, independently, and of high quality, the Strategic Growth Specialist works with Sales initially to scope the project (i.e., what will be the output, what role will he/she play, what is needed from the seller and Sales Leader, timing). This may require setting expectations and recommending an alternative approach with efficiency in mind, based on information available and time constraints.
- Promotes the request and qualification process, by reminding sellers and Sales Leaders to use the sales request form, and by redirecting them appropriately when out-of-scope requests are made.
- For Strategic Accounts, thoroughly brief pod during RFP Brainstorms
- Provide a thorough briefing during the RFP brainstorm for each strategic account.
- Promotes the distinction between Pre-Deal (Strategic Growth Team) and Deal Response (Client Solutions Team) stage partnership.
- For Strategic Accounts, lead cross-functional understanding of account strategy and needs to drive client solutions for strategic accounts
- Leads monthly ‘market needs and knowledge sharing discussions’ with at least one of the following groups:
- Marketing leads (content, design, product marketing)
- Operations leads (BI, AdOps, PubDev, AM)
- Programmatic leads (PSM)
- Product and creative leads (product management, design)
- This involves working with other Strategic Growth Team members to prepare for a productive discussion, leading the meeting, and following-up on next steps
- Leads monthly ‘market needs and knowledge sharing discussions’ with at least one of the following groups:
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business or a related discipline
- 4-6 years of work experience, ideally with exposure to a mix of strategy, media buying, sales, pre-sales, or customer success in high growth tech companies or agencies
- Account strategy and plan creation, socialization, and communication
- Attention to detail
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
- Solid understanding of online advertising and how media agency operate
- A blend of creative and analytical skill sets and capabilities
- Ability to scope and manage projects
- A ‘strategist-meets-seller’ with a drive to win business
- A problem solver who can identify and communicate client needs, and internally bring clarity, simplicity, and collaboration to drive solutions
- Self-starter with proactive mentality and ability to deliver quality results
Benefits & Perks
- Competitive health, vision and dental benefits
- Healthcare including 100% premium coverage for employee + spouse/family
- Dependent care FSA
- Employer-matched 401(k) plan
- Stock incentive program (role dependent)
- Paid parental leave - birth parents can receive up to 16 - 18 weeks for birth recovery and baby bonding. Non-birth parents can receive up to 10 weeks for baby bonding
- Goodly - student loan contribution plan
- WFH monthly stipend
- Anniversary recognition and awards
- Fitness reimbursement and wellness workshops
- Discounted pet health program
- Flexible time off and work schedule
- Pet friendly organization - we love our fur babies! Check us out on Instagram @dogsofgumgum
- Incredible work/life balance with a collaborative and friendly work space
- A team that has transitioned to remote work impressively, and remains highly collaborative and connected
- GumGum Gives Back volunteering opportunities
- Virtual company events and (optional) in-person celebrations
- Virtual monthly team bonding events
Career & Development Focus
- Ongoing learning and development for education opportunities such as webinars, books, classes, relevant conferences and events
- Opportunities to pursue business related side projects and yearly Hackathon
- Highly encouraged to contribute to open source software, including our own open source software
- Environment of learning from peers, including meetups, presentations and blog posts
- Opportunity to work with cutting edge technology
- Life Skills sessions - geared towards the whole life/ health / person
- Leadership Bites Dinner Series - connecting current and future GumGum leaders over great food and meaningful conversation
- The VOICE Coalition - through our council committee, The VOICE Coalition’s mission is to build an equitable, supportive, and inclusive culture where all voices are heard and all differences are celebrated through thoughtful, engaging, and authentic programming and community involvement. We’ve created awareness and appreciation for our employees through Hispanic Heritage month, Women of GumGum, Asian Pacific American, GG Pride, etc.
Optional return to office: Our big vision for our futuristic “Farmhouses” in 2022!
- Offices will now be referred to as the “GumGum Farmhouse” -- a futuristic space centered around a bigger purpose: flexibility, sustainability, community, and growth!
- GumGum will continue to be a flexible/remote-friendly environment, however, offices will re-open in 2022 for any employees who choose to come in to collaborate, participate in an event, host your clients, contribute to our growing of plants/herbs/vegetables/etc.
Our Values…
Thoughtful…We listen to understand different perspectives, show everyone respect, and relentlessly seek solutions for our clients (internal and external)
Agility…We are quick, nimble, and change direction gracefully, while maintaining control.
Grit…We bring energy and perseverance to everything we do.
Our Culture...
GumGum expands globally! Our company recently acquired JustPremium, a European-based company that utilizes creatives as a means to develop digital environments. JustPremium’s rich media is one of the largest in the world, and brings forward higher performing ads that adds value to GumGum’s already thriving contextual intelligence. With this acquisition, we now have 375 + employees globally, as well as new market expansion including Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, and Mexico. Together we will become the most powerful global solution for a cookieless future through contextual technology and high-impact creatives.
GumGum recently earned LA’s Best Places to Work Award in 2021 by BuiltInLA, and Inc. Magazine’s Best Places to Work in 2020 and it’s no surprise why. With company-sponsored social hours, annual holiday celebrations and on-site gatherings, GumGummers enjoy a fun, creative and collaborative workplace. We provide ourselves on our strong track record of giving employees the autonomy and support they need to succeed.
Check us out on Instagram: @gumgum