The Opportunity

For years, the Cars.com National Sales Team has been recognized by our clients as the leading national ad sales team in the digital automotive industry. If you are a strategic sales leader who loves the excitement of digital media and ad tech and working for an industry leader that is innovating rapidly, you’ve found your next role. The Director of National Sales position at Cars.com is a critical role that is responsible for growing a large book of business among a group of national (OEM) and regional (Tier 2) automotive agency, trading desk and advertising client partners. The Director’s team of Senior Account Executives and Account Executives act as strategic marketing consultants and leverage Cars.com’s full arsenal of unique capabilities, including direct display and native advertising, programmatic and audience data, social, branded content, marketing research and 20 years of real-time shopping data for business planning purposes.

The Role

Cars.com influences as much as 60% of the industry’s sales and service revenue, so we’re an indispensable partner to our OEM clients. Yet we’re underutilized by our clients, and your role is to change that.

As the regional (Midwest, West, East Coast) leader on your team’s portfolio of automotive brands, you will lead the business growth strategy, execution and development of your team and your book of business. You’ll coach, guide, support and motivate your team to be indispensable consultants to their clients. Your auto clients will see you and your team as their trusted consultants who truly understand their business challenges, provide invaluable insights drawn from Cars.com’s 20 years of invaluable data, and tailor Cars.com’s marketing and advertising solutions to help them exceed their business and marketing objectives. Through your thoughtful guidance and direction, you will foster your extensive existing relationships and build new ones with senior level auto clients and their agency and trading desk decision-makers.

Responsibilities

• Grow revenue from multi-million dollar book of business consisting of several OEM’s and Tier 2 dealer associations clustered in either the West, Midwest or East.
• Develop and nurture sales team to maximize existing solutions as well as to rapidly grow new and emerging revenue streams.
• Develop and nurture senior level client and senior (decision-maker) agency and trading desk relationships. Help team network horizontally and vertically within clients, agencies and trading desks to identify new growth opportunities
• Manage and grow a book of business across a diverse group of solutions include the selling and servicing of display advertising, data sales, programmatic advertising, custom branded content, leads and enterprise services
• Work closely with National Sales Enablement, Revenue Management, Product, Product Marketing, Research and Analytics teams to ensure your team members and their clients are set up for success
• Leverage Cars.com’s marketplace data to identify and articulate valuable insights for clients
• Match insights and marketing solutions to clients’ unique business needs
• Effectively manage revenue pipeline, contacts, sales activities and revenue tracking in Salesforce.com to achieve maximum effectiveness

Desired Skills and Attributes

• Experience leading and growing teams of experienced digital media, programmatic and data sellers. Track record of goal attainment, revenue growth and outperforming sales management peers.
• Fast-paced, energetic, positive and intellectually curious sales leader that builds relationships to create and dictate client digital marketing strategies. Should also be confident challenging the norms, innovating and building new business
• Experience creatively negotiating multi-million dollar annual contracts, as well as leading a team of hunters for ad hoc, incremental sales – preferably in the automotive industry
• Solid understanding of digital advertising and familiarity with display (direct and programmatic), native, social, data (for media and for business planning purposes) and branded content advertising.
• Solid understanding of automotive business marketing and advertising goals and strategies and how these affect product and revenue optimization
• Understanding of not only digital campaign tracking and campaign performance but also the various forms (and benefits and limitations) of attribution
• Motivated, curious and creative team player who consistently strives to exceed goals and push revenue expectations
• Familiarity with the auto industry and competitive environment including knowledge of competitive product offerings.
• Comfort with CRM sales tools such as Salesforce.com to track all pertinent account information and sales progress as well as forecast and prioritize to achieve quarterly goals
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work under pressure and multitask in a fast-paced start-up environment
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability and willingness to travel as much as needed to get the job done

Education Requirement

A Bachelor’s degree in advertising, communications, marketing, or a related discipline is preferred, though candidates with relevant experience who hold other degrees will be considered.

MBA a strong plus.

Experience Requirement

10+ years in digital media sales and/or sales management experience on the client, sales (including ad tech), or agency worlds. Enterprise sales management experience a plus.

Location: Detroit, MI, Los Angeles, CA, Chicago, IL, New York, NY

Why Cars.com?

• Competitive base salary and commission plan
• Excellent health, dental & vision insurance
• 100% paid maternity leave for up to 12 weeks
• Strong work-life balance with paid holidays and vacation
• 401(k) matching with immediate vesting
• Company HSA Contribution
• Employee stock purchase program
• Tuition reimbursement
• Company paid volunteer day
• Commuter benefits
• Gym membership discounts
• Casual dress code
• State of the art office on the Chicago river, close to public transportation
• Flexible hours and ability to work from home (eligibility may vary based on role)