Director, Account Executive

At Nielsen, we are passionate about our work to power a better media future for all people by providing powerful insights that drive client decisions and deliver extraordinary results. Our talented, global workforce is dedicated to capturing audience engagement with content - wherever and whenever it’s consumed. Together, we are proudly rooted in our deep legacy as we stand at the forefront of the media revolution. When you join Nielsen, you will join a dynamic team committed to excellence, perseverance, and the ambition to make an impact together. We champion you, because when you succeed, we do too. We enable your best to power our future.

With our expansive suite of Sports measurement products and services, Nielsen is uniquely positioned to provide insights and intelligence which help drive more effective decision making for our clients. 

Nielsen is seeking a strategic Sales Lead to champion our Sports Measurement Solutions portfolio. This leadership role is pivotal in driving new business acquisition and strategic expansion across our marquee portfolio of global brands, agencies, and publishers. Reporting to the VP of Global Product Sales, you will architect and execute the U.S. commercial strategy for this pillar, leveraging deep market insight to empower clients to optimize their sponsorship investments and deepen fan engagement. By orchestrating cross-functional expertise, you will deliver sophisticated, data-driven solutions that align with client marketing objectives and fuel sustainable revenue growth.

The position will require being in the office at least 3 days per week.

 Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Sales Strategy

• Drive Revenue Growth: Define and execute the U.S. sales strategy for the Sports Measurement product portfolio, aligning efforts with company-wide commercial objectives. Achieve aggressive revenue and quota targets through disciplined, high-impact sales motions focused on new logo acquisition and strategic expansion of existing accounts.
• Product Advocacy & Innovation: Act as a key stakeholder in product development by identifying market gaps, advocating for product enhancements, and collaborating with cross-functional teams (Product, Technology, Operations) to launch new capabilities that drive revenue and client satisfaction.
• Executive Relationship Management: Build trusted, senior level relationships with key clients, partners, and stakeholders, fostering deep, long-term partnerships across client organizations.
• Industry Thought Leadership: Represent Nielsen at industry and client events, serving as a primary advocate and contributor to marketing and communication initiatives.

Client Strategy & Deal Management

• Consultative Sales & Negotiation: Lead the end-to-end sales lifecycle—from prospecting to closing various deal types, including complex, multi-year master agreements. Utilize deep industry expertise and Nielsen’s suite of solutions to demonstrate value, address specific business objectives, and drive revenue growth.
• Sales Forecasting: Provide detailed and accurate forecasts on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis.
• Expert Client Engagement: Provide authoritative product expertise during high-stakes pitches, translating complex technical insights into clear ROI based value propositions for brands, agencies, and publishers.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinate with internal partners (Account Management, Legal, Finance, Consulting & Research) to develop proposals, manage pricing, and ensure high-quality delivery across all client projects.

Team Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Mentor & Lead: Develop and inspire a team of sales professionals, fostering a culture of accountability, integrity, and operational excellence.
• Performance Management: Set clear goals and KPIs, implementing rigorous review cycles and providing feedback to ensure continuous team improvement and revenue target achievement.
• Sales Enablement: Partner with revenue operations, pricing, and enablement leadership to optimize sales processes, technology utilization (e.g., Salesforce), and forecasting workflows for maximum efficiency.

• Bachelor’s degree and 15 years of progressive experience in sales, business development, or account management within the sports marketing, media, or research industries.
• Experience cultivating and influencing high-level relationships with Senior level stakeholders, business intelligence leads, and partner executives.
• Proven track record of consistently exceeding high-stakes revenue targets and managing complex, full-lifecycle sales cycles.
• Proven track record of accurate revenue management and disciplined pipeline oversight, with experience reporting performance metrics to executive leadership.
• Deep domain expertise in the sports marketing and sponsorship landscape, with a proven ability to synthesize market intelligence, anticipate industry shifts, and shape long-term commercial strategy.
• Demonstrated success in leading and mentoring high-performance sales organizations to drive collective achievement and professional development.
• Knowledge of Nielsen’s business, product suite, methodology, and integrated sponsorship solutions preferred.
• Intellectual curiosity and a self-starter mindset, with the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, matrixed organization.
• Highly organized with the ability to prioritize and execute multiple concurrent responsibilities while maintaining extreme attention to detail.
• Exceptional business communication, proposal writing, and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical insights into clear, persuasive value propositions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to independently analyze data to derive insights and actionable recommendations for clients.
• High degree of technical proficiency in Google Suite and Microsoft Office (specifically Excel: pivot tables, functions, charts).

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Enabling your best to power a better media future.

Holistic Rewards: We are committed to an inclusive benefits package that supports our employees and their families. This includes comprehensive health and wellness plans, a 401(k) with a Nielsen company match, and a generous paid time off policy. Depending on the role, additional benefits may include a company-provided vehicle and/or discretionary incentive/bonus eligibility.

Compensation Transparency: The posted base salary range is a reasonable estimate that  may be adjusted based on the final work location of the selected employee. Individual pay within the range is determined by factors such as experience, training, geography, certifications, and business needs. Beyond base salary, this role may be eligible for bonuses, equity, or other incentives.

Nielsen makes hiring decisions without regard to disability status, protected veteran status, or membership in any other protected class.

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