About Firsthand
Firsthand has built the first AI-powered Brand Agent platform, transforming the way marketers and publishers engage consumers through their own AI agents, anywhere online.
While most AI applications in marketing and advertising focus on back-office automation, the Firsthand Brand Agent Platform™ powers front-line consumer engagement. Operating across both owned properties and paid media, Firsthand's Brand Agents make a company’s expertise accessible in real time, adapting to consumers’ interests and guiding them towards the information they need to take action. Central to the platform is Lakebed™, the company’s AI-first data and knowledge rights management system that ensures brands retain full ownership and control of their expertise.
Firsthand is led by Jon Heller, Michael Rubenstein, and Wei Wei, whose previous ventures helped build the foundations of modern digital advertising. Backed by Radical Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Aperiam Ventures, and Crossbeam Venture Partners, Firsthand is shaping the future of AI-driven consumer engagement.
Firsthand is headquartered in NYC, with team members working together in-office three days a week.
Firsthand is looking to hire a Senior Director, Marketer Sales to drive adoption of Brand Agents with senior marketers at the world’s leading brands.
In this pivotal role, you'll educate, evangelize, and drive adoption of a transformative new marketing model: “agents, not ads.” You’ll lead strategic sales to brand-side marketing executives, serve as a consultative partner across innovation and media teams, and help fully commercialize Firsthand’s marketer offering. You'll also collaborate across Firsthand’s buyside motions, supporting publisher campaigns and identifying strategic agency partnerships.
You are a seasoned commercial leader with a strong grasp of marketing, media, and technology. You bring experience in ad networks or programmatic, the ability to navigate complex organizations, and the entrepreneurial mindset to shape the offering as you sell it. You're comfortable engaging both business and technical stakeholders and thrive in early-stage environments where the path isn't fully paved.
The ideal candidate will be located in the New York metropolitan area.
Key Responsibilities
Lead strategic marketer engagements: Act as the point person for existing marketer-direct relationships, advancing relationships and identifying opportunities to deepen impact.
Drive the direct-to-marketer motion: Engage CMOs, Heads of Innovation, and digital marketing leaders to position Brand Agents as a strategic lever for long-term brand and consumer engagement.
Develop the marketer offering: Help define and operationalize Firsthand’s holistic offering for marketers, contributing to early commercialization strategy, vertical prioritization, product feedback, and business model development (pricing, contracts, implementation).
Lead strategic pitches: Own and lead marketer-focused pitches to build the 2026 pipeline.
Collaborate across publisher and agency motions: Partner with internal teams to identify leverage points across publisher demand and emerging agency relationships.
Run a disciplined pipeline: Forecast accurately, manage multi-stakeholder deals with rigor, and close high-value opportunities.
Act as a strategic partner: Provide structured insights to product and leadership teams to inform positioning, vertical strategy, and GTM readiness.
Qualifications
10+ years of sales experience, ideally across martech, adtech, or media
Track record of success selling to brand-side marketers at large, matrixed organizations
Experience working in or closely with ad networks and programmatic platforms; understanding of agency dynamics a plus
Ability to engage both technical and marketing stakeholders, including product, data, and legal counterparts
Comfortable in early-stage, pioneering environments; you know how to shape a product while selling it
Strategic, scrappy, and adaptive, with strong communication skills and executive presence
Entrepreneurial mindset: excited to help build and refine the offering—not just run the playbook
How to Apply
If you are ready to embark on an exhilarating journey at the forefront of AI, seize this incredible opportunity and apply here. We eagerly anticipate hearing from you!
Note: Compensation and equity will be market-competitive for well-capitalized, early stage startups and will be discussed during the interview process.
