Job Description:
Rakuten International oversees 7 businesses with over 4,000 employees globally. The brand is recognized for its leadership and innovation in e-commerce, digital content, advertising, entertainment and communications, bringing the joy of discovery and access to more than 1 billion members across the world. Our teams deliver on the company's mission to delight merchants and customers through innovation, optimism, and teamwork.
Rakuten Advertising provides advertising technology and consumer insights to the world's leading brands and retailers. Working with agencies and brands around the world, Rakuten Advertising unites technology, client strategy and consumer insights to deliver advertising experiences that drive increased brand awareness and marketing performance. With access to Rakuten's diverse media properties and audiences, combined with an award-winning performance network and proprietary consumer research, Rakuten Advertising creates the right conditions to reach new customers and sustain long-lasting loyalty
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Job Summary:
The EMEA Publisher Acquisition team is responsible for identifying new prospects and recruiting for the publisher network, both in core verticals, categories, as well as key markets, and for building direct relationships to onboard new publishers into the network, introducing them to our services and technology with the goal of activating them across Rakuten Advertising's portfolio of clients and deliver on challenging target goals.
The Publisher Acquisition Manager is crucial in expanding our publisher network, focusing on depth and breadth within a specific region, vertical, or key project. This role directly contributes to client satisfaction and the achievement of Publisher and Rakuten Advertising objectives.
Reporting to the Director, Publisher Acquisition EMEA, you will build direct relationships to acquire and onboard new publishers, introducing them to our services and technology to drive activation across Rakuten Advertising's client portfolio. You will collaborate closely with Commercial teams, matching publisher opportunities to business needs. As an internal advocate for new partners, you will promote new publisher opportunities across the organization, supporting their growth.
Key Responsibilities:
- Proactively prospect and engage mid-tier and premium publishers based on market, vertical, and business needs through high-volume outreach (phone, email, LinkedIn, virtual/onsite meetings) with compelling pitches.
- Develop and maintain a robust pipeline in Salesforce, ensuring accurate data entry and consistent progress towards targets and overall business growth. Work towards a quota and potential revenue target to achieve set objectives.
- Regularly update management on successes, challenges, and pipeline progress, providing clear visibility into performance.
- Provide account onboarding and activation support.
- Build meaningful relationships with key prospects and decision-makers, expanding opportunities through new innovative collaborations.
- Represent Rakuten Advertising in the market, educating prospects on the benefits of affiliate marketing to drive network recruitment.
- Act as an internal advocate, educating global Commercial teams (Sales and Client Services) and promoting newly recruited publishers to maximize partnership approval.
- Learn and educate publishers on our product capabilities to increase adoption, driving deeper product adoption with Rakuten services.
- Attend industry events.
- Stay updated on industry and new publisher trends and provide insights to stakeholders.
Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Ability
- Proven track record of meeting and exceeding targets, with the ability to clearly report on progress, metrics, and results.
- Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills with internal and external clients.
- Proactive, goal-oriented forward thinker, focused on revenue-driven strategies.
- Strong ownership mentality with a positive outlook and drive.
- Ability to build internal relationships and develop external relationships. Partner closely with the Director as well as key internal and external stakeholders to develop the pipeline and recruitment strategies.
- Ability to understand business objectives and effectively translate them into action.
- Excellent understanding of partner business potential to drive cross-network performance (local and global).
- Partners with Regional Acquisition Managers to recommend improvements and efficiencies for increasing partnerships on the network.
- Ability to work cross-functionally and support client needs while aligning with publisher group KPIs.
- Flexibility to travel, depending on business needs.
Skills
- Salesforce literate with an understanding of effective pipeline management.
- Technical proficiency with publisher technology or tools (reporting, APIs, tracking).
- Proficiency in Microsoft PPT and Excel (data pivoting) for client-ready reports and presentations.
- Strong commercial acumen and outstanding negotiation skills.
- Capable of product consulting and explaining technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
- Knowledge of an additional EU language is desirable.
Minimum Requirements:
- 5+ years of progressive experience in account management or business development.
- Solid knowledge of the affiliate space with expertise in digital marketing strategies/solutions and major affiliates.
- Bachelor's degree in marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field required.
Five Principles for Success
Our worldwide practices describe specific behaviors that make Rakuten unique and united across the world. We expect Rakuten employees to model these 5 Shugi Principles of Success.
Always improve, Always Advance - Only be satisfied with complete success - Kaizen
Passionately Professional - Take an uncompromising approach to your work and be determined to be the best
Hypothesize - Practice - Validate - Shikumika - Use the Rakuten Cycle to succeed in unknown territory
Maximize Customer Satisfaction - The greatest satisfaction for our teams is seeing their customers smile
Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! - Always be conscious of time - take charge, set clear goals, and engage your team