Agency and Brand-Direct Navigation

Your ability to penetrate key accounts and secure large-scale commitments is vital to your success in this role.

Be ready to go over:

• Holding Company Dynamics – Navigating the complex structures of major agency holding companies (e.g., GroupM, Publicis, Omnicom).
• Upfront Negotiations – Structuring and executing long-term commitment deals.
• Co-Selling – Collaborating with internal programmatic specialist teams to close complex hybrid deals.

Example scenarios:

• "Walk through your strategy for securing a meeting with the head of CTV investment at a major agency holding company."
• "Describe how you would approach a brand-direct client who is hesitant to buy streaming ads because they believe their target audience doesn't stream."

As an Account Executive at Roku, your daily activities are focused on driving revenue and building long-term strategic partnerships.

• Revenue Generation – You will prospect, pitch, and close ad sales opportunities with major agencies and brands, consistently meeting or exceeding quarterly revenue targets.
• Strategic Consulting – You will act as a trusted advisor to your clients, helping them navigate the transition from linear TV to CTV by leveraging Roku's unique data and ad solutions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration – You will partner with internal teams, including Account Managers who handle post-sale execution, Sales Planners who build media plans, and Product Specialists who support programmatic offerings.
• Market Intelligence – You will gather client feedback and market insights to help inform Roku's product roadmap and ad-solution development.

Roku looks for highly motivated sales professionals who possess a strong track record of success in digital media or TV ad sales.

• Must-have credentials:
  • Proven track record of meeting or exceeding ad sales quotas in CTV, digital video, or programmatic environments.
  • Established relationships with key decision-makers at major ad agencies and brand-direct accounts.
  • Deep understanding of the programmatic landscape and digital ad technologies.
  • Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data and use it to build compelling sales stories.
• Nice-to-have credentials:
  • Experience selling SaaS or ad-tech platform solutions (DSPs).
  • Prior experience working directly with ACR data or advanced TV measurement solutions.
  • Strong public speaking skills and experience presenting at industry events.

Q: How long does the interview process typically take? A: The entire process, from the initial recruiter screen to the final offer, generally takes between three to four weeks. However, regional restructuring or internal hiring freezes can occasionally cause delays, so maintaining open communication with your recruiter is important.

Q: What is the balance between programmatic and direct sales in this role? A: Roku is heavily focused on programmatic growth, particularly through OneView. While direct sales of custom sponsorships and premium inventory remain important, you should expect to discuss programmatic strategies and PMP deals extensively during your interviews.

Q: How technical do I need to be for the presentation round? A: You do not need to be a data scientist, but you must be comfortable working with spreadsheets, identifying trends in campaign data, and explaining technical concepts like reach and frequency optimization, attribution modeling, and data-matching methodologies.

Q: What is the culture like within the Roku sales organization? A: The sales culture is highly collaborative and fast-paced. Success requires close coordination with internal support teams, so individuals who are highly collaborative and possess strong relationship-management skills tend to thrive.

• Master the Roku Product Suite: Do not just focus on CTV ad slots. Understand Roku's home screen ad placements, custom content hubs, and interactive ad units. Showing a holistic understanding of the Roku user experience is highly valued.
• Be Prepared for Rigorous Follow-ups: During your presentation, the panel will intentionally push back on your recommendations to see how you handle pressure. Remain calm, defend your logic using the data provided, and acknowledge when you would need to consult internal specialists for more granular details.
• Showcase Your Agency Network: Be ready to name-drop specific agency teams and brands you have worked with. Roku wants to know that you can immediately open doors and bring active opportunities to the table.
• Understand the Competitive Landscape: Be ready to articulate exactly why an advertiser should choose Roku over competitors like Amazon, Samsung, or Vizio. Focus on Roku's scale, its proprietary ACR data, and its user-friendly operating system.

The Account Executive role at Roku is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of television advertising. By combining Roku's massive scale, proprietary first-party data, and advanced programmatic tools, you can help brands achieve unprecedented marketing success.

To succeed in this highly competitive interview process, focus on mastering the CTV landscape, refining your programmatic expertise, and preparing for the intensive mock pitch round. Demonstrating a balance of analytical capability and strategic sales acumen will set you apart from other candidates.

The compensation for this role typically includes a competitive base salary, a strong commission structure tied to revenue targets, and equity in the form of Roku stock. When evaluating your offer, consider the high growth potential of the streaming TV market and the strategic value of representing an industry leader like Roku. For more detailed insights into compensation packages and interview preparation resources, you can explore additional data on Dataford.