Director, Automotive Sales & Strategy

Title: Director, Automotive Sales and Strategy.

Compensation: $200K-$250K

Location: NYC, LA, Chicago, Irving

Position Overview:

Nexstar Media Group, the nation’s largest local broadcasting company and a leading digital media organization, is seeking a dynamic and results-driven Sales Director to lead our strategic sales initiatives within the Auto Dealership category.

This role will be responsible for driving revenue growth by positioning Nexstar’s cutting-edge advertising and marketing solutions—spanning digital, linear, and AdTech platforms—to independent and franchise auto dealerships across the country. This leader will be instrumental in building a go-to-market strategy, supporting sales teams through enablement and coaching, and delivering best-in-class advertising solutions to meet dealership-specific challenges.

Key Responsibilities:

• Category Ownership: Serve as the national subject matter expert for the Auto Dealership category, owning sales strategy, execution, and revenue performance.
• Solution Selling: Position Nexstar’s suite of AdTech and SaaS solutions—including programmatic, OTT, CTV, search, social, and CRM integrations—to meet the performance marketing needs of auto dealers.
• Sales Enablement: Equip local and regional sales teams with playbooks, value propositions, and sales collateral specific to the auto vertical.
• Coaching & Development: Provide ongoing coaching, joint sales calls, and pipeline reviews to accelerate sales team proficiency and deal velocity.
• Positioning & Messaging: Craft category-specific messaging frameworks that align with auto dealership marketing objectives (inventory turnover, foot traffic, lead gen, etc.).
• Revenue Growth: Drive measurable revenue increases within the automotive vertical through direct customer engagement and by enabling local market teams.
• Partnership Management: Collaborate with AdTech partners and vendors to ensure robust product offering and execution tailored for auto dealers.
• Market Intelligence: Stay ahead of industry trends, OEM incentives, dealership marketing shifts, and competitive landscapes to inform strategy.

Required Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in digital media, AdTech, or SaaS sales, with at least 3 years focused on the automotive vertical.
• Deep understanding of auto dealership marketing needs and dealer-specific AdTech solutions (e.g., inventory-based dynamic ads, VDP targeting, attribution, Tier 3 campaigns).
• Proven track record of sales leadership, preferably in a matrixed or multi-market organization.
• Demonstrated success in sales enablement, go-to-market planning, and team coaching.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate performance data into actionable insights for clients and teams.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and client-facing skills. Willingness to travel up to 30% to support market teams and key client relationships.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience selling into Tier 2 and Tier 3 auto dealerships.
• Familiarity with platforms such as CDK Global, Dealer.com, LotLinx, Cars.com, or similar.
• Salesforce or similar CRM proficiency.