State Advertising Lead (VIC)

_{07th August, 2026}

Join us at Gumtree Group (Gumtree, CarsGuide, Autotrader) as we grow Australia's leading classifieds and lifestyle network, reaching 1 in 4 Aussies every month.
 
The role:
 
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic State Advertising Lead to lead our advertising sales team in VIC. This senior role is pivotal in driving substantial growth, developing new business opportunities, and maintaining key relationships within the digital media landscape. The ideal candidate will be a strategic leader with strong senior market relationships and a proven track record in high-level advertising sales, reporting to the Director of Advertising and leading a team of two to three Partnership Managers and one Partnership Executive.
 
You'll play a pivotal role in positioning Gumtree Group as a key partner to agencies and clients across automotive, automotive adjacent, and horizontal categories, ensuring our advertising solutions deliver measurable value and sustainable growth. Alongside leading the team, you'll drive our non-automotive (Horizontal) sales strategy nationally, building strong C-suite relationships with key VIC clients and delivering long-term, high-impact media solutions. A key focus of this role is unlocking incremental revenue from horizontal client categories by leveraging Gumtree Group's rich first-party data, bringing the commercial acumen to identify untapped verticals, craft data-led solutions, and drive market expansion beyond the automotive core.
 
What you'll do:

• Lead, coach, and inspire a high-performing sales team, fostering a collaborative culture with clear career paths, development opportunities, and a strong focus on performance and growth
• Take full ownership of revenue delivery across VIC, including overall state targets, horizontal and automotive category performance, ensuring sustainable growth, strong margins, and commercial accountability
• Drive new business, with a focus on expanding non-automotive revenue streams while continuing to strengthen our leadership in the auto category
• Maintain a consistent in-market presence, building and deepening relationships with clients, agencies, partners, and senior decision-makers through networking and industry events, positioning Gumtree Group as a strategic business partner across VIC
• Shape client-led strategies and compelling proposals that solve real business problems and drive revenue, backed by actionable GAP plans and market insights
• Ensure CRM compliance and accurate pipeline management, driving transparency, accountability, and forecasting accuracy across the team
• Monitor and report on weekly sales performance, pipeline health, and forecasting, delivering clear insights to support strategic decision-making
• Collaborate closely with internal teams across marketing, product, and operations to deliver seamless, high-impact campaigns

• 7+ years of experience leading teams within the industry (Publisher, Media Agency, or Advertising Tech Company)
• 7+ years of digital experience, with a digital-native approach to leveraging modern tools and data-driven insights to drive growth and lead high-performing teams
• A confident, strategic sales leader with a proven track record of building and maintaining senior client and agency relationships across the market
• A collaborative team player who works openly across teams, while also taking the initiative to identify problems and drive outcomes independently
• Strong programmatic knowledge and contacts that can be leveraged to drive programmatic revenue, paired with the negotiation, commercial acumen, and business development skills to sell the benefits of both programmatic and direct sales channels
• A passion for data and digital media, with a deep understanding of the industry's future, including a thorough understanding of the digital advertising industry and media sales dynamics
• An energetic and entrepreneurial mindset, capable of working proactively and autonomously 

• Flex your schedule with hybrid work, flexible hours, and the freedom to work from anywhere for 4 weeks a year
• A $150 monthly allowance toward your preferred health insurance, plus exclusive Bupa discounts
• 20 weeks of paid parental leave and 12 weeks for secondary caregivers—we support all kinds of families
• An annual Learning and Development program designed to help you sharpen your skills and level up your career
• Your birthday off—yes, it's all about you
• Regular team events and fortnightly socials so you can connect, unwind, and have a little fun along the way
• 24/7 access to Sonder for you and your family—because your wellbeing matters