Local Advertising Account Executive, Axios
$150k
OTE
$60k
BASE
+ Strong Variable Commission Structure + Uncapped Earning Potential
News media company
Be an early applicant
News media company
501-1000 employees
Be an early applicant
$150k
OTE
$60k
BASE
+ Strong Variable Commission Structure + Uncapped Earning Potential
501-1000 employees
Company mission
To get you smarter, faster on what matters.
Role
Who you are
- Worthy of your time: Ideal candidates will embody a collaborative spirit, revenue mindset, and passion for the Axios mission. This position requires the following:
- 5–8+ years in sales, digital media, advertising, or related field
- Be deeply connected in your market and know how to turn relationships into revenue
- Proven ability to build and monetize a book of business
- Demonstrated success in closing new business and generating revenue from personal network
- Strong relationships with local advertisers, agencies, or business leaders in your market
- Entrepreneurial and self-starting — comfortable building from zero
- Highly networked in your local market
- Strong hunter mentality with a bias toward action
- Comfortable with ambiguity and longer ramp periods
- Excellent communicator and relationship builder
- Deep curiosity about local businesses and community dynamics
What the job involves
- The big picture: Axios is a media company dedicated to delivering trustworthy, award-winning news in an audience-first format. We are building a new category of local revenue generation and are hiring Local Market Builders to help scale Axios Local across key markets
- This is not a traditional Account Executive role. This is a foundational, in-market revenue leader responsible for building Axios’ local advertising business from the ground up
- Why it matters: The Local Market Builder is the face of Axios in their city or region—responsible for developing deep relationships with local business leaders and converting those relationships into long-term advertising partnerships
- This role is critical to unlocking hyperlocal revenue and proving a scalable model for Axios Local expansion
- Go deeper: Local Market Builders are highly entrepreneurial sellers focused on building a book of business through their existing network and local market presence. In this role, you will:
- Build and own a book of business from day one, leveraging existing relationships with local decision-makers
- Prospect, pitch, and close new local advertisers (restaurants, healthcare systems, law firms, real estate, financial services, dealerships, and more)
- Develop repeatable revenue streams through renewals and long-term partnerships
- Serve as the Axios brand ambassador in-market, attending events, building community presence, and collaborating with editorial teams
- Create and manage a high-volume pipeline of deals (typical deal size: $5K–$15K)
- Operate with a founder mindset—owning outcomes, testing approaches, and building momentum in-market
- Yes, but: This is not a traditional AE role with inbound leads or established accounts
- No house accounts or inherited book — you are expected to bring and build your own
- Heavy reliance on your existing network to accelerate early revenue
- In-market presence is essential — this is a relationship-driven role
- Higher deal volume, shorter cycles, and community-based selling
- Success is driven by reputation, trust, and consistency, not just pipeline coverage
- What Success Looks Like:
- Rapid activation of your existing network into revenue-generating clients
- Consistent pipeline of new local advertisers
- Strong renewal rates and repeat business
- Established presence as a trusted partner in your market
Our take
Axios is a digital news site covering business, tech, politics, and media trends, with a focus on smart and efficient coverage. Much like rival comparable sites The Economist and Politico, it’s also diversified its media to include podcasts, newsletters, and a mobile app. Whilst it remains a major national and international news outlet, it’s also pursuing a new avenue to help shore up its position: local news.
Local news outlets have been in sharp decline over recent years: it’s too costly, with too little revenue. Axios’ plan is to opt instead for local newsletters. They’re highly advertiser-friendly, and the model itself is exceptionally scalable. So Axios may succeed where traditional efforts by other outlets like The Huffington Post (and countless local outfits) have failed.
Axios was previously held up as an exception to the mergers and acquisitions that other news outlets were enduring to weather the decline of print media. However, in order to fund the expansion into local news, Axios has been acquired by the global conglomerate (and previous investor in the company) Cox Enterprises. This is good news - Cox Enterprises owns and protects local newspapers in Ohio, and looks set to be a hands-off and values-aligned new Axios owner. In 2025, it was announced that OpenAI would be funding Axios's expansion into new US territories, suggesting even more growth on the horizon.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
60% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 3 rounds)
Dec 2019
$27m
SERIES C
Nov 2017
$20m
SERIES B
Total funding: $57m
Company benefits
- 401(k) with employer match
- Robust PPO and High Deductible health insurance options on the Blue Cross Blue Shield network
- Employer Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution for the high deductible health plan option
- Dental and vision coverage
- Primary caregiver 12-week paid leave
- Generous vacation policy, plus holidays
- One mental health day per quarter
- Annual learning and development stipend
- $100 monthly work-from-home stipend
- Tele-mental health services through Headspace
- OneMedical membership, including tele-health services
- Personal health advocacy resources through HealthAdvocate
- Inclusive fertility, hormonal health and family forming benefits through Carrot Fertility
- Access to the Axios “Family Fund”, which was created to allow employees to request financial support when facing financial hardship or emergencies
- Increased work flexibility for parents and caretakers
- Virtual company-sponsored social events
- A strong and positive work environment
- A commitment to an open, inclusive, and diverse work culture
Company HQ
Radnor - Fort Myer Heights, Arlington, VA
Leadership
Jim VandeHei
(Co-Founder & CEO)Previously a Reporter for the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, they then went on to found Politico and serve a decade as its CEO.
Mike Allen
(Co-Founder & Executive Editor)Spent nearly a decade as Politico's Chief White House correspondent before co-founding Axios in 2016.
Roy Schwartz
(Co-Founder & President)CEO of Axios HQ. Spent time as a partner at The Gallup Organization, then as VP and ultimately CRO of Politico.
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