OpenAI is expanding its engagement with advertising agencies as it looks to turn experimental advertising on ChatGPT into recurring media investments from brands.
The company is hiring an Agency Partner for its Ads Solutions team in New York, offering an annual base salary of $216,000 to $273,000, along with equity and commission. The role will focus on building relationships with major advertising agency groups and developing joint business plans to encourage sustained advertiser spending.
According to OpenAI’s careers listing, the position involves working with agency executives across media investment, planning, strategy, innovation, data and commerce. The successful candidate will also be responsible for familiarising agency teams with OpenAI’s advertising products and developing partnerships with both independent agencies and large advertising holding companies.
The recruitment comes as OpenAI seeks to expand its advertising business. In August, the company said ChatGPT ads had achieved an annualised revenue run rate of $1 billion in less than 200 days, with tens of thousands of advertisers using the platform.
OpenAI has set ambitious revenue targets, projecting $2.5 billion in advertising revenue for 2026 and $100 billion by 2030. However, the Financial Times has reported that the company’s overall annualised revenue remained below the $20 billion figure previously indicated.
Moving beyond pilot campaigns
Building relationships with agencies could help OpenAI turn initial advertiser interest into more predictable spending commitments. Joint business plans typically establish annual arrangements between platforms and agencies, often covering spending targets, measurement support, preferential pricing and early access to advertising products.
Omnicom, WPP and Dentsu were among the agency groups involved in OpenAI’s US advertising pilot, launched in February with a reported minimum spending commitment of around $200,000, according to Adweek.
OpenAI has also been expanding its advertising infrastructure. Its advertising-related vacancies increased from 19 in early May to 32 by late July. In May, the company opened its self-serve Ads Manager to all US advertisers, introduced cost-per-click bidding and removed the minimum spending requirement that applied during the pilot. It is also building a team focused on attracting small and midsize businesses.
The company has recruited advertising industry veterans to strengthen its commercial operations. David Dugan, formerly Meta’s vice president of global clients and agencies, joined OpenAI in March as head of global ads solutions. Samantha Jacobson, previously chief strategy officer at The Trade Desk, joined as vice president of partnerships. Andy Sinn, a former Meta agency partner and global account lead for Asia-Pacific, is working with brands and agencies across Australia and New Zealand.
The agency recruitment drive signals OpenAI’s effort to position ChatGPT as a more established advertising channel, competing with existing digital platforms for a regular share of brands’ media budgets.
