Head of US Commerce and Retail Media

Job Description

The Head of US Commerce & Retail Media will lead a dynamic, highly collaborative, growth-oriented capability team that sits within dentsu Media’s investment management and activation group, which services all three of dentsu’s media agencies: Carat, dentsu X, and iProspect. As the head of this fast-growing media practice, the Head of US Commerce & Retail Media will play a critical role in defining dentsu Media’s holistic commerce & retail media vision and strategy, while delivering excellence in all media planning, buying, and investment operations – both current and future. This role sits at the intersection of modern media. To bridge dentsu’s buy-side (on-site and off-site), sell-side, and in-store retail activities, the EVP will also sit on the leadership team of dentsu’s Retail Media Solutions group, which encompasses dentsu’s retail sell-side practice. This position will report to the Head of Search & Commerce, with a dotted line to the Head of Retail Media Solutions.

Qualifications

1. VISION & STRATEGY
• Actively participate in the development and communication of dentsu Media’s forward-looking vision for commerce and retail media.
• In alignment with the agency’s overall goals & business objectives, define and deliver the holistic commerce & retail media strategy, inclusive of onsite and offsite media.
• Identify emerging trends, technologies, and opportunities in commerce & retail media to stay ahead of the curve and shape agency priorities, perspectives, and solutions.
• Champion innovation efforts spanning all aspects of the practice, from ideation through execution, bringing first-to-market solutions, tools, and processes to remain at the forefront of the retail industry.

2. CAPABILITY / TEAM LEADERSHIP
• Manage a large, distributed team of strategic leaders and practitioners within the network, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration that encourages continuous learning and improvement.
• Recruit (and retain) top talent that possesses the expertise needed to deliver on the vision.
• Oversee the implementation and execution of best-in-class commerce and retail media planning and buying, with an emphasis on operational excellence and customer-centricity.
• Run a profitable and operationally-sound business that is well-positioned for growth into the future.
• Support business development efforts and play a key role in new & organic growth; maintain executive level visibility into growth pipeline.

3. CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION & INTEGRATION
• Navigate a highly matrixed organization with several ‘hands” touching commerce and retail across the network.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and cross-functional capability leaders to identify partnership, integration, and upselling/cross-selling opportunities.
• Collaborate with creative, analytics, and product teams to unlock and facilitate holistic commerce & retail solutions that address market & client needs.

4. PARTNERSHIPS
• Manage and grow strategic partnerships with media vendors and technology partners to advance dentsu’s vision and create value for our organization and clients.
• In partnership with Trading teams, advise and lead Joint Business Plan (JBP) negotiations with relevant media partners and RMNs (Retail Media Networks).

5. CLIENT STEWARDSHIP
• Serve as primary point of contact for retail leaders within client organizations, gaining a deep understanding of their needs and providing tailored solutions. This includes C-level clients, retail media leaders, and Retail executives that own the core partnerships, and relationships with retailers (controlling distribution, merchant strategies), etc.
• Conduct regular client reviews and meetings to assess client satisfaction and address any concerns or issues.
• For key client accounts, provide exec-level guidance on integrated media planning efforts such as budget allocations, on-site and off-site buying strategies, closed loop analysis, and more.

Required Experience:

• 3+ years’ experience either working for a Retail Media Network or a Brand executing retail media
• 5+ years’ experience in professional services
• 15+ years’ experience in digital marketing
• Proven track record of converting retail media into business results
• Demonstrable knowledge of the US retail environment, including the AdTech required to execute retail media advertising
• Demonstrated success in building and managing complex business processes across multiple internal teams in a high-growth environment

Additional Information

Employees from diverse or underrepresented backgrounds encouraged to apply.
Dentsu (the "Company") is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate a