Associate Director, Commerce & Retail Media, New Stream Media

dentsu•Chicago, NY

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Commerce & Retail Media team at dentsu leads strategy, activation, and optimization for a large Retail Media client. We are looking for a dynamic, collaborative, and experienced leader to join our growing team. As the Associate Director, Commerce & Retail Media, you will serve as a player-coach, balancing strategic account leadership with people leadership. You will oversee a team of Strategic and Execution Leads while maintaining ownership of a portfolio of key supplier relationships. This role is responsible for driving operational excellence, fostering strong client and supplier partnerships, coaching and developing team members, and ensuring consistent execution across the organization. You will partner closely with Sales, Analytics, Activation, and senior leadership to solve complex business challenges, drive growth opportunities, and continuously improve the client experience. This role reports to the Group Director, Commerce & Retail Media.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, Analytics, or a related field preferred.
8+ years of digital performance marketing experience in eCommerce, retail media, search, programmatic, or a related field.
3+ years of people leadership experience, including coaching, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams.
Proven experience managing strategic client or supplier relationships and leading executive-level business discussions.
Strong business acumen with the ability to balance strategic thinking and day-to-day operational execution.
Demonstrated ability to lead through change while managing multiple competing priorities and stakeholders.
Experience building cross-functional partnerships and driving alignment across Sales, Analytics, Activation, and Operations teams.
Excellent communication, presentation, and executive presence.
Proven ability to identify business opportunities, solve complex problems, and develop scalable solutions.
Experience managing organizational priorities, resource planning, and team workload.
Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into strategic business recommendations.
Passion for developing people, improving processes, and driving business growth.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with retail media networks, eCommerce ecosystems, and digital advertising platforms preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a team of Strategic and Execution Leads, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Serve as the primary escalation point for complex supplier, seller, operational, and team-related issues.
Maintain ownership of a strategic portfolio of supplier relationships while serving as a trusted advisor to internal and external stakeholders.
Partner with Sales leadership to develop account strategies, prioritize resources, and ensure consistent support across the organization.
Drive strategic planning, business reviews, and growth initiatives across assigned accounts.
Establish and reinforce best practices, operational processes, and quality standards across the Account Management team.
Balance leadership responsibilities with active involvement in strategic accounts, serving as both a leader and hands-on contributor.
Collaborate across Analytics, Activation, Planning, Finance, and Operations teams to solve complex business challenges and improve operational efficiency.
Monitor account health, team capacity, workload distribution, and overall business performance, making recommendations to optimize support models.
Support hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, and career development for team members.
Champion innovation, thought leadership, and continuous improvement across the Commerce & Retail Media organization.
Contribute to organizational planning, change management initiatives, and long-term business strategy.