Director, Digital Shelf Strategy

VML•Rogers, AR

1d•$75,000 - $180,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Digital Shelf Strategy & Content is a senior, client-facing strategist responsible for defining how brands optimize product content, discoverability, and shopper experiences across retailer and marketplace ecosystems. The role combines CPG category knowledge, retailer expertise, digital shelf intelligence, and product content strategy to improve product visibility, shopper engagement, conversion, and commercial performance. The Director translates consumer and shopper insights, retailer requirements, search behavior, competitive intelligence, and digital shelf analytics into content strategies, creative briefs, and measurable optimization roadmaps. The role serves as a strategic bridge between Commerce Strategy, Discoverability, Content, Creative, Analytics, and Retail Operations, ensuring recommendations are translated into effective execution across retailer platforms. It calls for a strong understanding of product experience management (PXM), retailer-specific content requirements, AI-powered search, and agentic commerce. This is a strategy leadership position, not a content production, syndication, or retailer portal operations role. The position leads digital shelf strategy across major retailers and marketplaces; sets discoverability and search optimization approaches; briefs and guides content development; advises on product content architecture, governance, and PXM considerations; uses analytics to guide performance optimization; and serves as a senior advisor to CPG clients. It also develops scalable frameworks, methodologies, standards, and internal capabilities, and mentors team members. VML is a global creative company combining brand experience, customer experience, and commerce. It is part of WPP. The role follows a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. The posted base salary range is $75,000–$180,000 USD; individual compensation varies based on job-related factors.

Requirements

At least 8 years of experience in digital commerce, digital shelf strategy, product content strategy, retail consulting, marketplace optimization, or related commerce disciplines.
Experience leading strategic engagements, developing client recommendations, and guiding cross-functional execution.
Strong experience working with CPG brands and major retailer ecosystems, particularly Walmart, Amazon, Target, and grocery or club retailers.
Proven ability to develop digital shelf and product content strategies that improve discoverability, shopper experience, and conversion.
Experience translating shopper insights, search intelligence, competitive analysis, and retail performance data into actionable content recommendations.
Experience developing strategic briefs and guiding creative or content teams through execution and quality assurance.
Strong understanding of product information architecture, taxonomy, retailer content requirements, and product experience management principles.
Experience with digital shelf intelligence and analytics platforms such as Profitero, Stackline, CommerceIQ, Pacvue, or comparable solutions.
Excellent client-facing communication, presentation, strategic storytelling, and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to lead cross-functional workstreams and influence execution without direct ownership of every delivery function.
Deep understanding of how product content, retailer requirements, shopper behavior, and discoverability influence commercial performance.
Ability to translate business objectives and shopper insights into differentiated product content strategies and actionable creative direction.
Understanding of retailer search, taxonomy, structured product data, and the relationship between content optimization and organic product visibility.
Practical understanding of major retailer ecosystems, CPG category dynamics, and shopper decision-making.
Ability to build client trust, communicate strategic recommendations confidently, and develop scalable frameworks and best practices.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on or strategic experience with PXM/PIM platforms, particularly Salsify, Syndigo, or equivalent solutions.
Experience defining scalable content governance models, retailer-specific content standards, and product information frameworks.
Familiarity with retailer organic search algorithms, keyword optimization, and digital shelf discoverability methodologies.
Experience developing content strategies for enhanced product detail pages, A+ Content, brand stores, and retailer-specific rich media.
Understanding of how retail media, organic discoverability, product content, and conversion performance intersect.
Exposure to AI-powered product discovery, generative search, and emerging agentic commerce requirements.
Experience developing digital shelf strategy playbooks, capability frameworks, or managed service methodologies.

Responsibilities

Lead digital shelf strategies across major retailer and marketplace ecosystems, including Walmart, Amazon, Target, Kroger, Sam's Club, and Instacart.
Translate brand objectives, category dynamics, shopper insights, and retailer requirements into actionable product content strategies.
Define retailer-specific and cross-retailer strategies for product titles, descriptions, attributes, imagery, enhanced content, taxonomy, and product storytelling.
Identify opportunities to improve discoverability, differentiation, engagement, and conversion across the digital shopping journey.
Develop strategic frameworks balancing brand consistency with retailer-specific optimization requirements.
Prioritize content optimization roadmaps based on business impact, competitive gaps, and implementation feasibility.
Define product discoverability strategies across retailer search, browse, category navigation, and emerging AI-powered shopping experiences.
Partner with Discoverability specialists to turn keyword intelligence, search trends, and organic ranking insights into product content recommendations.
Guide optimization of product titles, attributes, descriptions, taxonomy, and structured product information to improve search relevance and visibility.
Evaluate competitive product positioning, share of search, content quality, and organic discoverability to identify opportunities.
Establish scalable discoverability methodologies and monitor retailer algorithms, AI-powered search, and agentic commerce developments.
Translate strategies into actionable briefs for Content, Copy, Design, and Production teams.
Define requirements, objectives, retailer considerations, and success measures for product detail pages, enhanced content, brand stores, and other digital shelf experiences.
Provide strategic direction during content development and ensure creative work aligns with shopper needs, retailer requirements, and discoverability objectives.
Establish strategic quality assurance standards and review content deliverables, providing actionable feedback before approval and implementation.
Partner with Digital Shelf Operations and PXM teams to ensure recommendations can be executed and maintained.
Advise on product content architecture, attribute completeness, taxonomy, content governance, and retailer-specific content standards.
Understand how PXM and PIM platforms support scalable content management and retailer syndication, and partner with platform and operations specialists on structured, reusable product information.
Identify ways to improve content consistency, reuse, efficiency, and scalability across brands, categories, and retailers.
Leverage digital shelf intelligence, retailer analytics, and competitive benchmarking to identify performance opportunities.
Evaluate content quality, search visibility, organic ranking, share of search, ratings and reviews, and conversion performance.
Partner with Analytics teams to assess optimization impact and translate findings into prioritized recommendations with commercial rationale and measurable objectives.
Connect digital shelf performance with retail media, shopper experience, and omnichannel commerce strategies.
Develop insight-driven narratives for client business reviews, strategic recommendations, and optimization planning.
Serve as a senior strategic advisor to CPG clients on digital shelf content, product discoverability, and retailer-specific optimization.
Lead strategic workshops, digital shelf assessments, content planning discussions, and client presentations.
Collaborate with Commerce Strategy, Discoverability, Creative, Content, Analytics, Retail Media, Technology, and Retail Operations teams.
Translate strategic recommendations into clearly defined workstreams, deliverables, and execution priorities, and build trusted client relationships.
Develop and maintain digital shelf frameworks, content optimization methodologies, briefing templates, and strategic QA standards.
Create repeatable retailer-specific content approaches, best practices, and internal education and enablement.
Identify opportunities to strengthen VML's digital shelf strategy offerings through methodologies, technologies, and service capabilities.
Mentor team members and elevate the strategic quality and consistency of digital shelf work across the practice.