Senior Director, Commerce & Retail Media

dentsu•New York, NY

10d•$114,425 - $180,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Commerce & Retail Media team leads strategy, activation, and optimization for large buy-side brands (CPG, Consumer Healthcare, etc.) across Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, Criteo, and other retail media networks. As a Senior Director, you will own a portfolio of key accounts, driving growth, retention, and client satisfaction. You will also serve as a subject matter expert across organic and paid Retail Search. You’ll guide teams to build and execute scaled, data-driven programs and testing roadmaps that deliver measurable business outcomes, and you’ll cultivate senior client relationships as a trusted advisor. You will report to the VP, Retail Media.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive digital performance experience with several years in Commerce/Retail Media; proven Director-level ownership of complex, multi-market or multi-brand portfolios.
Deep activation and optimization experience with Amazon, Walmart and Instacart; hands-on retail media experience across Criteo and other major networks.
Proven success applying search/commerce to direct-response outcomes; experience with organic marketplace optimization (e.g., PDP, content, ratings/reviews) a plus.
Demonstrated track record managing budgets, setting and meeting KPIs, and leading growth/retention for key accounts.
Technical & Analytical Proficiency with bid and campaign management tools (e.g., Pacvue, Skai) and retail platform UIs.
Advanced Excel and strong analytical rigor; comfort with measurement frameworks, incrementality testing, and insight generation.
Familiarity with research and reporting tools (e.g., Strattum, Scintilla, AMC) and audience/retailer data integrations.
Strong people leadership: hiring, coaching, performance management, and team org design.
Excellent client communication and storytelling skills; adept at simplifying complexity and influencing senior stakeholders.
High integrity, ownership, and agility in a rapidly evolving Commerce & Retail Media landscape; appetite for innovation and test-and-learn.

Responsibilities

Strategy & Product Set the vision and strategic principles for client commerce programs (organic + paid), aligned to brand and performance objectives. Develop action plans, measurement frameworks, and test-&-learn agendas; determine KPIs, pacing, and optimization guardrails. Evaluate and recommend the full spectrum of Commerce alliances (retail networks, tech, data, bid/dash/reporting tools) and integrate with broader media/creative/CRM efforts. Stay ahead of platform changes and industry trends; continually evolve best practices and codify POVs, playbooks, and case studies.
Client Leadership & Growth Serve as senior engagement lead and day-to-day escalation point; build and maintain executive-level relationships. Own account health, growth, and renewal; identify and convert organic growth opportunities. Translate insights into clear narratives and actions; present strategies, QBRs, and roadmaps that tie activity to commercial impact. Monitor competitive dynamics and category trends to inform positioning, investment, and testing recommendations.
People Leadership Lead, coach, and develop team; set goals, allocate work, and provide ongoing feedback and formal evaluations. Recruit and retain top Commerce talent; foster a culture of curiosity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Activation, Performance & Operations Oversee flawless execution across marketplaces and retail media networks (e.g., Amazon Search and DSP, Walmart Search + DSP, Instacart, Kroger, Criteo), ensuring adherence to best practices and compliance Guide teams on campaign builds, budget management, bid strategies, pacing, audience/keyword/targeting, creative/ASIN/PDP optimization, and ongoing performance improvements. Leverage automation and campaign management tools (e.g., Pacvue, Skai) for campaign management, reporting, and alerting. Partner with analytics/reporting to produce accurate, timely, and actionable performance insights and dashboards.
Partnerships & Thought Leadership Maintain strong relationships with retail media partners and platform reps; pilot betas and bring forward innovation. Collaborate cross-functionally (strategy, media, creative, data/tech) and across agency partners to ensure cohesion and maximize impact. Contribute to agency thought leadership through POVs, education, and internal enablement.