Director, Retail Media Planning in Toronto

As the Director of Retail Media Planning, you will be at the forefront of developing and executing cutting-edge retail media strategies for a diverse portfolio of brands. You will lead an impactful team, guiding their efforts to optimize campaigns and deliver measurable results across key retail platforms. Your primary focus will be on strategic planning, fostering strong client relationships, and providing thought leadership to both internal teams and external partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement holistic retail media strategies aligned with client objectives and broader marketing plans. Serve as a thought leader on retail media, educating clients and internal teams on emerging trends and best practices. Shape annual retail media playbooks, providing guidance on platform opportunities and category-specific insights.
• Client Management: Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with clients, acting as a trusted advisor on retail media strategy. Lead daily interactions with clients, providing regular updates, insights, and recommendations. Collaborate with client partners on annual planning and evaluation, aligning retail media investments with growth objectives. Manage and mentor a team of two direct reports (an assistant and a manager), fostering professional growth and development. Provide guidance and support to ensure the team's success in campaign planning, execution, and reporting. Establish best-in-class processes for campaign management, driving efficiency and consistency across client accounts. Partner with and counsel activation team, ensuring strategies and tactics are activated with precision.
• Platform Expertise: Oversee retail media campaign planning and execution across a variety of platforms, including Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, Loblaws, and more. In partnership with activation team, evaluate and optimize bid strategies, placements, and audience targeting based on performance data. Identify and implement innovative approaches to campaign execution, leveraging emerging capabilities and technologies.
• Performance Analysis & Reporting: Implement advanced performance analysis techniques to refine strategies and optimize campaign performance. Provide regular reporting and insights to clients, highlighting key trends and opportunities for improvement. Monitor campaign performance, track spend, and reallocate budgets as needed to maximize ROI.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with analytics, programmatic, search, and account teams to ensure seamless execution of integrated retail media campaigns. Facilitate alignment between sales, retail, and marketing teams on retail media strategies, ensuring consistency and impact across all touchpoints.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in digital advertising or shopper marketing, with a focus on retail media strategy.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale campaigns and budgets across platforms like Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, Loblaws, and more.
• Deep understanding of retail media platforms, including advertising options, targeting methodologies, and performance metrics.
• Exceptional leadership and team management skills, with the ability to inspire and guide a team to success.
• Adept at building strong relationships with clients, partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Outstanding presentation and communication skills, capable of distilling complex strategies into actionable insights for diverse audiences.
• Strong analytical skills and experience with performance modeling and data analysis.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field; an advanced degree is a plus.

If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for retail media and a proven ability to drive results, we encourage you to apply!

UM is a global media agency committed to Futureproofing our clients’ businesses for the now and the next. We leverage the transformational power of rich business analytics and real-time intelligence to maximize growth and activate the full consumer journey across content and connections. Our consultative approach and agile model, rooted in diversity, equity and belonging, drive better business outcomes for brands.

What's in it for you?

• Generous paid time off with a minimum of 37 paid days off including vacation and monthly wellness days.
• A flexible hybrid work model that works for you.
• A focus on personal development with formal training opportunities, including mental health training and inclusion education for everyone.
• A chance to be part of and grow within a global network of agencies.
• The opportunity to contribute to our company culture by joining one of our many community-based employee groups.

UM is an equal opportunity employer, committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, colour, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, provincial, or municipal law.