Account Director (Mass Club)
US-AR-Bentonville
Advantage Sales & Marketing
Req #: 439166
Type: Full Time
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Overview: Director, Retail Excellence - Hybrid in Bentonville, AR Commerce Marketing Agency | CPG | Shopper & Omni‑Commerce Strategy About the Role We are seeking a Director, Retail Excellence to join our commerce marketing agency and lead retailer‑specific strategy and activation for consumer-packaged goods (CPG) brands. This role sits at the intersection of shopper marketing, retail media, and omni‑commerce planning, serving as a strategic partner to both clients and internal teams. The Director will own retail strategy for 2-4 major client accounts within a specific industry vertical, translating brand objectives, shopper insights, and retailer priorities into actionable go‑to‑market plans. Working closely with client leadership and cross‑functional agency partners, this role ensures that retail thinking is embedded throughout the planning, briefing, and execution lifecycle-from strategy through measurement. This is a senior, hands‑on leadership role within a fast‑paced commerce and retail marketing agency, supporting CPG brands across national retailers and retail media networks. Key Responsibilities * Lead Retail Strategy Development Own the creation of retailer‑specific strategies rooted in shopper behavior, retail insights, category trends, and client business objectives, ensuring plans are relevant, differentiated, and commercially impactful. * Client Partnership & Integration Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to CPG clients, integrating retail and shopper strategy into broader brand plans, briefs, and omni‑commerce activation roadmaps. * Retailer & Retail Media Expertise Act as a subject‑matter expert on priority retailers and retail media networks (RMNs), staying current on platform updates, seasonal priorities, innovation, and emerging trends-and translating those insights for internal and client teams. * Cross‑Functional Leadership Partner closely with commerce intelligence, media, creative, sales, and analytics teams to ensure retail strategy is seamlessly connected to execution across national and retailer‑led programs. * Go‑to‑Market Plan Ownership Translate insights into clear, actionable go‑to‑market strategies that connect long‑term vision to day‑to‑day execution across channels, retailers, and 3P media partners. * Measurement & Optimization Define success metrics in collaboration with analytics teams and RMN partners; evaluate performance, identify opportunities for optimization, and guide strategic pivots to improve ROI. * Team Leadership & Enablement Lead, coach, and develop junior Retail Excellence team members; provide strategic guidance, quality oversight, and ongoing mentorship while contributing to a broader center of excellence for retail and shopper expertise within the agency. Scope & Impact * Lead retail strategy across 2-3 CPG client accounts and 3-5 key retail partners * Influence annual client media and commerce investment * Manage and develop a team of supervisors and account executives within the Retail Excellence discipline Required Knowledge & Skills * Deep understanding of the U.S. retail landscape specifically within the Mass & Club channels, shopper behavior, and retailer priorities * Strong working knowledge of retail media networks, shopper marketing programs, and omni‑commerce ecosystems * Proven ability to translate data and insights into actionable, retailer‑specific strategies * Experienced client leader with strong executive presence and the ability to influence senior stakeholders * Exceptional collaboration skills across media, analytics, creative, commerce, and sales disciplines * Demonstrated experience coaching and developing high‑performing teams in an agency environment Qualifications * Bachelor's degree in marketing, eCommerce, or a related field (Master's degree a plus) * 8-10 years of experience in commerce marketing, retail strategy, shopper marketing, or related disciplines * Background working within a commerce, shopper, or integrated marketing agency supporting CPG brands preferred Work Environment * Remote role with occasional travel for client meetings, team leadership events, and industry conferences * Predominantly computer‑based work requiring frequent collaboration with distributed teams across time zones Why Join Us You'll join a fast‑growing commerce marketing agency at the forefront of shopper, retail media, and omni‑commerce innovation-partnering with leading CPG brands to solve complex retailer challenges and deliver measurable growth. Job Will Remain Open Until Filled Responsibilities: The Company is one of North America's leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management and marketing services to manufacturers, suppliers and producers of food products and consumer packaged goods. The Company services a variety of trade channels including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics and home centers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers access to the best products available in the marketplace today. Position Summary The Account Director functions as the main client relationship manager of Agency consumer promotion and shopper marketing program deliverables within multiple categories or retail channels. Primary role is to provide thought leadership as the face of the Agency to the senior-level sales/marketing team during the conceptual development, communication design, execution and analysis of programs. A successful Account Director will focus on financial health of the client, organic business development, effective and efficient program management of the Agency team and results that are in concert with client and retailer initiatives. Proficiency in conceptual selling and consulting will be defined by effective written and oral communication skills with clients, customers, and agency partners. Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities Personal Accountability * Demonstrate product category or retail channel ownership with Marketing and Sales client base to show Agency thought leadership as a consultant * Cultivate strong relationships with client trade, sales and marketing teams, including 3rd party agencies as required, to harmonize cross-functional client communications from inception to analysis of client programs * Oversee proposals and program presentations for effective and efficient resources to meet the client goals and agency revenue targets * Identify new business opportunities within existing clients as well as with extended client base * Synchronize and standardize best practices for client program execution, budgets, tracking, and post-promotional reporting in accordance with company systems and processes * Effective recruiting, hiring, training, and development of direct reports * Other related duties as assigned Cross-Functional Accountability * Serve as financial relationship owner for cross-agency team departments and/or clients to deliver timely client decisions and approvals * Activate assignments and encourage partnership with Planning team members to develop category, channel, customer and competitive brand marketplace insights, identify most value consumer targets, communication strategy, innovation opportunities, promotion program objectives, strategies and tactical recommendations for programs, leveraging key consumer/ shopper insights that drive behavior change * Engage, mentor and inspire Agency cross-functional team by teaching the fundamentals, empowering proactive thinking, communicating team goals and considering succession planning/hiring needs * Identify cross-company Marketing Services revenue-driving opportunities * Other related duties as assigned * Safety: must have the ability to perform the job safely by demonstrating full awareness of his/her surroundings. Will utilize proper safety techniques an
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