Retail Media Director

Company description With a history that dates back over 80 years, Starcom is a global communications planning and media leader. We are an agency still grounded in our founding principle that people are at the centre of all we do. Each day, we apply this belief to harness the transformative power of data and technology to inspire and move people and business forward. With more than 7,000 employees in over 100 offices around the world, we are the flagship Publicis Media agency that uses our ‘Power of One’ business model, with teams that span multiple disciplines across clients such as Aldi, P&G, Primark, Samsung, Stellantis, and Visa. We place a huge focus on our People, and have driven flagship D&I and L&D programmes within Publicis Media; our goal is to help every individual reach their fullest potential, and we encourage everyone to make “Brave Plays” in how they approach their work and their own career development. As a result, we have an exceptionally energised and committed talent base, all of us proud of our welcoming and supportive culture, as evidenced by our recognition as one of Campaign’s Best Places to Work for five years in a row, Media Week's Agency of the Year 2025 and one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025. Overview Retail Media Director We are hiring a Retail Media Director to lead exceptional retail media work for some of our key clients, combining strategic thinking with a strong understanding of how campaigns come to life. You’ll shape retail media strategies, turn data and insights into opportunities for growth, and build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders. You’ll also lead and develop talent across London and India, helping our teams deliver innovative, commercially effective work in an evolving commerce landscape. Responsibilities What will you be doing? Lead the development of innovative eRetail and retail media strategies, connecting client business objectives with shopper behaviour, retailer opportunities and measurable commercial outcomes. Set the strategic direction for retail media activation, overseeing campaign performance and optimisation across platforms including Amazon Advertising, Epsilon Retail Media and Criteo. Own senior client relationships and scope delivery, ensuring work across the team is strategically strong, high quality, commercially effective and delivered to brief. Define KPIs and performance frameworks, turning campaign and retailer data into clear insights, recommendations and improvement plans. Drive client growth by shaping strategic roadmaps, identifying emerging retail media opportunities and introducing relevant Publicis Commerce capabilities and solutions. Lead cross-functional collaboration across Retail Media, Commerce Strategy, Solutions and wider agency teams, contributing to business reviews, new business pitches, case studies and thought leadership. Lead and develop retail media talent across London and India, while maintaining oversight of quality assurance, budgets, financial reconciliation and effective client delivery. Qualifications Skills we're looking for: Strong retail media expertise gained within an agency, retailer, technology platform, brand or similarly relevant environment, with practical knowledge of platforms such as Amazon Advertising, Epsilon Retail Media or Criteo. A strong understanding of retail search and Amazon Advertising strategy, alongside knowledge of attribution, conversion optimisation, retail readiness, digital media and consumer behaviour. Experience leading significant client accounts, building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and translating business objectives into effective retail media strategies. The ability to connect strategy and execution, moving confidently between the bigger commercial picture and the detail required to improve campaign performance. Strong leadership and people-management skills, with experience setting direction, developing colleagues and creating a collaborative team environment. Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to turn complex performance data and strategic thinking into clear, compelling recommendations. A curious, commercially minded approach to commerce, complemented by strong Excel and PowerPoint skills. Experience or certifications across Amazon Advertising, Amazon DSP, Vendor Central, Brand Analytics, Epsilon Retail Media, Criteo or other retailer platforms would be an advantage. Additional information Starcom offers a wide range of benefits to support our employees. Full details are shared when you join, but highlights include core benefits such as Pension, Life Assurance, and Private Medical cover, alongside enhanced policies like Reflection Days and Shared Parental Leave. You’ll also have access to a range of additional initiatives, including: 📖 Please check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG’s (Employee Action Groups). Publicis Groupe works primarily from the office or our clients' office four days per week. At Starcom, we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age, citizenship, relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic. We are committed to providing a fair, accessible, and inclusive recruitment process. If you have any access needs - for example, related to disability, neurodivergence, or a health condition - please let us know. We’ll work with you to ensure the process works for you. Sharing this information will never impact your application. Guided by our values, we listen with empathy, uplift each other, take responsibility, and embrace change - building a culture where everyone feels seen, respected, and genuinely included. #LI-ER1
What will you be doing? Lead the development of innovative eRetail and retail media strategies, connecting client business objectives with shopper behaviour, retailer opportunities and measurable commercial outcomes. Set the strategic direction for retail media activation, overseeing campaign performance and optimisation across platforms including Amazon Advertising, Epsilon Retail Media and Criteo. Own senior client relationships and scope delivery, ensuring work across the team is strategically strong, high quality, commercially effective and delivered to brief. Define KPIs and performance frameworks, turning campaign and retailer data into clear insights, recommendations and improvement plans. Drive client growth by shaping strategic roadmaps, identifying emerging retail media opportunities and introducing relevant Publicis Commerce capabilities and solutions. Lead cross-functional collaboration across Retail Media, Commerce Strategy, Solutions and wider agency teams, contributing to business reviews, new business pitches, case studies and thought leadership. Lead and develop retail media talent across London and India, while maintaining oversight of quality assurance, budgets, financial reconciliation and effective client delivery.
Skills we're looking for: Strong retail media expertise gained within an agency, retailer, technology platform, brand or similarly relevant environment, with practical knowledge of platforms such as Amazon Advertising, Epsilon Retail Media or Criteo. A strong understanding of retail search and Amazon Advertising strategy, alongside knowledge of attribution, conversion optimisation, retail readiness, digital media and consumer behaviour. Experience leading significant client accounts, building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and translating business objectives into effective retail media strategies. The ability to connect strategy and execution, moving confidently between the bigger commercial picture and the detail required to improve campaign performance. Strong leadership and people-management skills, with experience setting direction, developing colleagues and creating a collaborative team environment. Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to turn complex performance data and strategic thinking into clear, compelling recommendations. A curious, commercially minded approach to commerce, complemented by strong Excel and PowerPoint skills. Experience or certifications across Amazon Advertising, Amazon DSP, Vendor Central, Brand Analytics, Epsilon Retail Media, Criteo or other retailer platforms would be an advantage.