Connected Commerce Director (BD)

About WPP Media

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth. 

WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

For more information, visit wppmedia.com .

2628- Director, Commerce

Role Summary and Impact

This is a brand-new, pivotal role designed to revolutionise how we integrate and activate Retail Media, positioning it as a strategic pillar in our overall media offering. We're seeking a strategic thinker who can bridge brand and performance, not just through strategic alignment, but by unlocking the full potential of retailer-specific data, audiences, and capabilities. You will be instrumental in demonstrating our commitment to holistic client success, driving innovation in audience strategy, and creating a robust blueprint for the future of connected commerce across our organisation and for our clients.

This role is centered on elevating Retail Media from a channel-specific tactic to a fully integrated, data-driven strategic pillar, both internally and in collaboration with our external partners.

Strategic Integration & Alignment:

• Act as the primary orchestrator for integrating Retail Media into all stages of the media planning and strategy process, ensuring seamless alignment with wider brand strategies.
• Drive cross-channel alignment, ensuring Retail Media initiatives complement and amplify other media efforts (e.g., brand, performance, offline) to prevent disconnects.

Briefing & Proposal Leadership:

• Serve as a key stakeholder and subject matter expert in brand briefing meetings, providing strategic guidance on Retail Media opportunities.
• Lead the incorporation of Retail Media strategies into brief responses, articulating how Retail Media insights, signals, and audiences will contribute to overall objectives.
• Collaborate with commerce leads to craft compelling, data-backed proposals, including budget recommendations and strategic frameworks, for integrated Retail Media initiatives.
• Support new business development by contributing expert retail media strategy to pitches and proposals.

Advanced Data & Audience Strategy:

• Develop use cases for scaling retailer-specific audiences for priority brands and campaigns in 2026 and beyond.
• Champion the use of retail media signals and first-party retailer audiences throughout the planning cycle, ensuring data-driven decisions.
• Translate complex Retail Media performance data into clear, actionable insights for planning and strategy teams, ensuring continuous learning and optimisation.
• Partner with planning teams to evaluate cross-channel attribution studies and incorporate ROI measurement for integrated retail media campaigns.
• Partner with client teams to understand in-store plans and advise how these should be amplified online

Retailer & Partner Relationship Management:

• Serve as the key point of contact (POC) for all key retail media partners and platforms, fostering strong strategic relationships.
• Actively monitor and communicate the latest platform capabilities, product roadmaps, and evolving best practices to internal teams and clients.
• Strategically navigate retail partners to effectively source valuable proprietary insights and data that can enhance our planning and activation efforts.
• Rigorously evaluate what data, capabilities, and insights are available from each retailer and assess their utility and strategic value for our clients.
• Advocate for our clients' needs with retail media platforms, seeking opportunities for beta participation, unique data access, and enhanced capabilities.

Thought Leadership & Capability Building:

• Continuously monitor the evolving retail media landscape, identifying emerging trends, platforms, and best practices to inform and evolve our organizational strategies.
• Develop and deliver internal training programs, workshops, and educational resources to elevate the retail media knowledge and capabilities of cross-functional teams.
• Establish and refine best practices and playbooks for integrated retail media planning and execution.

Internal Collaboration & Consultancy:

• Work closely with the Commerce Team, Planning Teams (per category), and Life Planning (testing and measurement) to foster a cohesive approach to client solutions.
• Serve as the go-to expert for complex cross-retail or cross-channel Retail Media strategies, providing guidance and support to internal teams.
• Facilitate integration between different Retail Media platforms to ensure a unified approach.

The Impact You'll Have (Key Outcomes & Objectives):

Your success in this role will be transformative, both for our clients and our internal operations:

• Client Recognition: Clients will increasingly recognize our organization as a leader in holistic, data-driven Retail Media solutions , truly mastering the nuances of retailer-specific platforms and audiences.
• Operational Blueprint: You will establish a clear, repeatable blueprint for how a connected commerce experience should operate within our organization, setting new standards for efficiency and effectiveness, especially regarding audience strategy and retailer data utilization.
• Seamless Integration: You will eliminate critical disconnects between brand objectives and channel-specific Retail Media execution, ensuring every pound spent works harder towards overall goals.
• Empowered Teams: Our internal teams will feel supported, with a clear point of contact for navigating complex Retail Media challenges and ensuring strategic alignment and access to latest partner capabilities.
• Business Growth: By delivering more integrated, innovative, and effective Retail Media strategies, you will contribute directly to client satisfaction, retention, and new business opportunities.

Skills and Experience

To succeed in this role, you'll need a unique blend of strategic vision, hands-on expertise, technical acumen, and exceptional relationship-building skills.

• 5+ years of experience in media planning, strategy, or account management, with a deep and demonstrable expertise in Retail Media, including audience strategy and activation.
• Strong understanding of various Retail Media platforms (e.g., Amazon, Tesco Sphere, Nectar Pollen, etc.), their data capabilities, and evolving product offerings.
• Proven track record of developing and executing advanced audience strategies, including leveraging first-party retailer data for lookalikes and scaling.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and align diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience managing strategic relationships with external partners and navigating complex organizations to secure valuable insights or capabilities.
• A collaborative mindset, comfortable working cross-functionally with commerce, planning, data strategy, and measurement teams.
• Proactive problem-solver with a passion for innovation, continuous learning, and shaping the future of connected commerce.
• Experience in client-facing roles, participating in briefings, and presenting sophisticated strategic proposals.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

Our passion for shaping the next era of media is powered by our commitment to Be Extraordinary, investing in our employees to inspire transformational creativity. We also Lead Optimistically, firmly believing in and Championing Growth and Development for every individual. This commitment allows WPP Media employees to leverage the extensive global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, build vital professional connections, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising.  

We Create an Open environment built on trust and respect, where everyone feels they belong and has opportunities to progress. This inclusive culture is fostered through a variety of employee resource groups and frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects this commitment, including competitive medical, group retirement plans, vision, and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts, and employee mental health awareness days.  

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection in this open and supportive environment. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.  

Please note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location

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