Director, Commerce

IPG MediaBrands - New York, NY

Full-time - Mid Level

New York, NY

5,001-10,000 employees

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

KINESSO is the technology-driven performance marketing agency that sits at the very heart of IPG Mediabrands, providing actionable growth for both our agency partners and clients. We turn 'action' into 'outcome' for our clients, leveraging our unique capabilities in optimization, analytics, AI, and experimentation. KINESSO has brought together the collective power of what was formerly Matterkind, Reprise, P3, and Kinesso under one collective entity that will serve as the most powerful delivery engine in the industry. We have extensive offerings spanning across performance marketing and data and technology. Fueled by a deep understanding of consumer behavior, we offer an end-to-end engine of planning and optimization while also delivering on data-driven strategy for social platforms, actionable growth in e-commerce, and creating curated marketplaces specific to each client's function and needs. The company has more than 6,000 employees operating in more than 60 countries.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and activation across Commerce media plans as needed, including direct account and client service responsibilities
• Manage and take accountability for client total budget and savings
• Oversee plan development and implementation, incorporating necessary and appropriate rationale and research for client buy-in
• Responsible for the strategy and the audience insights being funneled down into the tactical media plan
• Ensures strategic consistency across all elements of plan development and implementation
• Develops, presents, manages and measures commerce media programs and defines program objectives and strategies consistent with brand marketing objectives
• Ability to push back on client when relevant and pivot approach/support as needed
• Creates client ready materials and delivers client communications
• Ability to tailor client presentations to the audience (i.e. Senior Level vs. Junior Level)
• Understanding the underlying client needs and recommending solution / path forward. Once aligned clearly directing internal team and managing deliverables with client
• Develops buying guidelines and supervises buying process and stewardship for media programs
• Negotiate and implement added value, research partnerships and custom program elements
• Oversees both media & sales metrics evaluation ensuring original objectives and strategies are being met
• Own client relationship as it relates to media investment and take ultimate accountability for team's day-to-day responsibilities
• Develop, maintain and grow client relationships with appropriate levels
• Responsible for creating overall team culture of trust, openness and accountability
• Maintain and grow key marketplace relationships, including senior-level media owner and technology platform contacts
• Actively manages client's expectations, ensuring timely creation & delivery of work
• Oversees relationship with media partners and leads negotiation of commerce media for specific programs
• Ensures knowledge sharing across internal teams, open communication & provides thought leadership
• Identifies & builds functional expertise or knowledge in a relevant, unique & specific media area, including commerce media expertise
• Responsible for leading and training team in Kinesso ways of working and planning fundamentals, effectively communicating agency goals, managing workloads and providing performance feedback and career development support
• Provide counsel on marketplace trends
• Craft go to market strategy for client from a planning and investment perspective
• Provide thought leadership in alternative planning models, buying models and integrated projects
• Bring commerce expertise and POV to the table when you are pulled into a work session/ brainstorm/ group project
• Seeks out information to remain current on media trends

Requirements

• 7-10 years of experience in media planning/buying, with 4+ years experience in a people manager role; strong ability to delegate, train, and support direct reports
• Experience with multiple client and business categories
• Ability to manage team, both upwards and downwards, to ensure cross team communication
• Agency and/or Commerce media or CPG experience is a must
• Excellent quantitative skills
• Ability to interpret and analyze data to inform go-to-market strategies
• Strong marketplace relationships with senior sales people at major Commerce media companies
• Creative approach to defining deal terms including pricing models and value based on client objectives
• High level of comfort presenting to clients and internal team members
• Proven track record with client relations and growing existing business
• Solid understanding of marketing/communications process and the role of investment in it
• Proven knowledge of media planning & planning with use of research tools and resources
• Proven experience in writing and presenting relevant information to client audience
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and proven problem solving ability
• Self-sufficient and problem solver
• Project management; effectively managing multiple projects and meeting tight deadlines under a fast-paced environment
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

Nice-to-haves

• Gravitas + adept influencing- the personal and professional credibility to carry the system with it
• Humble confidence - confident in skills and willing to provide a proactive point of view
• Constructive discontent - always looking for ways to improve and enhance the work and self to challenge the norm and strive for continued improvement
• Innovative drive - comfortable in 'white space' work areas and willing to take risks, test the norm, measure and learn forward
• Proactive personal accountability - if it's to be, it's up to me
• Authentic + humanistic - be approachable, real and human
• Team first - a cultural force for building the best team
• Humor - willing to have fun and not take ourselves too seriously

Benefits

• medical and dental coverage
• 401(k) plans
• flex spending
• life insurance
• disability
• employee discount program
• employee stock purchase program
• paid family benefits
• discretionary time off days
• company-wide Appreciation Weeks
• Wellness Days
• competitive salary
• eligibility for an annual discretionary incentive award or a relevant incentive award