Manager, Media Activation Retail Search

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.

About WPP Media

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit wpp.com.

WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective. In a world where media is everywhere and in everything, we bring the best platform, people, and partners together to create limitless opportunities for growth. For more information, visit wppmedia.com.

At WPP Media, we believe in the power of our culture and our people. It’s what elevates us to deliver exceptional experiences for both our clients and each other. In this role it will be critical to embrace WPP & WPP Media’s shared core values:

Be Extraordinary by Leading Collectively to Inspire transformational Creativity.

Create an Open environment by Balancing People and Client Experiences by Cultivating Trust.

Lead Optimistically by Championing Growth and Development to Mobilize the Enterprise.

WPP Unite

There’s never been a more exciting time in marketing, as media and commerce continue to merge to drive meaningful consumer experiences. As one of the most innovative CPG companies in the world, Unilever, the maker of iconic brands such as Dove, Hellmann’s, TRESemmé, Degree and many others, is adapting to this rapidly changing landscape with the help of WPP and its unparalleled network of agencies.

The newly-created unit, WPP Unite, will be the pioneering force at this intersection, led by two of WPP’s most dynamic agencies: GroupM and Barrows, operating as ONE end to end strategy, design, and execution powerhouse.

WPP Media will bring its media thought-leadership and performance expertise, combined with the retail and commercial expertise of Barrows to deliver integrated, end-to-end programs for the entire Unilever portfolio of iconic, household brands. True to its name, the team operates with a unified vision, from initial strategy to final execution, leveraging our collective expertise in design, engineering, and media integration to craft world-class brand programming.

WPP Unite, comprised of the best talent in the industry, will pioneer a truly integrated agency model and drive unprecedented growth for Unilever in the years to come.

Manager, Retail Media Activation – Search

Retail search is one of the most powerful ways brands connect consumers with products at the moment of intent. We’re looking for a Manager, Retail Media Activation – Search who understands how to turn that intent into measurable business growth.

This is a search-first retail media role for someone who is passionate about performance, marketplaces, bidding, optimization, and the rapidly evolving commerce ecosystem. You’ll play a key role in shaping and activating retail search strategies across leading retail media networks, while also partnering across programmatic and broader commerce channels to deliver a connected approach for our clients.

You’ll work closely with agency teams, clients, retail media partners, and internal specialists to translate business objectives into actionable media strategies — from campaign planning and keyword/bid strategy through activation, optimization, measurement, and growth opportunities.

The ideal candidate is equal parts retail search expert, strategic thinker, and hands-on problem solver. You should be comfortable getting into the details of campaign performance while also stepping back to understand what the data means for the client's broader business.

What You’ll Do

• Lead retail search activation and strategy across major retail media platforms, with a particular focus on search, sponsored products, paid search, and other biddable retail media opportunities.
• Own campaign strategy and execution across retailers and platforms including Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, Target, Kroger, Criteo/CitrusAd, and other emerging retail media networks.
• Develop and optimize keyword, bidding, budget allocation, targeting, and product-level strategies to maximize performance against client KPIs.
• Translate client business objectives into clear media jobs, activation plans, testing roadmaps, and optimization strategies.
• Use performance data to identify opportunities, diagnose challenges, and make recommendations that improve ROAS, sales, efficiency, reach, and incremental growth.
• Partner with agency planning, investment, commerce, analytics, and client teams to ensure retail search is integrated into the broader media and commerce strategy.
• Develop testing and optimization frameworks across retailers, products, keywords, audiences, placements, bids, and budgets.
• Leverage retail bid-management and optimization technologies such as Pacvue, Skai, Epsilon, and other relevant platforms.
• Build performance projections, scenarios, and recommendations based on campaign parameters, historical performance, promotional calendars, inventory, and business objectives.
• Identify opportunities to take advantage of retailer promotions, seasonal moments, new ad products, and emerging marketplace capabilities.
• Stay ahead of changes in retail search algorithms, ad products, marketplace dynamics, measurement, and retail media technology.
• Turn complex performance data into clear, actionable stories and recommendations for agency and client stakeholders.
• Oversee campaign quality, governance, trafficking, billing/reconciliation, and adherence to established best practices.
• Troubleshoot technical and campaign-serving issues and work with partners to resolve them quickly.
• Lead and develop direct reports, providing coaching, feedback, and opportunities for career growth.
• Search & Retail Media Expertise
• 3+ years of experience in biddable/performance media, with strong hands-on experience in retail search or paid search.
• Deep understanding of how retail search works, including keyword strategy, bidding, product targeting, search placement, budget allocation, optimization, and performance measurement.
• Experience activating and optimizing campaigns across one or more major retail media platforms such as Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, Target, Kroger, Criteo/CitrusAd, or similar networks.
• Experience with retail media or bid-management platforms such as Pacvue, Skai, Epsilon, or comparable technologies.
• Strong understanding of how retail search connects with programmatic, paid social, traditional media, and the broader commerce ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Analytics, Marketing, Communications, Advertising, or a related field; equivalent professional experience will also be considered.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience working across multiple teams and functions in an agency, media, retailer, technology, or client environment.
• Why This Role?
• This is an opportunity to be at the intersection of search, retail media, data, and commerce at a time when the way consumers discover and purchase products is changing rapidly.
• You’ll have the opportunity to work across major retail media ecosystems, influence how leading brands approach retail search, and help shape the next generation of performance-led commerce strategies.
• If you’re someone who gets excited about search performance, bidding strategy, marketplaces, data, experimentation, and finding the next growth opportunity, we’d love to hear from you.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

Our passion for shaping the next era of media includes investing in our employees to help them do their best work, and we’re just as committed to employee growth as we are to responsible media investment. WPP Media employees can tap into the global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, grow their networks, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising.

We have a variety of employee resource groups and host frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our benefits include competitive medical, group retirement plans, vision, and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts, and employee mental health awareness days.

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. 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.

WPP Media is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to, among others, individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to search and apply for a career opportunity with WPP Media, please send an e-mail to GroupM Leave Administration at

Leave.Administration@groupm.com or call (212) 297-8507 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

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) for more information on how we process the information y ou provide.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, go to https://mybenefits.wpp.com/public/welcome for more details.

US Pay Range

$60,000 — $140,000 USD

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