Manager, Retail Media Strategy & Activation

Overview

Kepler executes engineered marketing, delivering personalized and productive relationships between brands and their consumers. We act as agencies of record, in‑house teams, or hybrids, and harness data and technology across all paid digital media and data‑driven CRM channels.

Manager, Retail Media Strategy & Activation

The Manager, Retail Media Strategy & Activation will lead key client relationships within our Media Strategy & Activation team. The role requires a deep understanding of clients’ commerce challenges and positions the manager as the trusted strategic partner for retail media networks.

What You Will Do

• Serve as the strategic lead across Retail Media Networks (RMNs), focusing on ecosystems such as Walmart Connect, Target Roundel, and emerging commerce platforms.
• Act as the primary point of contact and subject‑matter expert for assigned clients; proactively manage communication, translate complex retail data into strategic narratives, and build strong partnerships.
• Lead campaign strategy, planning, and optimization across performance‑driven retail media channels to drive measurable business outcomes and return on ad spend.
• Oversee hands‑on activation and execution within retail aggregation platforms, requiring deep operational excellence in Criteo.
• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of 2–4 Analysts and Senior Analysts, guiding their professional growth and campaign execution quality.
• Partner with Media Analytics to support deep‑dive reporting and actionable insights, and collaborate with Client Solutions to align platform strategies with overarching client business goals.
• Codify and share retail media best practices, industry POVs, and optimization frameworks to streamline internal workflows and drive operational excellence.

Desired Skills and Experience

• 3–5+ years of experience in digital media planning, activation, and performance marketing, with a distinct focus on Retail Media Networks.
• Proven, hands‑on experience activating retail media through Criteo is required; strong experience with Walmart Connect and/or Target Roundel is highly preferred.
• Experience managing and developing a team of 2+ direct reports (Analysts/Senior Analysts).
• Familiarity with managing large product catalogs, item‑level/ASIN management, and inventory‑driven optimization.
• Familiarity with retail media management tools such as Pacvue, Skai, or similar commercial technologies is a strong plus.
• Strong analytical acumen; comfortable working with large datasets, Excel (pivots, VLOOKUPs), and translating lower‑funnel performance metrics into clear client insights.
• Exceptional presentation, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to confidently lead client status meetings and strategic planning sessions.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial, and highly collaborative team environment.
• Bachelor’s degree with a relevant major preferred.

Total Compensation

• Base Salary: $90,000 - $110,000
• Target Annualized Discretionary Bonus: 5% ($4,500 - $5,500)
• Target Total Cash: $94,500 - $115,500

Benefits

• Healthcare/Dental/Vision
• Unlimited PTO
• 401k Contributions
• $75/mo Wellness Stipend
• $100/mo Mobile Phone Stipend
• $50/mo Internet Stipend
• $500/yr Annual Learning Stipend
• $2,000/yr Annual Tuition Stipend
• One‑time $200 New Hire Home Office Equipment Stipend
• Parental Leave – 16 week primary caregiver / 6 week secondary caregiver leave
• Annual Work From Anywhere 4 weeks per year