Business Development Manager Retail Media

Career Guide
A Business Development Manager in Retail Media grows advertising revenue by winning new brand and agency partnerships, expanding existing accounts, and packaging retail media offerings such as onsite ads, offsite ads, and in store media. The role blends consultative selling, deal negotiation, and cross functional coordination with marketing, product, and analytics teams.

Key Responsibilities

  • Build and manage a pipeline of advertisers, brands, and agency partners
  • Run discovery conversations to understand advertiser goals and budgets
  • Pitch retail media solutions aligned to awareness, consideration, and sales outcomes
  • Develop account plans for priority brands and categories
  • Negotiate commercial terms including pricing, commitments, and measurement expectations
  • Coordinate campaign setup with ad operations and retail media teams
  • Track performance and share clear results with partners
  • Identify upsell and renewal opportunities based on outcomes and seasonality
  • Partner with product teams to translate customer needs into roadmap input
  • Maintain accurate forecasting and activity tracking in a customer relationship management tool

Top Skills for Success

Consultative Selling
Relationship Building
Negotiation
Prospecting
Pipeline Management
Forecasting
Presentation Skills
Storytelling
Retail Category Knowledge
Digital Advertising Fundamentals
Retail Media Sales
Media Planning
Campaign Measurement
Audience Targeting
Joint Business Planning

Career Progression

Can Lead To
Senior Business Development Manager
Retail Media Sales Lead
Agency Partnerships Manager
Strategic Partnerships Manager
Account Director
Transition Opportunities
Head of Retail Media Sales
Director of Partnerships
Commercial Strategy Manager
Revenue Operations Manager
General Manager Retail Media

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
Retail Media MeasurementIncrementality TestingMedia Pricing StrategyAgency Account ManagementFirst Party Data LiteracyProgrammatic Advertising BasicsSales EnablementContracting Basics
Development SuggestionsBuild a simple portfolio of pitch materials, practice translating advertiser goals into measurable outcomes, and get hands on exposure to campaign reporting. Strengthen credibility by learning how retail media performance is measured and how pricing and commitments are structured.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry LevelUSD 75,000 to 105,000 base pay plus commission
Mid LevelUSD 105,000 to 150,000 base pay plus commission
Senior LevelUSD 150,000 to 220,000 base pay plus commission
Growth Trend
Strong growth. Retailers and marketplaces continue investing in retail media, driving steady demand for business development and partner sales talent.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers
Amazon AdsWalmart ConnectTarget RoundelKroger Precision MarketingInstacart AdsDoorDash AdsUber AdvertisingeBay AdsCriteoThe Trade Desk
Industry Sectors
Retail Media NetworksEcommerce MarketplacesGrocery RetailConsumer Electronics RetailDelivery PlatformsAdvertising TechnologyMedia AgenciesConsumer Packaged Goods

Recommended Next Steps

1
Create a target list of 30 brands and agencies and map key contacts
2
Draft a repeatable outreach sequence focused on value and outcomes
3
Build a one page retail media pitch that explains placements and measurement
4
Develop a forecasting routine with weekly pipeline reviews and next steps
5
Practice a deal negotiation script for pricing, commitments, and make goods
6
Learn core retail media metrics and how to explain them in plain language
7
Schedule informational interviews with retail media sellers and agency buyers
8
Tailor your resume to highlight quota attainment, pipeline size, and renewals