Retail Media Network Director

Career Guide

A Retail Media Network Director leads the advertising business that a retailer sells on its own digital properties, such as the website, app, in store screens, and email. The role blends revenue leadership, advertising product strategy, and partnership management with brand advertisers and agencies. Success is measured by ad revenue growth, advertiser retention, shopper experience, and trustworthy measurement.

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Key Responsibilities

Set the retail media strategy and revenue plan across onsite, offsite, and in store channels
Own the advertising product roadmap, including ad formats, targeting options, and self service buying
Lead relationships with brand advertisers, agencies, and technology partners
Build and manage a sales organization, including account teams and sales operations
Define pricing, packaging, and inventory strategy to balance revenue and shopper experience
Oversee campaign planning, execution quality, and issue resolution
Establish measurement standards, reporting, and performance benchmarks for advertisers
Coordinate with merchandising, ecommerce, marketing, and store teams to align priorities
Ensure responsible data use, privacy compliance, and brand safety practices
Track market trends and competitor moves to refine positioning and go to market plans
Manage budgets, forecasting, and executive reporting
Hire, develop, and retain high performing cross functional teams

Top Skills for Success

Revenue Strategy

Sales Leadership

Executive Stakeholder Management

Partner Management

Advertising Product Management

Go To Market Planning

Pricing Strategy

Media Planning Fundamentals

Campaign Operations

Measurement Strategy

Incrementality Testing

First Party Data Strategy

Privacy Compliance

Brand Safety

Forecasting

Team Building

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Vice President Retail Media

Vice President Advertising

General Manager Retail Media

Head of Monetization

Chief Revenue Officer

Chief Commercial Officer

Transition Opportunities

Ecommerce Director

Digital Marketing Director

Marketplace Partnerships Director

Advertising Technology Partnerships Lead

Consulting Partner for Media and Commerce

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Incrementality TestingMeasurement StrategyAdvertising Product ManagementPricing StrategySales OperationsPrivacy ComplianceBrand SafetyFirst Party Data Strategy

Development SuggestionsBuild a strong measurement foundation by learning how retail media outcomes are proven, including test design and reporting standards. Pair that with product thinking by practicing how to define advertiser needs, convert them into clear offerings, and launch improvements with cross functional teams. Strengthen sales operations skills to scale reliably, including pipeline discipline, forecasting, and repeatable playbooks.

Market Intelligence Report

Retail Media Network Director is part of the Marketing Strategy category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

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Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelRare as an entry role. If hired as a first time director: 170,000 to 230,000 USD base, often plus bonus or equity

Mid Level200,000 to 280,000 USD base, often plus bonus or equity

Senior Level260,000 to 400,000 USD base, often plus bonus or equity

Growth Trend

Strong growth. Retailers and marketplaces continue investing in retail media, increasing demand for leaders who can scale revenue while improving measurement and advertiser trust.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

Walmart ConnectAmazon AdsTarget RoundelKroger Precision MarketingAlbertsons Media CollectiveInstacart AdsDoorDash AdsUber AdvertisingBest Buy AdsThe Home Depot Retail MediaCVS Media ExchangeWalgreens Advertising GroupeBay AdsEtsy AdsWayfair Advertising

Industry Sectors

Big box retailGrocery retailPharmacy retailHome improvement retailConsumer electronics retailOnline marketplacesDelivery platformsConvenience retailApparel retailSpecialty retail

Recommended Next Steps

Benchmark the retail media offering against top competitors and identify three clear differentiation opportunities

Draft a one year roadmap for ad products, measurement, and in store expansion with estimated revenue impact

Create a standardized advertiser reporting template with consistent metrics and clear definitions

Establish a privacy and data use review process with legal and security partners

Build a sales playbook covering ideal advertiser profiles, packaging, pricing, and renewal motions

Design a pilot incrementality test plan for two priority categories and one flagship advertiser

Network with agency leaders and brand media teams to validate market needs and improve go to market messaging