Senior Marketing Specialist – Retail Promotions

Career Guide
Plans and executes in-store and omnichannel promotions for retail and CPG brands. Owns promotional calendars, coordinates with sales and merchandising, develops point-of-sale materials and offers, and analyzes performance to optimize traffic, conversion, and ROI.

Key Responsibilities

  • Build and manage retail promotional calendars across channels
  • Coordinate with sales, merchandising, and agencies on offers and POS
  • Develop in-store signage, displays, and digital retail assets
  • Manage trade/co-op funds and align promotions to retailer priorities
  • Execute A/B tests and measure lift, conversion, and ROI
  • Analyze syndicated retail data to inform promo strategy
  • Ensure brand and retailer compliance on all promotional materials
  • Report results and recommendations to stakeholders

Career Progression

Can Lead To
Marketing Manager
Trade/Shopper Marketing Manager
Retail Media Manager
Transition Opportunities
Brand Manager
E-commerce Marketing Manager
Category Manager (CPG/Retail)
Account Manager (Marketing Agency)
CRM/Loyalty Manager

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
Trade promotion management and co-op budgetingSyndicated data analysis (NielsenIQ/Circana)Retail media planning and measurementPoint-of-sale (POS) materials production and compliancePromo ROI modeling and lift analysis
Development SuggestionsComplete NielsenIQ or Circana training modules and practice building a promo calendar with ROI/lift estimates. Run a small pilot (e.g., local retailer or DTC brand) to create POS assets, measure results, and document a case study.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry Level$55,000–$70,000
Mid Level$70,000–$90,000
Senior Level$90,000–$120,000
Growth Trend
growing — Omnichannel retail and retail media drive steady demand for promo talent

Companies Hiring

Major Employers
WalmartProcter & GamblePepsiCo
Industry Sectors
RetailConsumer Packaged Goods (CPG)Marketing & Advertising

Recommended Next Steps

1
Earn Google Analytics (GA4) Certification and take a retail media course (Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, or Roundel).
2
Complete a NielsenIQ/Circana introductory course and build a promo calendar with projected lift and budget.
3
Join the Path to Purchase Institute or similar groups and request informational interviews with shopper/trade marketing managers.