Associate Director, Commerce, UK

Wppmedia; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Pension plan

Vision & dental insurance

Generous paid time off

Employee discounts

Mental health days

Hybrid work arrangement (4 days in the

Job summary

WPP Media in the UK seeks an Associate Director, Commerce to lead retail media strategy and delivery for a portfolio of clients, driving growth through data‑driven recommendations. You will combine platform expertise across Amazon, CitrusAd and Criteo with strong commercial and strategic understanding to unlock opportunities.

You will partner with clients and cross‑functional teams to plan, optimise and measure campaigns, embedding retail media into broader marketing strategies while developing

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading retail media strategy for multiple clients.
• Strong leadership, coaching and team management capabilities.
• Deep knowledge of Amazon, CitrusAd, Criteo and other platforms.
• Ability to translate data into actionable client recommendations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross‑functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead end‑to‑end delivery of retail media programs across client portfolios.
• Develop insight‑led strategies to optimise performance and KPIs.
• Guide planning, optimisation and measurement across platforms (Amazon, CitrusAd, Criteo).
• Drive innovation, identify opportunities and embed retail media in broader marketing.
• Build strong client and partner relationships and lead cross‑functional teams.

Skills

Retail media strategy

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Data-driven recommendations

Cross-functional collaboration

Commercial acumen

Tools

Amazon

CitrusAd

Criteo

Skai

Pacvue

Job description

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 ourpioneeringagentic 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.

3093 - Associate Director, Commerce - UK

Role Summary and Impact

As a Commerce Associate Director, you will lead the strategy, delivery, and performance of retail media activity across a portfolio of clients, driving measurable business growth through best-in-class execution. Combining deep expertise across platforms such as Amazon, Criteo, and CitrusAd with strong commercial and strategic understanding, you will develop insight-led solutions that support client objectives and unlock new opportunities.

You will act as a trusted client partner, leading cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality work, optimise performance through data-driven recommendations, and embed retail media within broader marketing strategies. Through strong leadership, stakeholder management, and a focus on operational excellence, you will develop team capability, drive innovation, and deliver sustainable growth for clients and the business.

Responsibilities

• Account Leadership & Delivery Lead the end-to-end output of the team across client-facing work and operational delivery. Ensure consistently high standards, with strong adherence to processes, controls, and best practices.
• Strategic Planning & Business Understanding Develop a deep understanding of the client’s business, objectives, and KPIs. Apply this to shape effective, insight-led retail media strategies that drive measurable outcomes.
• Retail Media Platform Expertise (Amazon, Citrus, Criteo) Demonstrate strong experience working across key retail media platforms including Amazon, CitrusAd, and Criteo. Apply platform expertise to guide planning, optimisation and performance, ensuring best-in-class execution across channels.
• Innovation & Proactive Thinking Stay informed on industry trends, platform developments, and new product releases. Proactively identify and introduce opportunities to enhance client performance and maintain a competitive edge.
• Client & Partner Relationship Management Build and maintain strong relationships with key client stakeholders and media partners. Act as a trusted point of contact, confidently contributing insights and recommendations beyond immediate scope.
• Team Leadership & Development Support and develop a high-performing team, fostering a collaborative and accountable working environment. Take an active role in coaching, performance management and career progression.
• Communication Leadership Lead day-to-day communications across clients, partners and internal stakeholders, ensuring clear alignment and effective delivery. Engage senior leadership when required.
• Operational Excellence & Process Improvement Continuously identify opportunities to improve efficiency through better processes, automation and adoption of tools and technology.
• Financial & Process Ownership Oversee activation-related financial processes, ensuring accuracy, compliance and timely delivery across all campaigns.
• Measurement & Performance Maintain a strong understanding of measurement frameworks and partner capabilities. Use this knowledge to guide optimisation strategies and performance discussions with clients.
• Workshops & Strategic Contribution Lead and contribute to client workshops and planning sessions, bringing structured thinking, insight and strategic direction.
• Cross-Team Collaboration Work closely with cross-functional teams (including GOC) to ensure seamless integration and consistent, high-quality execution across all workstreams.
• Retail Media Integration Play a key role in embedding retail media within broader client strategies, identifying opportunities to connect activity across the wider marketing mix.
• Partner & Product Development Support the development and testing of commerce products and solutions in collaboration with partners such as Skai, ensuring continued innovation and relevance.
• Personal Development Set clear objectives with your line manager and demonstrate ongoing growth in leadership, strategic thinking and client impact.

Skills and Experience

At WPP Media, our culture and people are at the heart of everything we do. In this role, it is essential to embody WPP and WPP Media’s core values:

• Be Extraordinary by leading collectively to inspire transformational creativity.
• Create an Open Environment by balancing people and client needs, cultivating trust and collaboration.
• Lead Optimistically by championing growth and development to drive progress across the business.
• Experience in eCommerce and retail media, including campaign set-up, management, optimisation and reporting across both media owner and technology vendor platforms.
• Excellent understanding of the strategic and tactical application of retail media and digital marketing, with the ability to translate this into effective client solutions.
• Proven hands‑on experience across the Amazon ecosystem, with a solid understanding of the wider UK retail landscape (e.g. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Morrisons, Ocado) and quick commerce partners (e.g. Deliveroo, Uber Eats).
• Experience working with bid management platforms such as Skai and Pacvue.
• Demonstrated project management and team leadership experience, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and deliver against deadlines.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience coordinating across clients, internal teams and external partners.
• High level of data literacy, with the ability to interpret performance data and translate insights into clear strategic recommendations.
• Strong attention to detail, ensuring accuracy and quality across all outputs.
• Confident communication and storytelling skills, able to present ideas and strategies clearly and persuasively to a range of stakeholders.
• Effective team management capabilities, including workload prioritisation, clear communication and supporting team development.
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with the ability to remain calm under pressure and navigate complex or fast-paced environments.
• A genuine drive to elevate work beyond the expected, bringing energy, curiosity and continuous improvement to the role.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

Our passion for shaping the next era of media is powered by our commitment toBe Extraordinary, investing in our employees to inspire transformational creativity. We alsoLead Optimistically,firmly believingin andChampioning Growth and Developmentfor every individual. This commitment allows WPP Media employees toleveragethe extensive global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, build vital professional connections and learn at thecutting edgeof marketing and advertising.

WeCreate an Open environmentbuilt on trust and respect, where everyone feels they belong and has opportunities to progress. This inclusive culture is fostered through a variety of employee resource groups and frequent in-office eventsshowcasingteam wins, sharing thought leadership and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects this commitment, including competitive medical, group retirement plans, vision and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts and employee mental health awareness days.

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We believe the best work happens whenwe're together, fostering creativity, collaboration and connection in this open and supportive environment. 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 interview process.

Please note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location

While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.