Senior Account Executive - Sampling

Pep; Cincinnati, Hoboken (OH, NJ); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time Off

Health Plan

Family Support

401K Match

Autonomy

Training Reimbursement

Employee Groups

Job summary

pep, part of WPP, is seeking a Senior Account Executive - Sampling to drive omni‑channel sampling campaigns in Cincinnati, OH. You will lead campaigns from concept through delivery, aligning brand strategies with procurement and COE goals while managing budgets, timelines, and stakeholder communications.

The role requires entrepreneurial leadership, agility, and strong relationship skills to deliver value. Pep embraces a hybrid work model with competitive salary based on experience and a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; Associates degree or equivalent experience also considered.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in promotional sampling industry
• Experience in the CPG industry a plus (food and/or beauty and personal care)
• Extremely organized and communicates well across multiple parties
• Strong project management skills and cross functional collaboration
• Ability to identify and provide creative solutions to challenges

Responsibilities

• Research and propose sampling campaign ideas with proven ability to deliver against client’s strategic brief and drive key business objectives
• Create and deliver presentation of proposed ideas including rationale, detailed descriptions, timing and costs for approval by brand stakeholders
• Set KPIs and success criteria for each project including measurement methodology; align with client and vendor(s)
• Lead project kick off and alignment meetings and provide recaps
• Create and manage program timelines
• Act as main point of contact (project owner) managing communication amongst all vendor(s) and client stakeholders for all assigned sampling projects
• Collaborate with all key internal and external stakeholders and resources (e.g. brand teams, samping, vendors, cross functional client team members, WPP Unite colleagues partners, pep sourcing, etc.)
• Work with vendors and other necessary stakeholders to measure campaign performance against pre-determined KPIs
• Present program results to client along with insights and key learnings
• Remain current on trends and new innovation within the sampling industry; provide continuous, applicable thought leadership to client
• Present quarterly state of business updates to client including current sampling industry overview relative to client specific activity YTD
• Manage project file retention and file closure process
• Assist team on large-scale initiatives
• Lead establishment, development and improvement of processes/procedures related to Sampling

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Strong communication

Mentoring

Time management

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Detail oriented

Team player

Stakeholder management

CPG industry knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Associates degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Excel

Job description

About WPP

pep is part of WPP , the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.

Who is pep:

pep started with 7 employees, a borrowed conference room, and an idea to fill a void in the marketing services space. Today we’ve grown to over 200 people and we are an industry leader in consumer activation, serving some of the top Fortune 400 companies. We’ve managed over $5 billion in marketing spend for over 750 brands and pride ourselves on a client retention rate of 98%.

Our company has evolved since we started 19 years ago, but there is one thing that has remained a constant. At pep, we put people first. Our core values of accountability, excellence, ingenuity, people, and tenacity guide our interactions, decisions, and drive our culture. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive environment where every member of our team feels seen, cared for, and has the support they need to thrive. And our tremendous growth provides our people with many new career and development opportunities along with the flexibility to pursue their professional goals.

We’re looking for teammates who are driven, eager to learn, agile, positive, and client focused to join and contribute to our team. We enjoy a hybrid work model and competitive salary based on experience.

At pep we value our team and offer:

• Generous Time Off
• Robust Health and Wellness Plan
• Family Support
• 401K Match
• Role Autonomy
• Certification Reimbursement and Ongoing Training
• Enrichment Events and Employee Resource Groups

Summary of Position:

The Senior Account Executive - Sampling position is a role focusing on planning and project management of Sampling programs. As a SAE-Sampling, you will be responsible for campaign management from conception to final delivery for all omni-channel sampling campaigns for the client. You will deliver against brand, procurement and COE strategies and goals as well as execute projects flawlessly. Entrepreneurial leadership, agility, work ethic, relationship skills, project management and analytical skills are a must to drive value for our clients. The ability to consult with cross- functional client contacts as well as ability to build strong supplier relationships is imperative to deliver against goals and strategies.

Key Responsibilities and Attributes:

• Research and propose sampling campaign ideas with proven ability to deliver against client’s strategic brief and drive key business objectives
• Create and deliver presentation of proposed ideas including rationale, detailed descriptions, timing and costs for approval by brand stakeholders
• Set KPIs and success criteria for each project including measurement methodology; align with client and vendor(s)
• Lead project kick off and alignment meetings and provide recaps
• Create and manage program timelines
• Act as main point of contact (project owner) managing communication amongst all vendor(s) and client stakeholders for all assigned sampling projects
• Collaborate with all key internal and external stakeholders and resources (e.g. brand teams, samping, vendors, cross functional client team members, WPP Unite colleagues partners, pep sourcing, etc.)
• Work with vendors and other necessary stakeholders to measure campaign performance against pre-determined KPIs
• Present program results to client along with insights and key learnings
• Remain current on trends and new innovation within the sampling industry; provide continuous, applicable thought leadership to client
• Present quarterly state of business updates to client including current sampling industry overview relative to client specific activity YTD
• Manage project file retention and file closure process
• Assist team on large-scale initiatives
• Lead establishment, development and improvement of processes/procedures related to Sampling

Knowledge/Skills Preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree from four-year college or university preferred; Associates degree or equivalent experience also considered
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in promotional sampling industry
• Experience in the CPG industry a plus (food and/or beauty and personal care)
• Extremely organized and communicates well across multiple parties
• Strong project management skills and experience including cross functional collaboration
• Ability to identify and provide creative solutions to challenges
• Able to deliver in a fast paced environment and manage a high workload
• Independent worker, with a team player mindset, enthusiastic and energetic approach
• Ability to mentor, grow and work harmoniously as part of a larger team
• Ability to do intermediate-level math (calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, and percentages)
• Ability to problem solve
• Ability to manage complexity and business processes
• Ability to measure program performance and track metrics
• Experience in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Power Point, and Excel is required
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (pep) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

This role works hybrid out of Cincinnati, OH. We are not offering a relocation package.