Sr. Activation Manager, Amazon

Mars; Franklin (VA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

Mars University access

Job summary

Mars is seeking a Sr. Activation Manager to own end-to-end planning and optimization of retail media, aligning investments with brand and business goals. You will drive data analytics, dashboards, and internal storytelling to inform strategy and investment decisions.

The role partners with brand, sales, and analytics teams, leads cross-functional projects, and focuses on maximizing performance across Amazon media while navigating a fast-paced retail environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.
• 5+ years in shopper/retail media, planning/execution, or customer management.
• Amazon experience preferred; strong data analytics foundation.

Responsibilities

• Plan, activate, pace, and optimize display media to hit KPIs and priorities.
• Leverage performance data to optimize campaigns and investments.
• Lead AMC analytics, audience development, and measurement frameworks.
• Build dashboards and storytelling for leadership and partners.
• Collaborate with retailers, agencies, and cross-functional teams.

Skills

Data analytics

Budget management

Retail media

Campaign planning

Agency management

Customer management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

MMM Modeling

Job description

Job Description:

The Sr. Activation Manager, Amazon role owns end-to-end planning, execution, and optimization of retail media, ensuring investment is strategically aligned to brand, category, and business objectives. The role will lead the development of a holistic media strategy, translating business priorities into actionable plans across search, display, and targeted coupons. A core focus will be driving advanced data and analytics, including AMC, dashboard development, and internal performance storytelling, to inform strategy, optimization, and investment decisions. This individual will serve as a strategic thought partner, connecting data to decisions and elevating how retail media is leveraged to drive growth.

This person will serve in the following key roles:

1. Own the day-to-day Amazon Ads Relationship.
2. Own the execution of our Amazon display media, in partnership w/ the broader team.
3. Work amongst, and occasionally lead projects across, a team of shopper marketing managers who do similar work across all our priority customers.

What are we looking for?

• The knowledge, skills, and abilities typically acquired through the completion of a Bachelor's degree program in a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 5+ years serving in one of the following areas: a shopper/retail media role at a large CPG, a planning or execution role at a digital agency with retail media experience, or customer management at a large CPG vendor or a pureplay eCommerce team; Amazon experience preferred
• Strong foundation in data analytics and measurement tools (i.e. MMM Modeling)
• 5+ years of direct selling will be considered in lieu of the above experience
• Budget Management
• Retail Media Campaign Planning/Execution experience
• Agency & Customer Management skills
• Execution and Measurement of budget

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Planning and Execution: Own the planning, activation, pacing, and optimization of display media to deliver against business objectives and core KPIs. Ensure media strategy and execution directly support Sales team priorities, growth targets, and brand objectives, with strong accountability to performance outcomes.
• Data-Driven Decision Making & Optimization: Leverage performance data, testing, and learnings to continuously optimize campaigns, investment allocation, and strategy. Demonstrate relentless curiosity and a bias toward action in identifying opportunities to improve results.
• Advanced Analytics & AMC Leadership: Own advanced analytics initiatives, including AMC use cases, audience development, and measurement frameworks, to unlock deeper insights and inform investment decisions.
• Dashboarding & Performance Storytelling: Build and maintain dashboards and reporting frameworks that deliver performance transparency, surface insights, and enable clear, compelling internal storytelling for leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Retailer & Partner Collaboration: Develop strong, collaborative relationships with retail partners and agencies to build joint plans, unlock new opportunities, and drive mutual value.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner closely with brand, sales, finance, analytics, and agency teams to align on objectives, investment strategy, performance expectations, and execution plans. Act as a connective tissue across functions.
• Navigating Ambiguity & Leading Through Change: Operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving retail media environment, solving complex problems with imperfect information and helping the organization navigate new capabilities, tools, and ways of working.
• Leadership & Influence: Serve as a strategic thought partner and leader within the organization, influencing without authority, elevating best practices, and helping to raise the bar on how retail media is planned, executed, and measured.

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with over 170,000 diverse and talented Associates, all guided by The Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we are striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

This role is based in BRN, metro Nashville, TN, with regular in-office collaboration expected. Flexibility is a key enabler, empowering associates to make choices that support both business outcomes and personal needs, including occasional remote work.