Manager, Media Strategy

Mars United Commerce is seeking a Manager, Commerce Media to support our Walmart and Sam’s Club business. This role is responsible for RFP’ing, briefing, execution and management of managed service media. This role will also brief and partner with the self service media team to partner on reviewing, optimizing and reporting on media executions.

Location & Work Model

Candidates must reside within commutable distance to one of our offices in Bentonville for a hybrid work schedule.

This role requires regular in-person engagement with client teams, with a minimum of one day per week, increasing to two days per week in alignment with broader Publicis in-office expectations. These are minimum expectations and may increase based on business and client needs. Fully remote work is not aligned with how we operate this business.

Primary Responsibilities

Walmart & Sam’s Club Retail Media Networks (Core Focus)

• Lead activation recommendations across Walmart Connect and Sam’s Club Member Access Platform (MAP).
• Demonstrate working knowledge of Walmart and Sam’s managed service execution models, targeting approaches, measurement frameworks, and retailer-specific workflows.
• Ensure campaign setup, targeting, creative requirements, pacing, and reporting are compliant with platform expectations and optimized for performance.

RMN Relevant Third‑Party Media Ecosystem

• Provide recommendations across Walmart/Sam’s RMN capabilities first, layering in relevant third-party media vendors when they strengthen the overall shopper strategy or fill gaps in retailer-owned solutions.
• Apply hands-on experience with at least one relevant partner such as Ogury, AdAdapted, InMarket, MAP, or similar shopper media platforms.
• Maintain a clear understanding of where RMNs versus third-party partners are most effective within the shopper journey.

Retail Consultancy Partnership

• Work as a close, adjacent partner to the Retail Consultancy team, aligned to Walmart and Sam’s Club, Grocery, and broader business objectives.
• Collaborate to build the end-to-end shopper journey, bringing commerce media thought starters, tactical ideas, and innovation concepts to life within the retail ecosystem.

RFP Leadership & Strategic POV

• Lead RFP processes with retailers and third-party partners, developing inputs, evaluating responses, and synthesizing findings.
• Provide a full, comprehensive summary with a clear POV and supporting rationale for the client on how best to proceed.

Budget Ownership, Measurement & Optimization

• Own detailed budget allocation, flighting, and governance across programs.
• Define success metrics and KPIs aligned to RMN and partner reporting capabilities.
• Monitor live programs, identify optimization opportunities, and deliver performance updates with insights and recommendations tied directly to client objectives.

Thought Leadership & Innovation

• Maintain a strong pulse on the evolving commerce and retail media landscape.
• Consistently bring new thinking, innovation ideas, and emerging opportunities to clients and internal teams.
• Challenge transactional or “status quo” approaches in favor of strategic, performance-driven solutions.

Qualifications – Required

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, communications, business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3-5 years of experience in retail media, shopper marketing, or commerce media within an agency or client-facing environment.
• Walmart and/or Sam’s Club retail media experience is required, including exposure to Walmart Connect and MAP.
• Hands-on experience with at least one relevant shopper media or third-party platform (e.g., Ogury, AdAdapted, InMarket).
• Strong understanding of Retail Media Networks (RMNs) and managed service execution models.
• Ability to develop strong client POVs and communicate recommendations clearly and confidently.
• Excellent attention to detail with strong analytical skills and advanced proficiency in Excel/Sheets and PowerPoint/Slides.

Qualifications – Preferred

• Experience working across both Walmart and Sam’s Club.
• Broader familiarity with multiple third-party shopper media partners.
• Proven ability to bring thought leadership and proactive ideas into client conversations.