Sr Media Buyer, Retail Media

Overview: 

The Retail Media team at Trade School is one of our fastest-growing business units. We are continuing to invest in top talent to scale our practice. Trade School focuses on the sell-side of retail media; we are passionate about helping retailers strategically build and monetize their networks.

Our team acts as an extension of our clients’ Retail Media teams, such as The Home Depot, to build networks that benefit both the company and their advertiser partners. Our services include executive consultation, sales enablement, product marketing, marketing & PR, and monetization strategy.

The Sr. Media Buyer, Retail Media works closely with clients and their supplier partners to activate, optimize, and analyze retail media campaigns. This role leads day-to-day execution, ensuring campaigns meet objectives and deliver against key goals. We are looking for a proactive, detail-oriented individual passionate about bringing retail media strategies to life.

This role reports directly to the Strategy Supervisor of Managed Services at Trade School.

Responsibilities:

• Portfolio Management: Oversee the end-to-end media strategy and execution for a diverse portfolio of 10–15 Home Depot suppliers, acting as the primary architectural lead for their retail media presence.
• Operational Excellence: Standardize and lead the campaign lifecycle - from asset collection and creative trafficking to complex in-platform bid management - ensuring 100% accuracy across high-volume accounts. Send out Weekly Business Reviews recapping recent performance to build client relationships that campaigns are actively managed. 
• Strategic Optimization: Move beyond basic monitoring to conduct deep-dive analysis of campaign health, implementing advanced optimization tactics (e.g., bid modifiers, placement exclusion, audience segmentation) to exceed supplier KPIs.
• Financial Stewardship: Take full ownership of multi-supplier budget allocations, ensuring fiscal precision and identifying opportunities to reallocate spend toward highest-performing tactics.
• Analytical Narrative: Lead the development of weekly and quarterly performance narratives, translating raw data into "executive-ready" insights that demonstrate the business impact of retail media spend.
• Client Advisory & Growth: Serve as a strategic consultant for suppliers; identify "white space" opportunities and pitch upsell strategies that align with their long-term growth objectives.
• Quality Assurance & Compliance: Establish and enforce rigorous QA protocols for campaign setups to maintain brand integrity and compliance with Home Depot’s media guidelines.
• Data Storytelling: Build, lead, and present Quarterly Business Review presentations with clients reviewing RMN performance data. Translate insights to show how online advertising efforts drive overall business success and advise clients on new opportunities that can help achieve their marketing goals.

Desired Requirements: 

• Proven Track Record: 5–7 years of experience in media activation or ad operations, with a mandatory emphasis on the Retail Media Network (RMN) ecosystem.
• Retail Media Mastery: Deep expertise in self-serve retail media platforms (e.g., CitrusAd, Criteo, or internal retailer portals) and a strong command of the full digital funnel (Display, Native, Social, and Search).
• Strategic Analytical Skills: Ability to synthesize complex data sets into actionable strategy; you don't just report what happened - you explain why and what to do next.
• Stakeholder Leadership: Advanced experience in client-facing roles, with the "soft skills" necessary to navigate high-stakes supplier relationships and influence internal cross-functional teams.
• Technical Authority: Expert proficiency in ad trafficking and DSP management, with an eagle-eye for detail that eliminates errors before they reach the platform.
• Growth Mindset: A proactive approach to identifying efficiencies in workflow and a history of contributing to the "playbook" rather than just following it.