Account Director (Grocery East Pod)

Account DirectorAs Account Director, you will serve as a strategic driver responsible for developing and activating retailer-specific strategies that align brand goals with sales realities to fuel business growth. You’ll leverage your deep knowledge of retailer ecosystems to inform client planning, guide internal teams, and help bring to life retail programs that truly convert.This role bridges insights, strategy, and execution—ensuring our clients show up meaningfully and effectively within key retailers across the commerce landscape.Key Responsibilities:Retailer Strategy Development: Lead the creation of retailer-specific plans rooted in shopper behavior, retailer priorities, and brand objectives.Client Integration: Partner with client leads to embed retail thinking into business planning cycles, program briefs, and activation roadmaps.Retailer Knowledge: Act as a subject matter expert on priority retailers and RMNs, ensuring internal and client teams stay ahead of retail platform changes, seasonal priorities, and innovation.Cross-Functional Leadership: Collaborate across commerce media, creative, shopper, and sales teams to ensure alignment and integration of strategy across the full funnel.Plan Ownership: Translate insights into actionable go-to-market plans that connect strategy to execution across both national and retailer-led initiatives.Internal Enablement: Provide guidance to internal teams (e.g., media, creative, marketing leads) to ensure deliverables ladder up to strategy and meet both client and retailer expectations.Measurement & Optimization: Work with RMNs, Vendors, and analytics partners to define success metrics, evaluate impact, and recommend plan optimizations.Team Support & Growth: Coach junior team members and contribute to building a center of excellence for retail knowledge within the agency.What You Bring:7-9 years of experience in shopper marketing, retail strategy, CPG, or retail mediaSolid understanding of key U.S. retailers (Ahold, Food Lion, Publix, Wakefern) and their media and commerce ecosystemsAbility to connect brand strategy to retailer expectations and sales goalsStrong storytelling and presentation skills—able to simplify complexity and influence stakeholdersExperience working in or with cross-functional teams (e.g., sales, media, insights, creative)Strategic mindset with attention to detail and a bias for actionA collaborative spirit and passion for helping brands win in retailWhy Join Us:We are building a best-in-class retail consultancy to help brands grow through smarter, retailer-led strategies. As Director, you’ll play a vital role in shaping how we partner with clients, navigate the evolving retail landscape, and turn opportunity into performance.What we offer:Full-Time Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life)401(k) with company matchTraining and Career DevelopmentGenerous Paid Time-OffJob Will Remain Open Until FilledThe Companyis one of North America’s leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management and marketing services to manufacturers, suppliers and producers of food products and consumer packaged goods.The Company services a variety of trade channels including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics and home centers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers access to the best products available in the marketplace today.Position SummaryThe Account Director functions as the main client relationship manager of Agency consumer promotion and shopper marketing program deliverables within multiple categories or retail channels. Primary role is to provide thought leadership as the face of the Agency to the senior-level sales/marketing team during the conceptual development, communication design, execution and analysis of programs.A successful Account Director will focus on financial health of the client, organic business development, effective and efficient program management of the Agency team and results that are in concert with client and retailer initiatives. Proficiency in conceptual selling and consulting will be defined by effective written and oral communication skills with clients, customers, and agency partners. Essential Job Duties and ResponsibilitiesPersonal AccountabilityDemonstrate product category or retail channel ownership with Marketing and Sales client base to show Agency thought leadership as a consultantCultivate strong relationships with client trade, sales and marketing teams, including 3rd party agencies as required, to harmonize cross-functional client communications from inception to analysis of client programsOversee proposals and program presentations for effective and efficient resources to meet the client goals and agency revenue targetsIdentify new business opportunities within existing clients as well as with extended client baseSynchronize and standardize best practices for client program execution, budgets, tracking, and post-promotional reporting in accordance with company systems and processesEffective recruiting, hiring, training, and development of direct reportsOther related duties as assignedCross-Functional AccountabilityServe as financial relationship owner for cross-agency team departments and/or clients to deliver timely client decisions and approvalsActivate assignments and encourage partnership with Planning team members to develop category, channel, customer and competitive brand marketplace insights, identify most value consumer targets, communication strategy, innovation opportunities, promotion program objectives, strategies and tactical recommendations for programs, leveraging key consumer/ shopper insights that drive behavior changeEngage, mentor and inspire Agency cross-functional team by teaching the fundamentals,empowering proactive thinking, communicating team goals and considering succession planning/hiring needsIdentify cross-company Marketing Services revenue-driving opportunitiesOther related duties asassignedSafety: must have the ability to perform the job safely by demonstrating full awareness of his/her surroundings. Will utilize proper safety techniques and equipment use when necessary.Will be proactive in alerting Management of any unsafe act or condition to prevent injuries.Supervisory Responsibilities Direct ReportsHires, retains, trains, coaches, guides, directs, and develops direct reports using company-wide processes, tools and resourcesIndirect ReportsMay delegate work of others and provide guidance, direction and mentoring to indirect reportsTravel and/or Driving Requirements Travel is an essential duty and function of this job. Driving is not an essential duty or function of this job.Minimum QualificationsEducation Level: (Required) Bachelor's Degree orequivalent experience (Preferred)MBA Degree or equivalent experience Field of Study/Area of Experience: Marketing and/or Public Relations-3-5 years of experience in team supervisory-6-8 years of experience in the role of leader/manager in agency or brand management, including experience in shopper marketingSkills, Knowledge and AbilitiesAbility to make oral presentationsTeam building SkillsFlexible and adaptable, able to change and alter according to changes in projects or business environmentExcellent customer service orientationTrack record of building and maintaining customer/client relationshipsStrong computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and web-browsersAbility to complete multiple duties with accuracy shifting from one to another with frequent interruptions and competing deadlinesStrong prioritization skillsAbility to exercise sound judgmentEnvironmental & Physical Requirements Office / Non-Sedentary RequirementsIncumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of the job. Work may be performed in an office or warehouse environment. Typically requires the ability to spend 66%+ hours each work day doing the following activities: stand for extended periods of time, walk, bend, stoop, or climb. May have possible exposure to dust, and may require the ability to lift and/or push up to 50 pounds 33% - 66% of the time.Additional Information RegardingThe Company Job Duties and Job Descriptions Job duties include additional responsibilities as assigned by one’s supervisor or other manager related to the position/department. This job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position.The Company reserves the right at any time with or without notice to alter or change job responsibilities, reassign or transfer job position or assign additional job responsibilities, subject to applicable law. The Companyshall provide reasonable accommodations of known disabilities to enable a qualified applicant or employee to apply for employment, perform the essential functions of the job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment as required by the law.Any estimate, schedule, or guideline provided to associates in this job description or elsewhere in connection with their jobs is only intended to help describe job duties and for planning purposes. Regardless of any such estimate, schedule, or guideline, associates must always record all time worked for our company (which includes but is not limited to on-site work time in an assigned store, office, or other work location; required waiting time; administrative time; and work-related travel time).The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of associates so classified.The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity in all employment practices without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental disability, or any other category protected by law. As part of this commitment, the Company shall provide reasonable accommodations of known disabilities to enable an applicant or employee to apply for employment, perform the essential functions of the job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment as required by the law.

Created: 2025-11-01