Director, Retail Media Activation

About:

Ovative Group: Ovative Group is an independent, full-funnel media, measurement, and creative firm. Leveraging our deep industry expertise, we help brands like Best Buy, Domino's, American Eagle, The Home Depot, Post, Disney, Tumi, Michael Kors, Boost Mobile, and UnitedHealth Group transform their media and measurement programs.

The result? Profitable growth that speaks for itself. At Ovative, we don't just track data, we redefine success. How do we do it? Our proprietary MarTech platform, EMRge helps businesses transform marketing into a driver of sustainable growth. Powered by Enterprise Marketing Return (EMR), our differentiated approach to holistic media buying, planning, and measurement, EMRge is the first MarTech platform to measure businesses holistically.

We're all

about:

raising the bar every day, and it shows. Our work has been recognized by organizations like Digiday, Google, Inc. 5000, USA Today, and Search Engine Land.

About:

the role At Ovative Group, we take a pioneering approach to retail media, optimizing campaigns to drive full-funnel impact that extends beyond digital outcomes to enterprise-level success. Our clients are household names, and we pride ourselves on being their strategic advisors in navigating this complex and dynamic landscape.

This role is a builder and a galvanizer—half architecting our Center of Excellence and half leading clients to outsized impact. As the steward of our Retail Media Activation (RMA) “Ovative Way,” you will codify the playbook, scale processes and tools, and drive adoption to raise the bar across Search, Programmatic, and Digital Shelf.

In parallel, you will serve as a trusted advisor to marquee clients, guiding full-funnel retail media strategies and unlocking measurable enterprise value. Your leadership will directly fuel Ovative’s growth by uniting subject matter expertise, innovation, and client outcomes at scale. This is a hands-on leader role for someone who loves to set the standard—and then lead the team to beat it.

Note: Approximately 50% of this role is dedicated to the Center of Excellence (COE).

Responsibilities:

of a Director, Retail Media Advertising Center of Excellence Leadership: Lead the COE for all RMA offerings (Search, Programmatic, Digital Shelf), setting standards that scale quality and impact Define and publish “The Ovative Way” playbook.

• Facilitate healthy debate, align the team, and set a clear direction Build the processes, workflows, and tools that operationalize the playbook across client teams Communicate and train teams on the playbook, processes, and tools; drive accountability for consistent, standardized adoption.
• Develop processes and reporting to ensure consistent execution of playbook across all accounts Lead the retail media tech stack strategy and partnerships (e.g., proprietary technology, Pacvue, and other third parties), ensuring fit-for-purpose solutions that advance our differentiation Partner closely with the Measurement COE Director to embed best-in-class measurement, learning agendas, and enterprise impact frameworks into the playbook Partner with RMNs to help define best practices, case studies, and develop relationships for Ovative.

Client Leadership, Strategic Advisory, and Performance Growth: Own and grow executive level relationships as the trusted advisor and primary escalation point for full-funnel retail media, driving enterprise outcomes Lead long range planning and integrated strategies across Retail Media paid and organic channels Oversee performance from planning through optimizations to deliver measurable results and uphold standards across portfolios Advance customer first, data driven segmentation, creative, and targeting within and across platforms Manage strategic platform partnerships (e.g. Amazon, Walmart, Pacvue) to align roadmaps, unlock betas, and co-innovation Champion test and learn and business development—prioritize high impact hypotheses and lead pitches that showcase Ovative’s differentiated approach Team Leadership & Development: Build, lead, and develop a high performing team of retail media experts, fostering a culture of excellence, curiosity, and accountability Recruit, onboard, mentor, and create growth paths that match evolving client and business needs Cross Functional Strategy & Thought Leadership: Shape integrated, multichannel media strategies in partnership with Media, Measurement, and Client Services teams Translate industry trends into actionable POVs, playbook updates, and new opportunities that enhance Ovative’s capabilities Lead cross-functional (non-direct report) teams for

education:

and rollout of COE objectives.

Requirements:

of the role 10+ years of

experience:

managing enterprise-level advertising programs, with at least 5 years of

experience:

in Retail Media 5+ years of

experience:

• leading and mentoring teams, fostering growth and excellence Deep expertise in full-funnel Retail Media advertising, including Sponsored Ads, DSP, Digital Shelf Strong business acumen and a proven track record of driving performance in retail, eCommerce, or related industries Expertise in partner management and retail media tools, such as Amazon Ads, Pacvue, The Trade Desk, etc. Proven ability to develop cross-channel media strategies and deliver enterprise-level results Pay Transparency At Ovative,

we offer:

a transparent view into three core components of your total

compensation:

package: Base Salary, Annual Bonus, and

Benefits:

The salary range for this position below is inclusive of an annual bonus. Actual offers are made with consideration for relevant

experience:

and anticipated impact. Additional

benefits:

information is provided below. For our Director positions, our

compensation:

ranges from $123,000 to $228,000, which is inclusive of a 30% bonus.

Benefits:

of Working at Ovative Group: We provide strong, competitive, holistic

benefits:

that understand the importance of your life inside and out of work. Culture: Culture matters and we’ve been recognized as a Top Workplace for ten years running because of it. We demand trust and transparency from each other. We believe in doing the hard and complicated work others put off. We’re open in communication and floor plan.

We’re flat – our interns sit next to VPs, our analysts work closely with senior leaders, and our CEO interacts with every single person daily. Put together, these elements help foster an environment where smart people can support each other in performing to their highest potential. Ovative is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can participate and thrive.

We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, including on the basis of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Our policies reflect this commitment—for example, our medical leave

benefits:

are inclusive of same-sex partners, ensuring equitable care and support for all families.

Compensation:

and Insurance: We strive to hire and retain the best talent. Paying fair, competitive

compensation:

, with a large bonus incentive, and phenomenal health insurance is an important part of this mix. We’re rewarded fairly and when the company performs well, we all benefit. Tangible amenities we enjoy: Access to all office spaces in MSP, NYC, and CHI Frequent, paid travel to our Minneapolis headquarters for company events, team events, and in-person collaboration with teams Flexible paid vacation policy 401k match program Top-notch health insurance options, inclusive of same sex partners Family formation

benefits:

including reimbursement options for fertility, pregnancy, and parenting needs Monthly stipend for your mobile phone and data plan Sabbatical program Charitable giving via our time and a financial match program Shenanigan’s Day Working at Ovative won’t be easy, but if you like getting your hands dirty, driving results, and being surrounded by the best talent, it’ll be the most rewarding job you’ll ever have.

If you think you can make us better, we want to hear from you! Ovative Group is an independent, full-funnel media, measurement, and creative firm. Leveraging our deep industry expertise, we help brands like Best Buy, Domino's, American Eagle, The Home Depot, Post, Disney, Tumi, Michael Kors, Boost Mobile, and UnitedHealth Group transform their media and measurement programs.

The result? Profitable growth that speaks for itself. At Ovative, we don't just track data, we redefine success. How do we do it? Our proprietary MarTech platform, EMRge helps businesses transform marketing into a driver of sustainable growth. Powered by Enterprise Marketing Return (EMR), our differentiated approach to holistic media buying, planning, and measurement, EMRge is the first MarTech platform to measure businesses holistically.

We're all

about:

raising the bar every day, and it shows. Our work has been recognized by organizations like Digiday, Google, Inc. 5000, USA Today, and Search Engine Land.