Retail Media Sales and Planning Specialist

Our Retail Media business is growing and we are on a transformation journey, working with some of the best global brands. We are looking for a Retail Media Sales & Planning Specialist, who will work with Buyers & CPG’s to understand details of commercial agreements and the value of supplier funds to be spent on internal & external assets. In this key role, you will work with cross-functional stakeholders, suppliers and the wider Media Sales and Planning team to ensure supplier investments are planned and realised using the right tools and processes that support delivery and maximum return for both John Lewis and our brand partners.

As a Retail Media Sales & Planning Specialist in the Retail Media profession, you will be accountable for a specific media sales target, executing client-focused plans to support commercial growth for a dedicated portfolio of brand partners. You will manage the planning and coordination of brand budgets, ensuring they deliver clear value for your clients and resonate with our customers. Your collaborative approach will be central to building strong client relationships, using data to recommend effective media solutions from our omnichannel portfolio. You will work closely with internal activation stakeholders to ensure brand campaigns are executed seamlessly and accurately, evaluating campaign data to support ongoing planning strategies.

You will work closely with your Senior Manager (L6) to identify new opportunities within your portfolio to achieve revenue targets. This role demands strong commercial awareness, process ownership, and a passion for the evolving retail media landscape.

You will work closely with;
- JL Commercial Trading Teams (Buyers, Merchandisers, CPG's)
- The Retail Media Campaigns and Activation Team
- The wider Retail Media Sales & Planning team (especially your People Manager)
- JL Category Marketing team
- The Retail Media Commercial Strategy team
- The Retail Media Proposition team

In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £4.75 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

• Expected salary up to - £40,000 dependent on experience
• Contract type - This position is a Permanent contract.
• Working pattern/flexible working - We know flexible working is important to you, and it is important to us too. The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. The Retail Media Sales & Planning team aim for up to 3 days a week in the office to connect Buyer & Brands and on a more ad-hoc basis to attend key meetings. 

• Location - This role is based at our London Head Office (Pimlico). Please note, any cost incurred as a result of travel to the office is the responsibility of the successful candidate. There is no travel allowance for this role.

Key Responsibilities

• Achieve specific retail media revenue targets for a varied portfolio of brand partners

• Negotiate and maximise brand partner investments across the omnichannel retail media portfolio, using data & insights to enhance plans and secure retail media investments from client portfolio.
• Use performance reporting and data-driven insights to objectively evaluate campaign effectiveness and make credible recommendations for future activity.
• Ensure brand partners are given the appropriate level of service to maximise investment, actively managing which suppliers require dedicated consultative time, versus those that can self-serve through ad-tech.
• Build and maintain successful, collaborative relationships with brand partners and internal JL Commercial teams (Buyers, Merchandisers, CPGs). Work collaboratively with JL Commercial teams to deliver on commercial terms with brands.
• Collaborate with the wider Retail Media Sales team to ensure brands are given ample and timely opportunities to invest in available media assets.
• Support, and continuously improve, the end-to-end (E2E) process for maximizing Retail Media sales across all channels, embracing new ways of working to improve efficiency.

• Support monthly performance reviews and gap analysis, ensuring that media sales and nominations are captured accurately.
• Support the L7 and L6 managers with commercial forecasting and the identification of new spending opportunities within a portfolio.
• Act in accordance with the Partnership’s purpose and democratic principles, constructively participating in co-ownership, and demonstrating to customers and each other that it is a better way of doing business; share your knowledge, experiences, ideas and opinion to improve the Partnership, speaking honestly and frequently.
• Invest in personal and professional development by doing more, doing better, or doing differently.  Continuously engage with and actively contribute to your Profession
• Take responsibility for actively engaging with change.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Minimum of 1 years’ experience working directly with brands and/or agencies to plan, develop, and sell retail media activation plans that deliver measurable results and with a strong track record of meeting and exceeding revenue targets. 
• Demonstrated experience across both online and offline channels, with a solid understanding of omnichannel media strategies. 
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across teams to achieve optimal business outcomes.
• Strong data led planning experience with an ability to manage several competing priorities and business demands to deliver the best outcome in a fast-paced environment
• Proactive, self-motivated, and results-driven, with a genuine passion for media and retail innovation.
• Confident and articulate communicator, with excellent presentation skills that engage and persuade diverse audiences. 
• A collaborative team player who thrives in matrix environments and builds strong, successful relationships across internal functions. 

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• Experience selling onsite AdTech solutions including Sponsored Products. 
• Experience using Advendio or other Salesforce booking platform or similar 

For internal use only:

#LI-HEADOFFICE

#LI-RZ1

#LI-HYBRID 

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview. 

Attachment: Download Job Attachment