Lead Media Activation Manager (P4103)

As a Commercial Strategy Lead for In-Store Media at the G3 level, you shape the commercial strategy and market positioning for Kroger’s in-store screen portfolio. This role defines how emerging in-store capabilities translate into compelling advertiser value, scalable revenue streams, and differentiated shopper experiences.

You will operate at the intersection of media strategy and commercialization, ensuring that new in-store capabilities are positioned effectively in market, adopted by internal & external teams, and monetized at scale.

This role is responsible for:

• Defining client value propositions and commercial viability for new in-store media capabilities
• Bringing a market, portfolio, and monetization lens to emerging products and pilots
• Driving go-to-market readiness, adoption, and sales enablement across the organization

Success looks like creating & optimizing a portfolio of in-store media products that are clearly positioned, commercially viable, and widely adopted by advertisers, sales teams, and internal partners.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES 

Focus Area	What You’ll Own
Commercial Portfolio Strategy	• Define the role of in-store media products within Kroger’s broader retail media portfolio. • Evaluate new opportunities through the lens of client value, business viability, and strategic fit.
Product Marketing & Market Positioning	• Monitor retailer, DOOH, and retail media trends to identify whitespace opportunities. • Evaluate emerging technologies, partnerships, and formats that expand Kroger’s in-store media offering. • Provide recommendations on build vs. partner decisions that strengthen the portfolio.
Partner Governance	• Manage strategic vendor relationships (hardware, tech stack, installation, measurement). • Develop performance scorecards and quarterly business reviews.
Go-to-Market & Adoption Strategy	• Design scalable go-to-market frameworks that move products from pilot to commercial adoption. •Shape positioning, value props, and launch narratives for new in-store technology. • Partner with sales leadership to enable sellers with training, packaging guidance, and objection-handling strategies. • Ensure internal readiness across sales, campaign operations, and data science teams.
Monetization Strategy	•Develop pricing frameworks, packaging strategies, and commercial models for new in-store media capabilities. • Partner with Finance to inform revenue targets and performance benchmarks. • Ensure offerings integrate seamlessly with broader retail media packages across onsite and offsite channels.
Team Leadership & Development	• Manage, mentor, and grow commercial specialist, running weekly 1:1s, capacity planning, and talent reviews. • Contribute to weekly team huddles, providing market intel and clear direction that aligns with KPM’s broader strategy. • Design and deliver new-hire training and continuing-education curricula that sharpen strategic and technical skills.
Practice Development & Standardization	• Institutionalize a stage-gate framework that takes an idea from ideation → validation → pilot → commercial scale. • Produce RACI matrices, documentation templates, and governance rituals that keep multi-team owners accountable.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Retail Management, or related field (MBA preferred).
• 6–8+ years in retail media, in-store media, DOOH, merchandising strategy, or ad-tech.
• Experience managing capital-intensive rollouts or physical retail infrastructure.
• Proven ability to connect product capabilities with advertiser needs and revenue outcomes.
• Familiarity with retail data platforms (e.g., 84.51°), store operations, and cross-functional governance models.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Enterprise Thinking – understands how in-store media impacts merchandising, operations, and brand relationships.
• Operational Rigor – can scale installs across hundreds of stores while maintaining execution standards.
• Financial Acumen – provides input into capital planning, pricing strategy and yield optimization.
• Strategic Vision – connects today’s tactics to a three-year growth horizon.
• Process Orientation – builds scalable playbooks that survive rapid growth.
• Cross-Functional Influence – rallies product, sales, analytics, and engineering around a shared roadmap.
• Influence Without Authority – aligns divisions, store design, merchandising, finance, and partners toward shared monetization goals.
• Analytical Rigor – leverages data to size markets, prioritize features, and prove ROI.
• Change Leadership – drives adoption of new ways of working across diverse teams.

Why Kroger Precision Marketing

• Leverage first-party shopper data from 60 MM households to create industry-leading media products.
• Join a culture that pairs experimentation with deep analytic horsepower.
• Competitive compensation, performance bonus, 401(k) match, flexible PTO, and professional-development stipend.
• Direct impact on the evolution of a top-five U.S. retail media network as it scales from product launch to enterprise maturity.

#LI-AB1