Retail Media Career Paths: How Roles Differ Across Brand Side, Agencies, and Retailer/Publisher Organizations

The rapid expansion of retail media has reshaped the digital advertising landscape, creating new career paths and redefining traditional roles across marketing, e-commerce, and technology teams. As investments in retail media networks continue to grow, companies increasingly require professionals who understand not only how to manage campaigns, but also how to integrate retail media into broader commercial and organizational strategies.

However, a retail media career does not follow a single trajectory. Instead, it unfolds across three distinct environments, each with its own operational rhythms, expectations, and opportunities for long-term development:

• Brand Side (manufacturers, suppliers, or direct-to-consumer brands)

• Agency Side (media agencies, e-commerce agencies, marketplace specialists)
• Retailer/Publisher Side (Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, Criteo, Carrefour Links, and other retail media networks)

Although job titles may appear similar across these environments, the work performed, skills cultivated, and forms of impact achieved differ substantially. This article examines those differences through an analytical lens, offering a structured comparison that helps clarify how Retail Media Career Paths evolve depending on the organizational context.

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Retail Media as a Strategic Ecosystem

To understand how roles differ, it is necessary to recognize that retail media sits at the intersection of demand generation, digital advertising infrastructure, and commerce operations. Three pillars define the ecosystem:

1. Demand: Brands and Advertisers

These organizations—ranging from global consumer goods companies to small marketplace sellers—invest in retail media to increase visibility, drive conversions, and compete for share of voice. Their focus extends beyond media metrics to include profitability, growth, and category performance.

2. Supply: Retailers and Media Networks

Retail media networks own the inventory, data, and audience signals. They shape the product roadmap, measurement models, attribution frameworks, and available ad formats. Their decisions influence what advertisers can achieve.

3. Intermediaries: Agencies, Tech Partners, and Specialists

Agencies bridge the gap between advertiser objectives and retailer capabilities. They translate business needs into tactical activation, manage multi-platform execution, and ensure cross-retailer consistency.

These three components jointly determine how professionals operate. Each organizational side offers exposure to different tensions, stakeholders, and objectives, resulting in unique Retail Media Career Paths.

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Career Path 1: Brand-Side Retail Media Roles

Brand-side roles are situated within manufacturers, suppliers, or direct-to-consumer brands. They are embedded inside commercial, marketing, or digital departments and operate closest to the business outcomes.

Core Responsibilities

Brand-side responsibilities often extend across strategic and operational layers:

• Defining retail media strategies aligned with business and commercial priorities
• Managing budgets across retailers, ad types, and funnel stages
• Leading internal stakeholders (sales, marketing, supply chain, finance, e-commerce)
• Collaborating with agencies and reviewing their performance
• Evaluating ROAS, incrementality, and long-term profitability
• Planning annual and quarterly media investments
• Aligning media execution with product launches and promotional cycles
• Maintaining partnerships with retail media networks

The role goes beyond campaign execution. It integrates marketing, sales, and operational insights, requiring a comprehensive understanding of how advertising affects broader commercial outcomes.

Skills Developed

Brand-side environments tend to build:

• Strategic planning capabilities
• Budget ownership and financial discipline
• Cross-functional leadership
• Influencing and stakeholder management
• Category and market expertise
• Long-term business thinking
• Ability to connect media metrics to economic value

Advantages

• High visibility toward senior leadership
• Stronger organizational stability and career progression
• Opportunity to influence product, pricing, and go-to-market strategy
• Ownership of the full business context
• Credibility built around budget management and commercial impact

Challenges

• Limited exposure to hands-on platform execution
• Longer decision cycles due to cross-functional dependencies
• Narrower focus on fewer retailers
• Strong pressure on forecasting accuracy and budget efficiency
• Need to constantly justify media impact beyond ROAS
• Professional Profiles That Excel

Brand-side roles suit professionals who aim to deepen strategic, commercial, and leadership capabilities. These environments can lead to positions such as E-commerce Manager, Digital Lead, Category Manager, or Head of Retail Media.

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Career Path 2: Agency-Side Retail Media Roles

Agencies operate at the center of the retail media ecosystem. They support multiple brands simultaneously and manage execution across a wide portfolio of retailers, tools, and markets.

Core Responsibilities

Agency roles are shaped by a fast operational cadence. Typical responsibilities include:

• Planning, launching, and optimizing campaigns (search, display, DSP, on-site, off-site)
• Managing multiple clients and coordinating their media activities
• Preparing performance reports, insights, and recommendations
• Pacing budgets and ensuring KPI compliance
• Designing annual strategies, media plans, and QBR narratives
• Using third-party platforms such as Pacvue, Skai, Perpetua, or Criteo
• Coordinating creative assets and product data
• Supporting pitches, audits, and new-business opportunities

The agency context also requires continuous learning, as retailer platforms update features, policies, and measurement frameworks frequently.

Skills Developed

Agency roles tend to accelerate:

• Technical mastery of retail media platforms
• Operational efficiency and multi-tasking
• Analytical depth and reporting precision
• Communication, presentation, and narrative-building skills
• Cross-client management and prioritization
• Problem-solving within complex, fragmented ecosystems

Advantages

• Exposure to diverse industries and use cases
• Rapid development of technical and executional competence
• Opportunity to work with multiple retailers and markets
• Strong training environments and steep learning curves
• Networking advantages within the media industry

Challenges

• High workload and fast-paced deadlines
• Multi-client pressure and constant context switching
• Limited visibility into full commercial decision-making
• Dependence on client approvals
• Potential for operational burnout

Professional Profiles That Excel

Agency environments are ideal for professionals seeking accelerated technical growth and exposure to many facets of retail media. This career path supports future transitions toward consulting, specialization, freelance work, or activation leadership.

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Career Path 3: Retailer/Publisher-Side Roles

Retailer-side positions are embedded within retail media networks such as Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, Instacart Ads, Criteo, Tesco Media & Insight, or Carrefour Links. These organizations operate at the intersection of commerce, data science, advertising technology, and product development.

Core Responsibilities

Unlike agencies, retailer/publisher teams do not typically execute campaigns. Instead, their focus lies in:

• Guiding advertisers and agencies in adopting platform solutions
• Providing product education, best practices, and strategic recommendations
• Supporting measurement, attribution, and insights
• Building narratives that promote platform capabilities
• Managing client portfolios and driving revenue growth
• Troubleshooting platform or policy issues
• Collaborating with product and engineering teams to refine offerings
• Leading joint business planning discussions

The work is consultative, data-driven, and aligned with long-term product innovation goals.

Skills Developed

• Retailer/publisher roles cultivate:
• Deep adtech and platform expertise
• Advanced measurement and attribution fluency
• Insights generation and data storytelling
• Client relationship management
• Functional collaboration with product and engineering teams
• Understanding of audience modeling, supply dynamics, and inventory architecture

Advantages

• Strong compensation packages and structured career ladders
• Exposure to cutting-edge retail media innovation
• Lower operational stress compared to agencies
• Influence on the future direction of retail media products
• Opportunities to specialize in measurement, product marketing, or partnerships

Challenges

• Limited exposure to multiple platforms
• High internal complexity and cross-team dependencies
• Pressure linked to adoption and revenue objectives
• Role boundaries defined by platform limitations
• Less direct involvement in creative or pricing decisions

Professional Profiles That Excel

This environment attracts individuals interested in adtech, product development, data-driven consulting, and strategic account management. Common career progressions include roles such as Senior Account Executive, Product Specialist, Solutions Architect, or Partnerships Lead.

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Comparing the Three Environments

A comparative view reveals the structural differences that shape the experience of working in each environment.

1. Accountability and Ownership

Dimension Brand Side Agency Retailer/Publisher

• KPI ownership Business outcome owners Shared with client Adoption and revenue
• Execution Delegated to agency or internal teams Primary owner Performed by advertisers
• Strategic authority High Advisory Ecosystem-driven

2. Operational Pace

Brand Side Agency Retailer/Publisher

• Moderate and cyclical Fast, multi-client Stable, consultative
• Few portfolios Several clients Smaller client book
• Cross-functional Operational Product-influenced

3. Skill Development Focus

• Brand Side: strategic thinking, leadership, financial accountability
• Agency: platform mastery, operational sophistication, analytical rigour
• Retailer/Publisher: product and data depth, measurement, adtech literacy

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Choosing the Right Path: A Framework

Professionals evaluating Retail Media Career Paths often consider identity, learning preferences, and long-term goals.

1. Brand Side as a Career Choice

Suitable for individuals prioritizing:

• Leadership development
• End-to-end business visibility
• Strategic decision-making
• Budget ownership
• Long-term organizational growth

2. Agency Side as a Career Choice

Ideal for those seeking:

• Rapid skill accumulation
• Exposure to multiple industries
• Diverse retailer experience
• Mastery of campaign execution
• A fast-paced environment

3. Retailer/Publisher Side as a Career Choice

Aligned with individuals motivated by:

• Adtech innovation
• Measurement frameworks
• Platform-centric consulting
• Structured career progression
• Product collaboration

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Transitioning Between Career Paths

Mobility is common in the retail media industry, and transitions between environments can accelerate growth.

Agency → Brand Side

Professionals transitioning from agencies to brands benefit from:

• Multi-retailer expertise
• Deep activation experience
• Familiarity with KPIs and optimization levers
• Ability to manage partners effectively

Brand Side → Agency

Brand-side professionals bring:

• Category knowledge
• Commercial and cross-functional insights
• Clear understanding of stakeholder expectations
• Strong strategic planning experience

Agency → Retailer/Publisher

A strong pathway due to:

• Platform knowledge
• Client management skills
• Ability to translate business goals into platform usage
• Operational credibility

Retailer/Publisher → Brand Side

This transition is facilitated by:

• Advanced measurement capabilities
• Insights-driven thinking
• Familiarity with product innovations
• High-level understanding of ecosystem constraints

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Conclusion

Retail media continues to expand as one of the most dynamic areas of digital advertising, and career opportunities are multiplying across brand organizations, agencies, and retail media networks. Although titles and responsibilities sometimes overlap, the experience of working in each environment is distinct, shaped by different forms of accountability, operational cadence, and strategic influence.

Understanding these differences is essential for defining the right career trajectory. The most suitable path depends on individual ambitions, preferred working styles, and long-term goals—whether oriented toward strategic leadership, technical specialization, or platform innovation. Ultimately, Retail Media Career Paths remain diverse, flexible, and full of potential for professionals who wish to shape the future of commerce and advertising.