Associate Director, Commerce Media in Knoxville, Tennessee at Tombras

Tombras, a 600+ person, full-service, national advertising agency with a digital mindset, is seeking an Associate Director, Commerce Media to help build and scale our Commerce Media capability.

This is a hands-on leadership role spanning Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, Target (Roundel), Instacart, DoorDash, and other major retail media networks (RMNs). You’ll lead strategy and day-to-day activation for assigned clients, guide a growing team, and turn retailer and shopper insights into measurable business growth. Amazon expertise is essential, alongside the ability to plan, activate, and scale media across retailers.

You’ll be joining one of the top independent agencies in North America. Connecting Data & Creativity for Business Results® is working for our clients and creating a flywheel affect fueling both client and agency growth. You’ll be a part of a highly creative agency that has been recognized by AdAge, Adweek, Communication Arts, Fast Company, Forbes and Fortune. Tombras was recently named 2025 AdAge Agency of the year and 2024 AdAge Independent Agency of the Year.

Where you'll be working: Knoxville or Atlanta. Relocation to Knoxville may be provided.

• Lead commerce media strategy and activation across Amazon and other RMNs, selecting networks, products, audiences, and investment levels based on each client’s business goals, retail distribution, and growth opportunities.
• Own campaign planning, setup, optimization, testing, forecasting, and budget pacing. Stay hands-on with Amazon Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and self-service display, while leading retail search and sponsored product campaigns across other networks.
• Manage investment across retailers and ad formats. Evaluate returns alongside new customer acquisition, category opportunity, margin, inventory, and promotional priorities to recommend where to increase, reduce, or test spend.
• Lead client status meetings, performance reviews, and QBRs. Translate results into clear recommendations, explain tradeoffs, and keep clients aligned on priorities, budgets, and next steps.
• Partner with Tombras’ Programmatic Investment team on Amazon DSP and other retailer audience, display, video, and connected TV activations. Supply retail insights and audience strategy, align sponsored media and DSP learning, and coordinate with the team responsible for programmatic buying.
• Partner with Creative and client ecommerce, sales, and shopper marketing teams to improve retail readiness: product detail pages, assortment, pricing, promotions, inventory, and availability. Identify issues that limit media performance and coordinate action with the responsible teams.
• Work with Media Strategy and broader investment teams to connect commerce media to integrated brand and performance plans, including onsite, offsite, and in-store opportunities where relevant.
• Partner with Analytics + Data Science on reporting, Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC), and incrementality testing where feasible. Account for differences in attribution windows and sales definitions across retailers, and distinguish platform-attributed results from incremental business impact.
• Build repeatable workflows in Pacvue and other commerce media tools. Establish launch plans, naming conventions, QA, pacing controls, reporting definitions, and testing roadmaps; evaluate automation and AI tools with clear review standards.
• Coach and develop junior team members, delegate work, review campaign quality, and help leadership plan staffing and training as the practice grows.
• Build relationships with retailer and platform partners, evaluate new capabilities and betas, and recommend tests suited to client objectives. Coordinate self-service and managed-service activity as needed.
• Support new business and account growth through retail media audits, forecasts, recommendations, and pitch presentations.

• The mix will vary by client. You should bring strong platform fundamentals and the ability to learn new tools quickly.
• Retail media platforms: Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, Target/Roundel, Instacart Ads, DoorDash Ads, and other relevant RMNs, including Kroger Precision Marketing.
• Campaign management and automation: Pacvue, with experience in Skai or comparable platforms also valuable.
• Measurement and retail intelligence: AMC, Amazon Brand Analytics and Search Query Performance, retailer reporting, and digital shelf tools such as AMC, Pacvue, Helium 10, and Intentwise where available.
• Analysis and communication: Excel or Google Sheets for forecasting and analysis, plus reporting dashboards and presentation tools.

• 6+ years of performance media experience, including 4+ years in Amazon advertising and/or retail media, with substantial hands-on Amazon Ads experience.
• Hands-on campaign experience with at least one additional major RMN, such as Walmart Connect, Target/Roundel, Instacart, or DoorDash, and the ability to transfer those skills to new platforms.
• A record of managing significant media budgets, improving performance, and building scalable campaign structures with disciplined pacing and testing.
• Strong command of commerce media measurement, including ROAS, ACoS/TACoS where relevant, new-to-brand acquisition, conversion, and share of search. You understand how retail conditions and attribution methodology affect the story.
• Experience leading client relationships, presenting recommendations, and connecting campaign decisions to revenue, profitability, and customer growth.
• Experience coaching teammates, setting priorities, delegating work, and holding a high standard for execution.
• Strong analytical and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the initiative to build useful processes in a growing practice.

• Agency experience managing multiple clients; Walmart Connect depth and experience across several retail media networks.
• Pacvue experience; familiarity with Amazon DSP, AMC, retailer clean rooms, and incrementality testing. Hands-on DSP buying or SQL experience is a plus.
• Experience connecting media with digital shelf, merchandising, shopper marketing, or retailer joint business planning.

You do not need experience with every platform listed. We’re looking for deep Amazon expertise, demonstrated experience beyond Amazon, and the judgment to build effective plans across retailers.

Why you'll want to work at Tombras:

• Family - It comes first, on every list. Tombras has been family-run since day 1, we strive to facilitate a family-oriented environment rooted in supporting one another.
• Dog-friendly offices
• Flexible PTO
• Generous parental leave for primary and non-primary caregivers
• Medical (PPO or High Deductible option) for employee + dependents
• 401(k) Participation
• Employer-paid Dental & Vision
• A company culture of promotions from within and an atmosphere allowing for varied and rapid career development.

Want more reasons to work at Tombras? Check out the latest Tombras News and Our Values.

Tombras is proud to be an equal opportunity employer dedicated to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce.

Tombras is an E-Verify employer and participates in the E-Verify program.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice. Job may require traveling overnight, driving long distances as required and sitting for extended periods of time with occasional walking and standing and occasionally lifting or carrying articles weighing less than 10 pounds.

This is a hybrid role. You will work in your assigned office Tuesday through Thursday, with the option to work remotely on Mondays and Fridays.