Omni Activation Manager

About VML

VML is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

VML is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP). For more information, please visit  www.vml.com, and follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

Job Title: Omni Activation Manager

Reports To: Account Director

FLSA Status: Full Time - Salaried, Exempt

Location: Hoboken, NJ

Who is pep:

pep started with 7 employees, a borrowed conference room, and an idea to fill a void in the marketing services space. Today we’ve grown to over 200 people and we are an industry leader in consumer activation, serving some of the top Fortune 500 companies. We’ve managed over $5 billion in marketing spend for over 750 brands and pride ourselves on a client retention rate of 98%.

Our company has evolved since we started 21 years ago, but there is one thing that has remained a constant. at pep, we put people first. Our core values of accountability, excellence, ingenuity, people, and tenacity guide our interactions, decisions, and drive our culture. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive environment where every member of our team feels seen, cared for, and has the support they need to thrive. And our tremendous growth provides our people with many new career and development opportunities along with the flexibility to pursue their professional goals.

We’re looking for teammates who are driven, eager to learn, agile, positive, and client focused to join and contribute to our team. We enjoy a hybrid work model and competitive salary based on experience. If this sounds like you and you want to be a part of something special, then click below to apply.

At pep we value our team and offer:

• Generous Time Off

• Robust Health and Wellness Plan

• Family Support (Any Path to Parenthood)

• Mentorship Program

• 401K Match

• Ongoing Development and Training

• Certification Reimbursement

• Enrichment Events and Employee Resource Groups

Summary of Position:

The Omni Consumer Promotions Activation Manager is responsible for delivering best in class integrated consumer promotion activation investment strategy and plans that produce the highest consumer engagement and purchase conversion throughout the purchase decision journey. S/he will also lead a team to ensure delivery of executional excellence, budget stewardship, cost savings, and innovation to client. Strong leadership, communication, presentation, collaboration, strategic agility, and problem-solving skills are required.

Seeking an experienced promotions activation leader to drive mass market omni-national consumer promotions, with a primary focus in coupons & incentives. They will drive thought-leadership in this space leading implementation of consumer activation plans and advising on activation strategy to enable brand marketers to deliver the most effective business driving programs. They will collaborate across commerce and media disciplines to ensure full end-to-end plan integration.

The ideal candidates will understand today’s digital promotions and retail commerce landscape including their interconnectivity. They should also be driven, goal oriented, and possess a high degree of business savvy to thrive in a highly matrixed and fast-paced environment!

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy & Planning

• Develop BU/Brand specific CP investment strategy & tactical plans including vehicle and offers recommendations, calendar development, and omni-integration, including media amplification

• Lead the creative ideation and omni- integration of promotional plans

• Collaborate with key client stakeholders, cross-agency counterparts, and 3rd party suppliers to develop business driving plans

• Lead plan revisions, optimizations, and other planning iterations necessary to meet business needs

• Identify and deliver performance metrics and benchmarks for activations plans

• Deeply understand your clients’ business, financial/growth objectives, and pain points to deliver plans, solutions, new capabilities, and innovative ideas to support them

• Create and present promotional plans at all necessary client meetings

Team Leadership

• Oversee team of planning support and operations professionals to ensure flawless delivery of promotion plans

• Set team vision and goals to meet both client and pep performance expectations

• Serves as escalation point for client and team; troubleshoot internal and external issues

• Direct team scope based on client guidelines including workload distribution

• Ensure proper tracking of progress (e.g. client status reports, business reviews, and performance documentation, etc.)

• Establish and maintain ongoing 1:1 meetings with direct reports to provide supervision, continual feedback, coaching, and development

• Set annual goals and conduct biannual performance discussions with direct reports to review performance, career guidance for them and provide input on indirect reports in organization

• Review, monitor, and report on Work & Development Plan for each direct report

• Oversee hiring process and make personnel decisions

Knowledge & Preferred Skills:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. A successful candidate will have the following:

• Client Obsession: know their business cold and build deep partnership built on trust

• Strategic Mindset: Sees ahead to future possibilities and translates them into breakthrough strategies

• Business Insight: Busy savvy; applies knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization’s goals

• Manages Complexity: Makes sense of complex, high quantity and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems, reprioritize and adapt; charts path for others to follow.

• Analytical: delivers data/insight driven plans that are delivered with excellence (on-time, on-budget, on-strategy); strong attention to details & accuracy

• Strong Communication and Influencing: ability to “sell in” and support change agenda across multiple stakeholders

• Team leadership; set clear goals for team to achieve; models the way; develops future leaders through coaching & teaching

• Relationship Building: strong relationships internally and effectively collaborate with other departments, client teams, and 3rd party suppliers

• Proficiency in Excel and Power Point. Working knowledge of supplier systems a plus (i.e. NCH lauNCH, Circana, MediaRadar/Vivvix)

Key Requirements:

• Strong background in promotional tactics and vendor landscape including: Digital coupons, Digital Rebates & Rewards platforms, IRC, FSI, In-store media/POP, Sampling, Sweepstakes

• Tenacious drives and bias for action – highly organized, ability to prioritize, multi-task, and manage on time deliverables

• 5-7 years’ experience in development of promotional marketing strategies

• Undergraduate degree preferred, MBA a plus

• Working knowledge of consumer-packaged goods industry, retail channels and account specific marketing

• Understanding of promotional tactics, process flow, execution and fulfillment processes

• Working knowledge of brand marketing, commerce/shopper marketing, (social) media; integration of these practices, and understanding of consumer behavior in this space

• Occasional travel

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

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