VP, Commerce Strategy

Job Description:

As the VP, Commerce Strategy, you will join a team of talented and experienced strategists who focus on helping Merkle clients achieve their business goals through deep understanding of technology-driven change including touchpoints that support engagement, marketing, services, and sales with emphasis on customer experience transformation, and corporate and digital strategy. You will serve as a dedicated strategic advisor to our DX practice and clients that are engaging Merkle for commerce expertise.

This role will operate as a key member of the Strategy leadership team, helping ensure that the commerce go-to-market value proposition we present and the programs we execute are based on our deep understanding of our client's business and strategic objectives, as well as the broader commerce landscape.

This role may help lead Merkle's account team in one or more named client organizations, requiring the ability to articulate Merkle's "right to win" in the space through evolved and cutting-edge thinking. You must demonstrate the ability to bring foundational credibility to Merkle through thought leadership while building strong relationships with clients and internal client teams.

Key Responsibilities:

Thought Leadership & External Brand Building

• Maintain and foster a public-facing brand and position of thought leadership in agentic AI, commerce, UCP, marketplace, and human-centered experience transformation

• Bring focus and direction to key industry themes and ongoing conversations to provide a distilled point of view to clients and illuminate their path forward

• Build and leverage relationships with analysts to elevate Merkle’s brand in the Commerce ecosystem

Client Engagement & Strategic Development

• Engage with key client stakeholders alongside account teams, offering expertise and supporting client service and growth teams

• Educate clients on capabilities in the larger Commerce space, aligning these with their business objectives to drive growth

• Develop trusted, long-term relationships with key client contacts and executives at the SVP and C-Suite level

• Oversee or lead the building, development, and delivery of strategic digital Commerce transformation plans for named client(s)

• Ensure meaningful client value is delivered through a mix of best-practice solutions, skills, capabilities, and original thinking

Business Development & Revenue Growth Opportunities

• Drive internal and external growth conversations with clients

• Identify and pursue business growth opportunities to support expansion of client relationships and revenue generation

• Create and execute multi-year revenue roadmaps for your key client accounts

• Collaborate with account teams to identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities across the full spectrum of Merkle’s Commerce capabilities

Senior Advisory & Digital Commerce Transformation Leadership

• Serve as trusted advisor and strategic counsel to C-suite executives and senior stakeholders on digital commerce transformation initiatives

• Act as proxy for senior client stakeholders in internal planning sessions and strategic discussions when appropriate

• Guide clients through the commerce complexities inherent in digital transformation journeys, providing strategic oversight and change management support

• Develop and maintain deep understanding of client organizational structures, decision-making processes, and transformation priorities

• Facilitate executive-level workshops and strategic planning sessions focused on commerce maturity and transformation roadmaps

• Provide strategic counsel on technology adoption, organizational change management, and digital capability development relative to commerce

• Serve as escalation point for complex client challenges and transformation roadblocks

Strategic Monitoring & Collaboration

• Continually monitor current marketing trends, new technology solutions, and competitive strategies related to commerce, then translate them into new direction for clients

• Collaborate and develop relationships with internal Merkle teams (account management, operations, creative, analytics, etc.) and partner agencies to understand feasibility of cross-channel recommendations and plans

• Collaborate with experts, media, analysts, and industry leaders to advocate dentsu and Merkle's vision in commerce strategy

Qualifications:

Educational Background

• Bachelor's degree required. Preferred degrees include Marketing, Computer Science, Communications, or related fields

• MBA or advanced degree preferred

Experience Requirements

• 10+ years' experience in commerce strategy and/or delivery

• Deep expertise in enterprise-level transformations relative to commerce

• 10+ years working in an agency or consulting firm

• Proven experience in a leadership role focused on Commerce expertise

• Demonstrated experience in strategy development for clients at the SVP and C-suite level

• Extensive experience and strong track record of success working across growth and delivery in an agency or digital consultancy setting

• Proven track record of driving revenue growth within existing client relationships, with demonstrable results in account expansion

• Experience serving as senior advisor or trusted counsel to C-suite executives during digital transformation initiatives

• History of successfully managing complex, multi-year client relationships with revenue responsibility

• Experience acting as client proxy or representative in internal strategic planning and resource allocation discussions

Technical/SME Skills

• Familiarity with commerce technologies, platforms, and tools such as Salesforce, Shopify, Adobe, commercetools, etc. and how clients can leverage and integrate these technologies to enable best in class Commerce experiences. This is not a technical role, so developer-level expertise is not required

• Deep knowledge of the competitive landscape to ensure Merkle is positioned the right way and focused on the right capabilities and expertise to win

Leadership & Communication Skills

• Excellent leadership and team management skills, with experience in nurturing high-performing teams

• Strong writing, presentation, and client-facing communication skills

• Experience translating data analysis into actionable marketing recommendations and presentations—proficiency in PowerPoint preferred

• Expert ability to pitch confidently and win hearts and minds in high-stakes presentations

• Strong listening skills to understand clients' visible and invisible needs

• Demonstrable ability to build and maintain client and partner relationships

• Proven ability to serve as trusted advisor and strategic counsel to senior executives

• Experience facilitating executive-level strategic planning sessions and transformation workshops

• Ability to navigate complex client organizational structures and influence decision-making at multiple levels

Personal Attributes

• Self-starter with high intellectual curiosity, drive, determination, and persuasion skills

• Superior multi-tasking, networking, time management, and interpersonal skills

• Comfort and experience working within a highly matrixed organization in roles with a wide degree of latitude

• Deep understanding of the evolving landscape of consumer experience and commerce

Travel Requirements

• 20% travel

Ideal Candidate Profile:

You are the ideal candidate for this role if you have a deep understanding of how commerce impacts and drives the interactions between businesses, brands, and customers, with an advanced understanding of the rapidly evolving role that commerce, AI, and technology platforms play in this ecosyste. You must possess the ability to identify business opportunities to support the growth of client relationships while maintaining a focus on staying abreast of industry trends and best practices.

The annual base salary range for this position is $163,000-$240,000. Placement within the salary range is based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and other factors permitted by law. Additionally, this position is eligible for discretionary incentive compensation.  

Benefits available with this position include:  

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance, 

• Life insurance,  

• Short-term and long-term disability insurance, 

• 401k,  

• Flexible paid time off, 

• At least 15 paid holidays per year, 

• Paid sick and safe leave, and 

• Paid parental leave. 

Dentsu also complies with applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, in accordance with its plans and policies.  For more information regarding dentsu benefits, please visit www.dentsubenefitsplus.com. 

To begin the application process, please click on the “Apply” button at the top of this job posting. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and qualified candidates will be contacted for next steps. 

At dentsu, we believe great work happens when we’re connected. Our way of working combines flexibility with in-person collaboration to spark ideas and strengthen our teams. Employees who live within a commutable distance of one of our hub offices, currently located in Chicago, metro Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York City, are required and expected to work from the office three days per week (two days per week for employees based in Los Angeles). Dentsu may designate other Hub offices at any time. Those who live outside a commutable range may be designated as remote, depending on the role and business needs. Regardless of your work location, we expect our employees to be flexible to meet the needs of our Company and clients, which may include attendance in an office.

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