Retail Media Recruitment: Hire the Talent Powering Commerce Media
Retail Media has quickly moved from a niche channel inside digital marketing to one of the most important revenue engines in modern commerce. Retailers, marketplaces and ecommerce platforms now sit on some of the most valuable media assets in the world: high intent traffic, transaction data and first party audiences. Instead of simply selling products, they are increasingly monetising this attention through retail media networks.
For brands, this has changed how media budgets are allocated. Instead of relying on a single platform, advertisers are now investing across multiple retail media ecosystems. For businesses building these capabilities, the challenge is finding the right talent to fuel growth.
At Pivotal, we specialise in helping retailers, brands and platforms hire the commercial, media and data professionals building the next generation of retail media businesses.
Retail Media Is Becoming the Backbone of Modern Commerce
Retail media is one of the fastest growing areas of digital advertising. UK retail media spend is expected to reach £6.6bn in 2026 and £8.6bn by 2030, growing significantly faster than the wider digital advertising market.
The reason is simple, retailers now control the most powerful combination in modern marketing:
First party customer data
High intent ecommerce traffic
Closed loop measurement
Direct access to the point of purchase
This allows retailers to offer brands advertising solutions that connect media spend directly to sales performance. As a result, retailers are becoming media owners, marketplaces are becoming media platforms, and brands are building internal teams dedicated to retail media strategy. But as investment grows, a new challenge is emerging. The talent market has not caught up.
The Retail Media Talent Gap
The budgets are here, and the commercial pressure is rising. But the talent pool remains relatively small. Retailers, brands and platforms are all competing for professionals who understand how retail media works commercially. One of the most common conversations we have with retail media leaders is not about ad formats or campaign optimisation. It is about organisational design.
Where should retail media actually sit?
Brand marketing
Ecommerce teams
Shopper marketing
Trade marketing
Media or performance marketing teams
Many organisations still treat retail media as a channel. The more advanced businesses recognise it as a structural question that requires new operating models, new leadership capability and new commercial thinking. As retail media evolves, companies are increasingly hiring leaders who can design the system rather than simply run campaigns.
That means professionals who can connect:
Onsite media
Offsite activation
In store monetisation
Measurement and incrementality
Supplier revenue models
These hybrid skill sets are rare. Which is why hiring in retail media requires specialist knowledge of the ecosystem.
Who We Work With in Retail Media
We partner with organisations across the entire retail media ecosystem.
This includes:
Retailers
Building or scaling retail media networks that monetise customer traffic and first party data.
Marketplaces
Platforms looking to unlock new revenue streams by transforming commerce traffic into media inventory.
Consumer Brands
Brands investing heavily in commerce media and building internal teams to manage retail media strategy across multiple networks.
Agencies and Consultancies
Specialist partners supporting brands and retailers with retail media activation, strategy and measurement.
AdTech and Commerce Platforms
Technology companies enabling retail media infrastructure, data activation and measurement solutions.
Many of these organisations are building retail media teams for the first time, which makes getting the hiring strategy right particularly important.
Download the Retail Media Salary Guide
To review a breakdown of compensation, team structures and hiring trends across the retail media ecosystem, request a copy of our Retail Media Salary Guide.
The guide includes:
Salary benchmarks across execution, management and leadership roles
Hiring insights from current London retail media teams
Guidance on structuring retail media functions
Market trends across onsite, offsite and commerce media
Request a copy today and ensure your hiring strategy remains competitive in one of the fastest growing areas of digital advertising.
Request the Retail Media Salary Guide by emailing our Retail Media recruiter, Noel Lavery.
For Candidates: A Career Moment in Retail Media
If you work in retail media today, you are sitting at one of the most interesting career moments in digital advertising. Three years ago, onsite search optimisation was enough. Today the most valuable professionals are those who can operate across multiple areas of commerce media, including:
Onsite and offsite retail media
Data and measurement
Supplier revenue models
Retail partnerships
Creative performance
The professionals building these programmes today are shaping the category. If you are exploring your next move in retail media, you can view all our open roles.
Why Companies Partner With Pivotal
Retail media hiring is evolving quickly. Businesses need recruitment partners who understand both the media landscape and the commercial dynamics of ecommerce.
Clients choose Pivotal because we:
Understand how retail media teams are structured across retailers, brands and platforms
Maintain relationships with specialists across media, ecommerce and AdTech
Provide real market insight around salaries, hiring trends and team design
Deliver high quality candidates quickly without compromising on fit
We work with organisations at every stage, from launching their first retail media proposition to building global commerce media leadership teams.
Retail Media Frequently Asked Questions
What is retail media?
Retail media refers to advertising that takes place within retailer owned ecosystems such as ecommerce websites, marketplaces and in store digital media. Retailers use their customer data and transaction insights to offer advertising opportunities to brands, creating a powerful link between media spend and sales performance.
How do I hire retail media talent in London?
The most effective way to hire retail media professionals is by working with specialist recruitment partners who understand the ecosystem across retailers, brands, agencies and AdTech platforms. At Pivotal, we connect companies with retail media talent across commercial, partnerships, activation and measurement roles.
What roles exist in retail media teams?
Retail media teams typically combine media expertise, commercial partnerships and data analytics. Common roles include Head of Retail Media, Retail Media Partnerships Director, Retail Media Strategist, Onsite Media Manager, Measurement Lead and Retail Media Director.
How do I get a job in retail media?
Many professionals move into retail media from ecommerce, performance marketing, programmatic advertising or marketplace roles. Experience working with retail data, sponsored placements, DSP platforms or ecommerce media networks can be particularly valuable.
What is the salary for retail media jobs in London?
Retail media salaries vary depending on experience and responsibility. Entry level roles typically range from £35,000 to £55,000, mid-level managers often earn £50,000 to £70,000, while senior managers command £70,000 to £95,000. Leadership roles such as Head of Retail Media or Retail Media Director can exceed £130,000 when responsible for supplier revenue and commercial partnerships.
Retail Media Roles We Recruit