About the Position

Executive Director Commerce

New York, New York, United States

About the Company

VML is a global creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce to create connected brands that drive growth. Guided by a Human First philosophy, VML is known for its innovative work for brands and consistently ranks among the world’s leading creative companies, including the WARC Creative 100. VML’s global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Singapore.

VML is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions, and expert strategic counsel.

For more information, please visit www.vml.com and follow along on LinkedIn #WeAreVML.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

Define and lead the commerce vision and growth strategy across digital, social, marketplace, retail media, and emerging commerce channels.
Identify market opportunities and translate them into scalable offerings, operating models, and go-to-market strategies.
Develop the frameworks, tools, insights, and platforms needed to deliver consistent excellence across client engagements.
Represent the commerce practice within the broader leadership ecosystem and strengthen key internal and external partnerships.

Business Leadership and Growth

Own business performance for the commerce practice, including revenue growth, margin health, commercials, and operational effectiveness.
Drive growth through new business acquisition, client expansion, and development of differentiated commerce products and services.
Support forecasting, investment prioritization, and capability expansion planning in partnership with senior leadership.

Client Leadership

Serve as a senior commerce advisor to client stakeholders, including CMOs, heads of commerce, digital leaders, and other executive decision-makers.
Guide clients through commerce transformation, including omnichannel growth strategy, retail media investment, marketplace activation, agentic commerce, and capability development.
Provide thought leadership that strengthens client confidence, deepens partnerships, and positions the organization as a best-in-class commerce partner.

Team Leadership and Capability Building

Lead and inspire high-performing teams across commerce disciplines.
Build bench strength, develop future leaders, and create an inclusive environment where teams are empowered to succeed through their own perspectives and voices.
Drive a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence.
Ensure delivery structures, talent models, and ways of working can scale with client and business needs.

Innovation and Thought Leadership

Innovate future marketing models across multi-capabilities where commerce is the through line.
Advance methodologies, measurement frameworks, and capability narratives that strengthen market differentiation.
Contribute to external thought leadership and internal capability building on the future of commerce, including evolving platform ecosystems and AI-enabled models.

Requirements

Experience: Typically brings 15+ years of experience in commerce, retail media, eCommerce, performance marketing, consulting, or related agency/client leadership environments.
Leadership: Demonstrated success leading large-scale commerce businesses, complex client portfolios, and cross-functional teams.
Commercial Acumen: Strong commercial acumen with experience balancing strategic growth, delivery excellence, and operational rigor.
Functional Expertise:
- Commerce strategy and transformation
- Retail media and marketplace activation
- Digital shelf, content, and conversion strategy
- Commerce data, measurement, and performance frameworks
- Omnichannel growth planning and operating models
- Emerging commerce innovation, including AI-enabled and agentic commerce applications

We Offer

Hybrid Work Approach: Teams in the office an average of four days a week.
Equal Opportunity Employer: VML is committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

Application Process

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Executive Director Commerce

Job description