Retailer Ads Sales Executive, Mid-market Ads

Instacart Instacart · Consumer · United States · Remote · Ad Sales

Instacart is seeking a Retailer Ads Sales Executive to expand advertising partnerships within their existing retailer network. This role will own the full sales cycle for retailer-dedicated ad units and cross-channel solutions, driving revenue and collaborating with various internal teams. The ideal candidate has experience in digital advertising sales, particularly in retail media, and a proven track record of growing advertising partnerships.

What you'd actually do

  1. Own the full sales cycle for retailer advertising partnerships within Instacart’s existing retailer network, from prospecting and pipeline development through scoping, contracting, launch, optimization, renewal, and expansion.
  2. Identify, position, and sell retailer-dedicated ad units and cross-channel solutions (on-site and off-site), partnering with Product, Marketing, and Yield to craft packages that map to retailer objectives and deliver measurable ROI.
  3. Work hand-in-hand with the Business Development retailer team to align account strategies, convert platform relationships into advertising revenue, and create cohesive joint plans for growth.
  4. Translate performance data into clear narratives, proposals, and QBRs; set targets, monitor KPIs, and drive optimizations that lead to renewal and upsell.
  5. Build repeatable playbooks, pricing guardrails, and best practices that support scale across Midmarket Ads and enable future teammates to execute with quality and speed.

Skills

Required

  • 5–7+ years of experience in digital advertising sales, account management, or business development, with a focus on retail, grocery, or the broader retail ecosystem.
  • Hands-on experience with retail media networks, including on-site media, off-site activation, audience targeting, and performance measurement.
  • Proven track record owning end-to-end sales cycles and growing high-value advertising partnerships with individual contract values between $100k and $2M.
  • Experience presenting complex advertising solutions to senior stakeholders and negotiating commercial terms through close.
  • Analytical and data-driven approach; proficiency using performance data to inform optimization and renewal strategies.
  • Demonstrated cross-functional collaboration with teams such as Business Development, Product, and Marketing to package and deliver solutions.
  • Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, communications, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to have

  • Existing relationships or ad sales experience with regional and national retailers (e.g., grocers, mass merchandisers, specialty retailers).
  • Expertise in audience segmentation and the ability to tailor solutions to retailer goals and target customers.
  • Experience launching new ad formats or implementing innovative advertising solutions in a retail environment.
  • Familiarity with retail attribution models and campaign metrics (e.g., ROAS, incrementality, basket size, repeat rate), and comfort interpreting campaign reporting.
  • Experience using CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce) for pipeline management and forecasting.
  • Willingness to travel as needed (up to 10%–25%) for client meetings and cross-functional collaboration.

What the JD emphasized

  • retail media networks
  • retailer-dedicated ad units
  • full sales cycle
  • contracting
  • pricing guardrails