Senior Account Executive - Sampling

About WPP
pep 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.

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 400 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 19 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.

At pep we value our team and offer:

Generous Time Off

Robust Health and Wellness Plan

Family Support

401K Match

Role Autonomy

Certification Reimbursement and Ongoing Training

Enrichment Events and Employee Resource Groups

Summary of Position:
The Senior Account Executive - Sampling position is a role focusing on planning and project management of Sampling programs. As a SAE-Sampling, you will be responsible for campaign management from conception to final delivery for all omni-channel sampling campaigns for the client. You will deliver against brand, procurement and COE strategies and goals as well as execute projects flawlessly. Entrepreneurial leadership, agility, work ethic, relationship skills, project management and analytical skills are a must to drive value for our clients. The ability to consult with cross- functional client contacts as well as ability to build strong supplier relationships is imperative to deliver against goals and strategies.

Key Responsibilities and Attributes:

Research and propose sampling campaign ideas with proven ability to deliver against client’s strategic brief and drive key business objectives

Create and deliver presentation of proposed ideas including rationale, detailed descriptions, timing and costs for approval by brand stakeholders

Set KPIs and success criteria for each project including measurement methodology; align with client and vendor(s)

Lead project kick off and alignment meetings and provide recaps

Create and manage program timelines

Act as main point of contact (project owner) managing communication amongst all vendor(s) and client stakeholders for all assigned sampling projects

Collaborate with all key internal and external stakeholders and resources (e.g. brand teams, samping, vendors, cross functional client team members, WPP Unite colleagues partners, pep sourcing, etc.)

Work with vendors and other necessary stakeholders to measure campaign performance against pre-determined KPIs

Present program results to client along with insights and key learnings

Remain current on trends and new innovation within the sampling industry; provide continuous, applicable thought leadership to client

Present quarterly state of business updates to client including current sampling industry overview relative to client specific activity YTD

Manage project file retention and file closure process

Assist team on large-scale initiatives

Lead establishment, development and improvement of processes/procedures related to Sampling

Knowledge/Skills Preferred:

Bachelor’s degree from four-year college or university preferred; Associates degree or equivalent experience also considered

Minimum 2 years’ experience in promotional sampling industry

Experience in the CPG industry a plus (food and/or beauty and personal care)

Extremely organized and communicates well across multiple parties

Strong project management skills and experience including cross functional collaboration

Ability to identify and provide creative solutions to challenges

Able to deliver in a fast paced environment and manage a high workload

Independent worker, with a team player mindset, enthusiastic and energetic approach

Ability to mentor, grow and work harmoniously as part of a larger team

Ability to do intermediate-level math (calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, and percentages)

Ability to problem solve

Ability to manage complexity and business processes

Ability to measure program performance and track metrics

Experience in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Power Point, and Excel is required

Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus

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 (pep) 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.

This role works hybrid out of Cincinnati, OH. We are not offering a relocation package.

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