Vertical Strategist, Retail/QSR

A little about us

Yahoo serves as a trusted guide for hundreds of millions of people globally, helping them achieve their goals online through our portfolio of iconic products. For advertisers, Yahoo Advertising offers omnichannel solutions and powerful data to engage with our brands and deliver results.

About the Role

As a Vertical Strategist (Retail/QSR) for Yahoo Ads, you will develop category-specific advertising solutions across all of our iconic brands.

Bringing deep expertise in retail seasonal cycles, shopper marketing, local foot traffic drivers, and QSR promotional strategies directly to the Sales team, you will author tailored, audience-first proposals and advertiser narratives. You will bridge sales teams, publishing properties, commerce data, and consumer insights to show Retail and QSR advertisers exactly how Yahoo’s scale and media solutions drive foot traffic, online conversions, and sales.

This role blends creative storytelling with data-driven retail and QSR strategy. The ideal candidate is a vocal leader, analytical thinker, and creative problem solver who can easily translate commerce and location data into persuasive client pitches.

Key Responsibilities

Proposal Strategy & Narrative Development

• Lead RFP Responses: Create tailored responses to retail and QSR RFPs, simplifying complex omnichannel, retail media, and promo campaign options into clear, customized advertising solutions, leveraging AI-powered RFP automation and workflows to streamline administrative tasks and speed up proposal turnaround.
• Build Audience-Led Narratives: Focus on holistic, shopper-driven stories that leverage Yahoo’s scale, search intent, and commerce data insights over isolated product pitches, utilizing AI tools for rapid insight generation and category data synthesis.
• Craft Clear Copy: Write persuasive materials that highlight Yahoo’s retail media and QSR benefits without relying on dense industry jargon.
• Strategize & Brainstorm: Collaborate with cross-functional partners using AI tools to brainstorm innovative pitch concepts, pressure-test angles, and validate strategic recommendations for client presentations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sales: Collaborate with sales leads and account directors to plan strategic outreach for key retail, QSR, and e-commerce accounts.
• Align on Strategy: Join client kickoff calls to ensure cross-property media and content strategies align from the start of an RFP.
• Package Solutions: Work with creative studios, product, and yield teams to include mockups and data packages that demonstrate campaign value.
• Leverage Editorial & Events: Coordinate with content and editorial teams to turn key shopping moments (e.g., Black Friday, key QSR menu drops) into advertiser opportunities.

Project Management & Execution

• Manage Timelines: Balance multiple, fast-paced RFP timelines simultaneously, using internal tracking tools to prioritize high-value business.
• Collaborate Early: Share draft materials early to support an iterative review culture and ensure high-quality final submissions.
• Balance Story & Data: Combine strong storytelling with data to build a compelling case for Yahoo’s solutions in all marketing and sales materials, continually identifying opportunities to integrate AI-assisted workflows into recurring pitch preparation.

Basic Qualifications

• 5–7 years in digital media, advertising strategy, or agency planning with specific experience in Retail, E-Commerce, or QSR verticals.
• Deep understanding of retail advertising, shopper marketing networks, location-based QSR targeting, and omnichannel digital strategies.
• Hands-on experience or comfort utilizing generative AI tools to automate workflows, accelerate RFP tasks, brainstorm pitch strategies, and extract data insights.
• Strong data literacy with the ability to use shopper insights, location/foot-traffic data, and search intent to build clear, data-backed strategic recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience organizing complex information into clean presentation decks.
• A collaborative, client-focused approach with the ability to work effectively under tight deadlines and adapt to changing workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience growing revenue via shopper marketing, co-op retail media, or performance media campaigns.
• Experience building reusable proposal frameworks, pitch templates, or structured AI prompts for sales enablement.

The material job duties and responsibilities of this role include those listed above as well as adhering to Yahoo policies; exercising sound judgment; working effectively, safely and inclu