Associate Design Director Jobs in Ontario (NOW HIRING)

Successful candidate must have:

• 8+ years of agency experience, minimum 5 years at director level
• Strategic program leadership and ownership of client relationships
• Experience leading national field teams

Full job description below:

Leading Influence Marketing’s technology retail business, with a significant focus on Technology in retail with a strong focus on Best Buy Canada and national consumer electronics programs.

This is a new role for Influence Retail Services Inc.

LOCATION

EMPLOYMENT

SALARY

Mississauga, ON
Hybrid, minimum 3 days in office

Full-time

$95,000-$105,000
Starting salary based on experience

The Director is the senior business leader responsible for the strategic direction, client partnerships, operational excellence, financial performance, and growth of Influence Marketing’s technology retail portfolio.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Retail, this role oversees national programs for leading technology brands, with a significant focus on major consumer electronics retailers. The Director serves as a trusted advisor to clients and retail partners while leading cross-functional agency teams spanning account management, field operations, analytics, recruitment, training, finance, and program delivery.

In addition, the Director works closely with the Retail Leadership team to support and deliver on the overall strategy and financial goals of the overall Retail business, clients and teams.

This is a hands-on leadership role for an experienced agency professional who understands how technology is sold at retail. Success requires executive presence, commercial judgment, strong knowledge of assisted-selling environments, and the ability to translate strategy into consistent, measurable execution across a national store network.

Travel will be required at minimum 30%.

• Own the strategic direction and overall performance of the technology retail business and other assigned client portfolios as required.
• Develop annual business plans, priorities, growth strategies, and operating plans aligned with client objectives and Influence Marketing's commercial goals.
• Maintain deep knowledge of consumer electronics categories, including computing, mobile, connected home, gaming, audio, smart devices, and emerging AI-enabled products and services.
• Translate brand, retailer, category, and shopper insights into practical retail strategies that improve customer experience, sales conversion, and program performance.
• Identify opportunities to modernize programs through retail technology, reporting automation, digital learning, AI tools, and improved field enablement.
• Establish clear standards, operating rhythms, and performance expectations across all programs within the portfolio.

• Build and maintain trusted senior-level relationships with national technology retail partners.
• Understand retailer priorities, organizational structures, promotional calendars, store operations, merchandising standards, associate engagement models, and scorecard expectations.
• Develop strategies that strengthen brand visibility, associate advocacy, customer engagement, assisted sales, and execution within BBY and other consumer electronics environments.
• Partner effectively with retailer leadership, store operations, merchants, category teams, and field stakeholders to resolve issues and advance shared objectives.
• Anticipate changes in the retail environment and provide clients with informed recommendations on risks, opportunities, and program evolution.
• Represent Influence Marketing with credibility, sound judgment, and professionalism at retailer meetings, store visits, business reviews, and industry events.

• Serve as the senior strategic lead and executive sponsor for assigned technology accounts.
• Build long-term client partnerships grounded in transparency, responsiveness, strategic value, and consistent delivery.
• Lead annual planning, quarterly business reviews, executive presentations, and strategic working sessions.
• Use performance data, field intelligence, and market knowledge to challenge thinking constructively and recommend actions that improve results.
• Anticipate client needs, address concerns before they escalate, and ensure internal teams communicate with clarity and confidence.
• Balance client advocacy with responsible commercial decisions that protect service quality, team capacity, and agency profitability.

• Oversee the design, launch, and ongoing management of national technology retail programs, including assisted selling, product demonstrations, merchandising, training, promotional activations, and retail advocacy initiatives.
• Ensure programs are delivered on time, within scope and budget, and against clearly defined sales, execution, training, coverage, and customer-experience KPIs.
• Establish scalable operating models, staffing structures, field leadership practices, communication plans, escalation processes, and quality-control standards.
• Partner with field operations leaders to improve store coverage, coaching effectiveness, compliance, productivity, retention, and performance consistency.
• Review operational risks, service gaps, and performance trends, then ensure corrective action plans are developed and implemented quickly.
• Maintain visibility into in-store realities through regular field visits, retailer engagement, and direct connection with program teams.

• Define meaningful program KPIs and ensure reporting connects field activity to sales, customer experience, retailer priorities, and client business outcomes.
• Lead the interpretation of dashboards, sales data, store-level results, field insights, training metrics, and execution reporting.
• Identify performance patterns, root causes, and opportunities across stores, markets, teams, products, and promotional periods.
• Translate complex information into clear executive narratives, recommendations, and action plans.
• Champion accurate data collection, disciplined reporting practices, and continuous improvement of technology platforms and analytics tools.
• Use AI and emerging technologies responsibly to improve analysis, communication, forecasting, workflow efficiency, and strategic planning.

• Assume full P&L responsibility for assigned accounts and the financial performance of the portfolio.
• Develop and manage budgets, forecasts, staffing models, pricing, estimates, change orders, accruals, reconciliations, and profitability plans.
• Monitor revenue, margin, labour efficiency, program costs, and resource utilization, taking timely action when performance falls outside plan.
• Ensure scopes of work are clear, commercially sound, and aligned with operational requirements and client expectations.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability through smarter program design, workforce planning, technology, and process improvement without compromising service.
• Present financial performance, risks, forecasts, and recommendations to senior agency leadership.

• Create strategic account growth plans and identify opportunities to expand existing partnerships, services, categories, and markets.
• Lead or contribute to proposals, pitches, credentials presentations, pricing strategies, and new-business development initiatives.
• Develop new retail solutions that respond to evolving technology categories, shopper behaviours, retailer models, and client needs.
• Maintain awareness of competitive activity, retail media, omnichannel developments, emerging technologies, and innovation across consumer electronics.
• Build persuasive business cases that connect client challenges to practical, differentiated agency solutions.
• Contribute to Influence Marketing's thought leadership and reputation within technology retail.

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team that may include Account Managers, Field Operations Managers, Supervisors, Coordinators, analysts, and support partners.
• Set clear expectations, provide direct and constructive feedback, and hold leaders accountable for results, communication, and team development.
• Build succession plans, strengthen leadership capability, and create meaningful growth opportunities for high-potential employees.
• Allocate resources thoughtfully across accounts and programs, balancing client priorities, workload, capability, and profitability.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, curiosity, accountability, inclusion, and continuous learning.
• Lead calmly through change, ambiguity, client pressure, and operational complexity while maintaining trust and focus.

• Partner closely with Field Operations, Strategy, Creative, Digital, Experiential, Production, Talent, Training, Technology, Analytics, and Finance teams.
• Create alignment across disciplines so strategy, client commitments, staffing, systems, budgets, and execution plans operate as one integrated program.
• Clarify ownership, decision rights, timelines, and escalation paths across complex initiatives.
• Build effective relationships with vendors, technology providers, suppliers, and partner agencies.
• Contribute to agency-wide planning, operational improvements, leadership discussions, and cultural initiatives.

• 8-10+ years of progressive experience in retail marketing, shopper marketing, field marketing, experiential marketing, or an integrated agency environment.
• At least 5 years of experience leading major client portfolios, national programs, and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated experience within technology retail or consumer electronics, with a strong understanding of how products are marketed and sold in assisted-selling environments.
• Direct experience working with Best Buy Canada, another national consumer electronics retailer, or major technology brands is strongly preferred.
• Experience leading field sales, brand advocacy, product demonstration, merchandising, training, or retail execution programs at national scale.
• Proven success building senior client relationships, presenting to executive stakeholders, and growing existing business.
• Demonstrated P&L ownership, budgeting, forecasting, pricing, resource planning, and profitability management.
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, or a related discipline is preferred. Equivalent relevant experience will be considered.

• Executive presence and the ability to establish credibility with senior clients, retail partners, agency leaders, and teams.
• Strategic thinking combined with a practical, hands-on approach to execution.
• Strong commercial judgment and the ability to balance growth, client service, employee experience, and profitability.
• High emotional intelligence, professional maturity, discretion, and sound decision-making under pressure.
• Exceptional coaching, performance management, conflict resolution, and change-leadership skills.
• Ability to influence across functions and organizations without relying solely on formal authority.
• Superior written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to move confidently between detailed program data and broader strategic implications.
• Exceptional organization and prioritization skills, with the capacity to lead multiple complex programs simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, and collaboration platforms; comfort adopting AI and emerging productivity tools.

• Strong knowledge of the Canadian consumer electronics and technology retail landscape.
• Understanding of Best Buy Canada store operations, retail calendars, merchandising, associate engagement, and vendor or agency partnership models is a significant asset.
• Knowledge of assisted selling, field sales, retail training, product launches, promotional execution, and store-level performance management.
• Familiarity with omnichannel shopping, e-commerce influence, retail media, customer journey, and the role of physical retail in technology purchase decisions.
• Comfort discussing technology products and categories with clients, retailers, field teams, and consumers.
• Strong understanding of reporting dashboards, CRM systems, workforce platforms, learning tools, project management systems, and campaign analytics.

• Valid driver's license and access to reliable transportation.
• Ability to travel within Canada and occasionally to the United States as business needs require.
• Current passport or ability to obtain one and travel to the US.
• Flexibility to attend occasional evening or weekend retail events, launches, or client commitments.

You are equally comfortable walking a retail store to assess execution, discussing category strategy with a technology client, reviewing a financial forecast with agency leadership, and coaching a senior team member through a difficult decision.

You are genuinely curious about technology and understand that strong retail performance is created through the intersection of strategy, people, data, retailer relationships, and disciplined execution. You bring confidence without ego, make clear decisions, and earn trust by following through.

• Influence Marketing is viewed by clients and retail partners as a trusted strategic leader in Canadian technology retail.