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Agency & Media
SALES & MARKETING RECRUITMENT
Agency & Media. Winning the client is half the job.
Fast briefs. Big ideas. Tight turnarounds. Plenty of opinions.
We find new-business, client-services and agency-marketing people who understand scope, margin and what the client is actually buying — not just how to pitch.
Retail
Christmas in July. One eye on today’s numbers. The other on next season.
Recruitment for sales and marketing roles across multichannel retail, ecommerce, lifestyle brands, specialist stores, marketplaces, retail services and consumer-facing businesses.
SALES & MARKETING RECRUITMENT IN
SALES & MARKETING RECRUITMENT
Retail
Christmas in July. One eye on today’s numbers. The other on next season.
Recruitment for sales and marketing roles across multichannel retail, ecommerce, lifestyle brands, specialist stores, marketplaces, retail services and consumer-facing businesses.
1 - BIG PICTURE STORY:
The Retail Economy
THE UK PICTURE:
In Great Britain, retail sales volumes rose by 1.3% in 2025, the second consecutive year of growth. Online spending remained a major part of the market, accounting for 28.3% of total retail spending in December 2025, while online sales values were 11.1% higher than a year earlier. Overall retail volumes, however, remained below 2019 levels. (Office for National Statistics)
THE IRISH PICTURE:
In Ireland, retail sales ended 2025 broadly flat in volume terms, while the value of sales in December was 1.5% higher than a year earlier. Performance varied significantly by category, with stronger growth in areas such as motor trades and electrical goods, while clothing, footwear and textiles declined. Irish retail data also includes online sales made by retailers operating in Ireland, although it does not capture all spending through overseas e-commerce businesses. (Central Statistics Office)
Behind the headline numbers is a sector balancing stores and screens, volume and margin, stock and timing. A supermarket, fashion chain, online retailer and specialist store may compete for the same consumer spend while operating very different buying cycles, promotional models and routes to market.
£114.7bn
UK retail economic output, 2024
396k
Ireland wholesale & retail employees, Jul 2026
+1.2%
Ireland wholesale & retail employment growth, year-on-year Jul 2026
01 — THE SECTOR
Unique hiring considerations:
Sales and Marketing professionals in Retail get used to looking past the headline number. A promotion can perform brilliantly and still be poor business. Sales may rise while margin falls, customers may simply bring forward a purchase they were going to make anyway, or a campaign can create demand for stock the business cannot fulfil.
With experience, people get better at seeing what sits behind the result.
Sales and commercial professionals become more aware of margin, availability, timing, customer behaviour and the practical consequences of the deal they are making. They learn that a buyer saying no may be about space, stock turn, category strategy or risk rather than the product itself.
Marketing develops a similar awareness.
A strong campaign still has to survive the shelf, website, checkout, delivery and returns process. Experienced retail marketers learn that what the customer has been promised and what the business can actually deliver have to stay reasonably close together.
Two New Business Directors may both show major pitch wins and well-known clients. The same result can start at very different points in the buying journey.
The title tells us surprisingly little unless we know what the client was buying and how the agency made money from it.
CANDIDATE A
Strongest once the brief lands
• Builds strong credentials and pitch processes
• Coordinates senior agency involvement
• Converts briefs once the opportunity is defined
CANDIDATE B
Shapes the brief before it exists
• Builds senior relationships before formal briefs
• Creates preference while needs are still forming
• Qualifies carefully for fit, margin and win probability
02 — HOW WE ASSESS
Same CV. Different capability.
Two Key Account Managers may both list major retailers, joint business plans, promotions, forecasting and revenue growth.
One may mainly manage an established account and execute an agreed trading plan; another may negotiate range, margin and terms, influence buyers with category insight, manage trade investment and make decisions that materially affect stock and profitability.
The responsibilities can look similar while the level of commercial ownership is very different.
CANDIDATE B — SHAPES THE BRIEF BEFORE IT EXISTS
Builds new or underdeveloped customer opportunities
Negotiates range, margin and commercial terms
• Qualifies carefully for fit, margin and win probability
CANDIDATE A — STRONGEST ONCE THE BRIEF LANDS
Builds new or underdeveloped customer opportunities
Delivers promotional and revenue targets
Works within established ranges and trading plans
02 — HOW WE ASSESS
Same CV. Different capability.
02 — HOW WE ASSESS
Same CV. Different capability.
Two Key Account Managers may both list major retailers, joint business plans, promotions, forecasting and revenue growth.
One may mainly manage an established account and execute an agreed trading plan; another may negotiate range, margin and terms, influence buyers with category insight, manage trade investment and make decisions that materially affect stock and profitability.
The responsibilities can look similar while the level of commercial ownership is very different.
SAME JOB TITLE - CANDIDATE A
Strong buyer relationships and account continuity
Delivers promotional and revenue targets
Works within established ranges and trading plans
SAME JOB TITLE - CANDIDATE B
Builds new or underdeveloped customer opportunities
Negotiates range, margin and commercial terms
Uses category and customer insight to influence decisions
SALES, NEW BUSINESS & CLIENT GROWTH
01
New Business Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Which pitches deserve the agency's time — not just winning them.
HOW IT VARIES
RFP-led in some agencies; relationship-led long before a brief in others.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"Tell us about a pitch you walked away from."
02
Client Services Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
The gap between what the client expects and what the fee covers.
HOW IT VARIES
Full P&L and renewal authority, or delivery lead with pricing held elsewhere.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"When did you last renegotiate scope mid-year?"
03
Account Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Growth that doesn't turn into unpaid over-servicing.
HOW IT VARIES
Performance agencies build media economics; creative agencies build judgement on ambiguous briefs.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"How did the account's margin move under you?"
MARKETING
04
Agency Marketing Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Attracting the kind of brief New Business actually wants.
HOW IT VARIES
Visibility and awards in some agencies; proposition and pipeline in others.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"Which piece of thinking brought a client in?"
05
Communications Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
The agency's reputation, and sometimes its clients' too.
HOW IT VARIES
Corporate narrative in-house, or crisis and media work on behalf of clients.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"What didn't you say, and why?"
06
Content Strategy Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Connecting audience insight to measurable commercial outcomes.
HOW IT VARIES
Client-facing strategy lead, or the agency's own thought-leadership engine.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"How did you prove it worked?"
We also recruit across media sales, partnerships, PR, performance and digital marketing, and sales & marketing leadership.
Discuss a role in this sector →
03 — ROLES
What the title doesn't tell you
We also recruit across media sales, partnerships, PR, performance and digital marketing, and sales & marketing leadership.
Discuss a role in this sector
→
MARKETING
04
Agency Marketing Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Attracting the kind of brief New Business actually wants.
HOW IT VARIES
Visibility and awards in some agencies; proposition and pipeline in others.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"Which piece of thinking brought a client in?"
05
Communications Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
The agency's reputation, and sometimes its clients' too.
HOW IT VARIES
Corporate narrative in-house, or crisis and media work on behalf of clients.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"What didn't you say, and why?"
06
Content Strategy Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Connecting audience insight to measurable commercial outcomes.
HOW IT VARIES
Client-facing strategy lead, or the agency's own thought-leadership engine.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"How did you prove it worked?"
SALES, NEW BUSINESS & CLIENT GROWTH
01
New Business Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Which pitches deserve the agency's time — not just winning them.
HOW IT VARIES
RFP-led in some agencies; relationship-led long before a brief in others.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"Tell us about a pitch you walked away from."
02
Client Services Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
The gap between what the client expects and what the fee covers.
HOW IT VARIES
Full P&L and renewal authority, or delivery lead with pricing held elsewhere.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"When did you last renegotiate scope mid-year?"
03
Account Director
WHAT IT REALLY OWNS
Growth that doesn't turn into unpaid over-servicing.
HOW IT VARIES
Performance agencies build media economics; creative agencies build judgement on ambiguous briefs.
WHAT WE'D PROBE
"How did the account's margin move under you?"
03 — ROLES
What the title doesn't tell you
MARKETING
Makes the agency's thinking visible before a brief appears
Uses case studies to demonstrate decisions and outcomes
Builds reputation that helps the agency enter consideration early
Communicates a clear proposition rather than a capability list
Aligns agency marketing with the work New Business actually wants
SALES
Qualifies opportunities before consuming pitch resource
Understands what is really driving the client's decision
Sells the agency that will actually deliver the work
Understands how the pricing model affects account economics
Protects scope, margin and relationship quality as accounts grow
04 — WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
Strength signals
SALES
01
Qualifies opportunities before consuming pitch resource
02
Understands what is really driving the client's decision
03
Sells the agency that will actually deliver the work
04
Understands how the pricing model affects account economics
05
Protects scope, margin and relationship quality as accounts grow
MARKETING
01
Makes the agency's thinking visible before a brief appears
02
Uses case studies to demonstrate decisions and outcomes
03
Builds reputation that helps the agency enter consideration early
04
Communicates a clear proposition rather than a capability list
05
Aligns agency marketing with the work New Business actually wants
04 — WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
Strength signals we listen for
04 — WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
Strength signals we listen for
SALES STRENGTH SIGNALS
Looks beyond revenue to margin, stock and repeat behaviour
Understands what actually drives the buyer's decision
Sells within the realities of stock and fulfilment
Works confidently around range, seasonal and promotional cycles
Builds commercially useful relationships through reliability and insight
MARKETING strength signals
Connects campaigns with stock and trading priorities
Understands customer behaviour across store and ecommerce
Creates demand without losing sight of margin
Builds retention, loyalty and long-term customer value
Keeps the brand promise aligned with the customer experience
40-person Belfast brand agency needed a Commercial Director during a major repositioning.
Result: 3-person shortlist. Successful hire remains in post today.
The brief required an unusual combination of strategic leadership, people management and new business ability. We mapped the relevant market thoroughly and narrowed a broad potential field to three candidates capable of operating across all three areas.
05 — A RECENT SEARCH
In practice
05 — A RECENT SEARCH
In practice
FOR EMPLOYERS
Discuss a Sales or Marketing Hire
For employers, we look beyond the obvious CV match and spend time understanding what someone has actually done, the environment they have worked in and how relevant that experience is to the role.
We look beyond the agency name and title to the proposition, pricing model, account economics and real commercial ownership behind someone's experience.
DISCUSS A HIRE
FOR PROFESSIONALS
Considering your next move?
We help make sense of the experience you've built, what you're genuinely good at and where it might take you next.
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST
CALL TO ACTION
Hiring in Agency & Media?
A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER
[Sarah to write — one sentence]
Sarah, Founder
About MRKTSEARCH →
A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER
[Sarah to write — one sentence]
Sarah, Founder
About MRKTSEARCH →
A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER
[Sarah to write — one sentence]
Sarah, Founder · About MRKTSEARCH →
£114.7bn
UK retail economic output, 2024
396k
Ireland wholesale & retail employees, Jul 2026
+1.2%
Ireland wholesale & retail employment growth, year-on-year Jul 2026
06 — THE NUMBERS
The Retail Economy
FOR EMPLOYERS
Discuss a Sales or Marketing Hire
For employers, we look beyond the obvious CV match and spend time understanding what someone has actually done, the environment they have worked in and how relevant that experience is to the role.
SOURCES
Advertising Association; Creative Communications Ireland.
£35.2bn
UK creative & media agency GVA, 2024
£46.7bn
UK advertising investment, 2025
€1.7bn
Irish advertising market, 2025
06 — THE NUMBERS
The agency & media economy
Sales and Marketing professionals in Retail get used to looking past the headline number. A promotion can perform brilliantly and still be poor business. Sales may rise while margin falls, customers may simply bring forward a purchase they were going to make anyway, or a campaign can create demand for stock the business cannot fulfil.
With experience, people get better at seeing what sits behind the result.
Sales and commercial professionals become more aware of margin, availability, timing, customer behaviour and the practical consequences of the deal they are making. They learn that a buyer saying no may be about space, stock turn, category strategy or risk rather than the product itself.
Marketing develops a similar awareness.
A strong campaign still has to survive the shelf, website, checkout, delivery and returns process. Experienced retail marketers learn that what the customer has been promised and what the business can actually deliver have to stay reasonably close together.
01 — THE SECTOR
Unique Hiring Considerations
Sales and Marketing professionals in Retail get used to looking past the headline number. A promotion can perform brilliantly and still be poor business. Sales may rise while margin falls, customers may simply bring forward a purchase they were going to make anyway, or a campaign can create demand for stock the business cannot fulfil.
With experience, people get better at seeing what sits behind the result.
Sales and commercial professionals become more aware of margin, availability, timing, customer behaviour and the practical consequences of the deal they are making. They learn that a buyer saying no may be about space, stock turn, category strategy or risk rather than the product itself.
Marketing develops a similar awareness.
A strong campaign still has to survive the shelf, website, checkout, delivery and returns process. Experienced retail marketers learn that what the customer has been promised and what the business can actually deliver have to stay reasonably close together.
01 — THE SECTOR