Market Manager - Retail Direct Engagement Program (Austin, TX)

Market Manager - Retail Direct Engagement Program

Location: Austin, TX (In-Market Role | Up to 40-mile radius from Austin)

Overview
We are seeking a highly motivated Market Manager to serve as the market point of contact for a multi-week retail engagement program in a highly regulated industry (tobacco/nicotine). The ideal candidate thrives in dynamic environments, leads market teams with confidence, and has a proven ability to engage store managers and consumers while ensuring program compliance and accuracy. This role requires equal parts people leadership, operational oversight, and on-the-ground presence to deliver results at the highest standard. The Market Manager will oversee all in-market execution, ensuring store readiness, inventory management, and accurate field audits and recaps. They will lead training, coaching, and talent development for a team of brand specialists, fostering performance excellence across teams. The Market Manager is also responsible for elevating concerns, monitoring competitive activity, and sharing best practices to drive continuous program optimization.

Key Responsibilities

● Program Leadership: Manage and motivate a team of field specialists across a multi-week engagement program, ensuring they are trained, supported, and consistently adhering to the retail engagement schedule and meeting performance standards
● Compliance & Accuracy: Uphold program integrity by monitoring adherence to regulatory requirements, reviewing reports daily for accuracy and completeness, and correcting discrepancies swiftly.
● Team Training & Development: Assist with onboarding and ongoing coaching of specialists, ensuring they are equipped to confidently engage consumers and represent the brand in a professional, compliant manner.
● Operational Excellence: Maintain accurate inventory of program materials and assets, ensuring timely distribution, tracking, and accountability.
● Retail Engagement: Build and maintain strong relationships with retail partners through weekly in-person visits and regular communications focused on activation scheduling, inventory planning, consumer engagement, program feedback, and sales metrics.
● Reporting & Insights: Deliver timely feedback and actionable insights to internal teams, identifying opportunities to improve execution, consumer engagement, and retailer satisfaction.

Qualifications
● 5-7 years of experience in field marketing, brand activation, retail engagement, or related roles.
● Demonstrated experience managing teams in fast-paced, consumer-facing environments.
● Strong understanding of compliance in regulated industries and ability to enforce guidelines with consistency.
● Highly detail-oriented with exceptional organizational, problem-solving, and reporting skills.
● Energetic, engaging, and approachable personality with the ability to connect with consumers and retailers.
● Ability to confidently learn and communicate complex product information.
● Flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends as program requires.
● In-market travel required up to a 40-mile radius.
● Must be 25+ and hold a valid driver’s license with reliable transportation.

What We’re Looking For
We want a hands-on leader who can coach and inspire teams, ensure flawless program execution, and bring an engaging, professional presence to every interaction. The right
candidate will combine operational precision with the ability to connect authentically with various audiences and stakeholders - all while maintaining strict compliance in a regulated industry.