Performance Marketing Manager - Geo- Fencing and Retail Localization

smartdept. is searching for a Senior Performance Marketing Manager – Geo-Fencing & Retail Localization for a retail consumer products client. The ideal candidate will come with 5+ years of performance marketing experience, including at least 2+ years focused specifically on geo-fencing and location-based retail campaigns. This is a project-based, fully remote, 3–6 month contract opportunity with the possibility of extension or conversion to full-time staff.

This role will lead the strategy, execution, and optimization of hyper‑local, geo‑fenced retail media campaigns designed to drive measurable in‑store traffic and sales lift across national big box retail partners. The ideal candidate thinks beyond ZIP codes and works at the store‑radius level—leveraging foot traffic analytics, retail sales data, and advanced geo‑targeting platforms to connect digital ad spend directly to in‑store performance.

Strategy & Planning

• Develop geo‑fenced campaign roadmaps aligned with retail sales data, seasonal trends, and promotional calendars
• Identify top‑performing store locations and define optimal targeting radii using trade area, demographic, and foot traffic data
• Build structured testing frameworks for radius size, creative variations, bid strategies, and day parting at the store level
• Execute competitive conquesting strategies targeting around competitor store locations

Campaign Execution & Management

• Launch and manage geo‑fenced campaigns across:
  • Social:
    Facebook/Instagram (radius targeting), Tik Tok, Snapchat
  • Search:
    Google Local Campaigns, Local Inventory Ads (LIA)
  • Programmatic:
    Ground Truth, Simpli.fi, Place
    
    IQ, Verve or similar
• Implement multi‑location campaigns across dozens to hundreds of retail locations
• Utilize dynamic creative optimization (DCO) and localized messaging by neighborhood demographics
• Manage budget allocation strategies for both small (5–50 stores) and scaled (100+ stores) rollouts

Measurement, Analytics & Attribution

• Establish attribution models connecting digital spend to in‑store traffic and sales
• Implement Google Ads store visit tracking and Facebook offline conversions
• Analyze foot traffic data using platforms such as Placer.ai, Safe Graph, or similar
• Track and report on:
  • Store visit lift
  • Attributable in‑store sales
  • ROAS by location
  • Cost per store visit
• Adjust bids and budget allocation based on store‑level performance data
• Conduct A/B testing at the location or store‑cluster level

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with creative teams to localize messaging while maintaining brand consistency
• Align digital geo‑targeting with retail promotions, seasonal events, and regional activations
• Manage relationships with geo‑fencing and attribution platform vendors

• Education/
  
  Experience:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Analytics, Business, or related field preferred
  • 5+ years of performance marketing experience required
  • Minimum 2+ years hands‑on geo‑fencing/location‑based marketing experience
• Core Technical Expertise:
  • Advanced experience with geo‑fencing platforms (Ground Truth, Simpli.fi, Place
    
    IQ, Verve or similar)
  • Deep knowledge of Facebook/Instagram radius targeting and Google Local Campaigns
  • Experience with Google Local Inventory Ads (LIA)
  • Familiarity with attribution platforms such as Rockefeller, Ninth Decimal, or similar
  • Ability to analyze store‑level sales data and map revenue performance to specific targeting radii
  • Experience managing multi‑location campaigns at scale using platforms like Skai, Kenshoo, Smartly, or equivalent
• Retail‑Specific
  
  Experience:
  • Demonstrated experience targeting big box retailers (e.g., Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, or similar multi‑location brands)
  • Experience executing competitive conquesting campaigns
  • Proven drive‑to‑store measurement success with documented ROAS and store visit lift
• Data & Analytical
  
  Skills:
  • Trade area analysis and radius optimization (beyond default 1‑mile targeting)
  • Daypart and time‑of‑day targeting by store performance
  • Bid optimization by individual store or region
  • Experience conducting location‑level A/B testing
  • Ability to build dashboards and performance reporting for leadership
• Nice‑to‑Have
  
  Skills:
  • Experience with weather‑triggered or event‑based geo‑targeting
  • SQL or advanced data analysis experience
  • Google Local Ads and Meta Blueprint certifications
  • Experience scaling geo programs nationally

Strong candidates will be able to demonstrate:

• Increased in‑store traffic by X% in geo‑fenced markets
• $Y in attributable in‑store sales driven by digital campaigns
• Z:1 ROAS on location‑based advertising
• Reduced cost per store visit through refined targeting and optimization