| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | E-commerce |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Marketplace Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 2 to 5 years in marketplace or digital advertising |
Marketplace Ads Specialist job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Marketplace Ads Specialist
Department: E-commerce
Reports to: Marketplace Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Marketplace Ads Specialist runs sponsored advertising on marketplaces to grow sales at a controlled cost. They plan and set up ad campaigns, manage bids and budgets, optimise keywords and targeting, and report on advertising performance. The role reports to the Marketplace Manager. A good marketplace ads specialist grows advertised sales while keeping the cost of sale within target, finds the keywords and placements that convert, cuts wasted spend, and scales the campaigns that work, especially around platform sale events.
Key responsibilities
- Plan and set up sponsored product, brand and display campaigns on marketplaces.
- Manage bids, budgets and targeting to grow sales at the target cost of sale.
- Research and optimise keywords, add negatives and refine targeting.
- Monitor campaign performance daily and adjust to hit efficiency targets.
- Cut wasted spend and scale the campaigns and keywords that convert.
- Plan and manage advertising for platform sale events and peak periods.
- Coordinate ads with pricing, stock and listing quality for best results.
- Report advertising cost of sale, sales and trends to the manager.
- Test new ad formats, placements and strategies and measure results.
- Keep listings ad ready with strong content and images that convert.
Requirements
- Graduate in any stream
- Experience with marketplace or PPC advertising
- Strong Excel and analytical skills
- 2 to 5 years in marketplace or digital advertising
KRAs and KPIs for a Marketplace Ads Specialist
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Advertised sales | Advertising driven sales meeting the monthly target |
| Cost of sale | Advertising cost of sale kept within the target |
| Wasted spend | Non converting spend reduced against the baseline each month |
| Keyword performance | Converting keywords and placements grown while cutting poor ones |
| Sale events | Sale event advertising delivering to plan on efficiency and sales |
| Testing | New ad tests run and measured each period with learnings applied |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Amazon Advertising console, Flipkart ads platform, MS Excel, Keyword and analytics tools, Rule and bid tools.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Ads Specialist, Marketplace Manager, Performance Marketing Manager
Interview questions for a Marketplace Ads Specialist
- How do you structure sponsored product campaigns for a new listing?
- How do you bring down advertising cost of sale without losing sales?
- How do you research and manage keywords and negatives?
- How do you plan advertising for a big sale event?
- How do you decide which campaigns to scale and which to cut?
- Tell me about a campaign you optimised and the result.
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What does a marketplace ads specialist do?
A marketplace ads specialist runs sponsored advertising on marketplaces to grow sales at a controlled cost. They plan and set up campaigns, manage bids and budgets, optimise keywords and targeting, and report on performance. They grow advertised sales while keeping cost of sale within target, cut wasted spend, and scale the campaigns that work.
What is ACOS in marketplace advertising?
ACOS, or advertising cost of sale, is the percentage of advertising driven sales that is spent on the ads. A lower ACOS means advertising is more efficient. A marketplace ads specialist manages bids, keywords and budgets to keep ACOS within target while still growing sales, balancing efficiency against reach and growth.
What skills does a marketplace ads specialist need?
A marketplace ads specialist needs hands on skill with marketplace advertising consoles, bid and budget management, and keyword research and optimisation. Strong analytics and Excel to track cost of sale and performance are central. Attention to detail, disciplined testing, and coordination with pricing and listings help turn ad spend into profitable sales.