Associate Director, Paid Search

Summary

Join Code3, an integrated marketing agency, as a Paid Search Associate Director to lead and grow the department's search strategy. You will manage a team, develop a roadmap for department growth, drive operational excellence, and be a visionary in evolving the paid search practice. This role requires hands-on client support and strategic leadership, setting the overarching search practice vision and inspiring the team to drive growth. You will define and own the overarching paid search strategy, build and lead a high-performing team, and actively identify and scale innovative approaches within paid search. The position is remote but requires East Coast hours. The ideal candidate is passionate about the ever-changing media landscape and possesses strong leadership, strategic thinking, and client management skills.

Requirements

• 7+ years of proven experience in developing paid search media plans, strategic presentations, and 1+ year of managing a team
• Experience contributing to new business pitches
• Ability to manage a team in paid search strategy, hands-on-keys, and client management
• Ability to ensure team is delivering strategy and activation excellence for clients
• Ability to mentor and guide team members growth within the agency and career through performance reviews and development plans
• Proficiency in research platforms, paid search platforms and analytics dashboards
• Excellent client presentation abilities
• Experience in growing revenue and client roster through strong strategy and relationships
• Experience serving as an escalation point for clients, supporting with fire drills, strategic guidance, and growth

Responsibilities

• Define and own the overarching paid search strategy and deliver activation excellence across search platforms (Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!) and tactics (Brand, Non-brand, Shopping, PMAX, Demand Gen, Competitor)
• Support team and clients on feed management and strategy
• Build and lead a team that delivers unbeatable paid search strategies and ad performance, inclusive of training, process enforcement, and innovation
• Actively identify, test, and scale innovative approaches, automation opportunities, and emerging technologies (including AI applications) within paid search to maintain a competitive edge
• Manage department profitability via strategic improvement of workflow efficiencies and team utilization (FTEs)
• Foster collaboration between paid search team, client partnership, creative, growth and activation teams to ensure proper execution of strategy and client stewardship
• Support growth team on new business initiatives and pitches by being the expert paid search voice and driving innovation in strategy and thought leadership
• Representing the agency’s strategic point of view and ethos in internal and external presentations and meetings
• Trains their team in media planning, forecasting, budgeting & setup best practices, developing learning agendas, and performance analysis
• Be the paid search point of escalation internally and externally with the ability to effectively problem solve and identify areas of opportunity
• Provide critical perspective and stay ahead of platform updates, industry trends, and emerging technologies
• Provide executive leadership with holistic platform management insights for agency partnership negotiations

Preferred Qualifications

• Certifications in digital marketing and/or paid search media strategy are a plus (Google Analytics Certification, Microsoft Advertising Search Certification, Google Ads Search Certification, Google AI Powered Shopping Ads Certification etc.)
• Passion for the ever-changing media landscape and the new role paid search plays
• A data-driven decision-maker passionate about exceeding client expectations
• An entrepreneurial spirit who craves building, elevating and adapting process
• An appetite for leveraging AI and other technologies to improve workflows and strategy
• A people person that enjoys close relationships with your team, partners and clients
• A passion for vocalizing thought leadership and new ideas via presentations, blogs and other content distribution channels
• A problem solver with the ability to develop creative solutions

Benefits

• Full medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as generous retirement program
• Thoughtful parental leave and return program
• Flexible Time Off, holidays, quarterly Company “Recharge” Days, and holiday closure in December
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities
• Commitment to transparent DEIB practices