The Associate Director, Paid Social leads a team of paid social managers and specialists while serving as a senior strategic resource for clients. This role combines client-facing leadership with internal team development - overseeing execution quality, driving agency growth initiatives, and building a strong, forward-thinking paid social practice across Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, and secondary platforms including Reddit, Snapchat, NextDoor, and X.
What You'll Do Here:

Client Strategy & Senior Leadership (50%)

• Serve as a senior client-facing lead - translate client goals into full-funnel paid social media plans across Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, Snap, NextDoor, X, and others
• Build and own complete full-funnel paid social strategies without assistance
• Develop and present strategic recommendations, creative testing frameworks, and audience architecture
• Provide insights on emerging platforms, ad formats, algorithm changes, and industry trends
• Assist with MBR/QBR storytelling and senior-level client presentations

Team Management & Development (30%)

• Manage a team of 2-4+ Paid Social team members
• Provide oversight and ensure team members are proactive with ideas, recommendations, and insights
• Mentor Managers and Senior Managers on strategy, client management, and career development
• Ensure quality and consistency in client deliverables across all accounts in the portfolio
• Assist with staffing plans, hiring decisions, and onboarding of new team members

Operations, Process & Business Development (20%)

• • Develop training materials and lead process and SOP improvements for the paid social team
  • Ensure consistent QA and brand safety standards are upheld across all accounts
  • Collaborate with the executive team on business development and pitch work
  • Support new business RFPs in partnership with the sales/BD team
  • Partner with other Mindgruve department leads (programmatic, search, strategy, creative) on integrated media initiatives
  • Perform other related duties and projects as assigned

We Need a Person With:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business, or a related field; advanced degree a plus
• 7-9 years of progressive experience in paid social or digital advertising
• Proven experience managing a team of paid social professionals
• Deep expertise across Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok required; hands-on familiarity with secondary platforms (Reddit, Snap, NextDoor, X) required
• Experience contributing to new business pitches and agency growth initiatives preferred
• Expert-level knowledge of primary and secondary paid social platforms and their ad ecosystems
• Demonstrated team leadership and mentorship capabilities
• Strong business acumen with an understanding of agency operations and growth levers
• Excellent client communication skills with executive presence in presentations
• Ability to contribute to new business development and help grow agency revenue
• Strong customer service skills
• Highly organized and detail oriented, with the ability to handle multiple simultaneously
• Excellent communication skills, including verbal and written
• Professional demeanor with the ability to interface with poise and confidence with leadership and clients
• Ability to ensure confidentiality with business matters and employee privacy
• Ability to work a hybrid schedule (3 days per week) from one of our six US Office locations: San Diego, California, Los Angeles, California, Covington, Kentucky, Denver, Colorado, Nashville, Tennessee and Charleston, South Carolina.

Compensation:

Salary: $90,000 - $100,000 (Pay range is based on a market reference point and potential job offers may vary based on the skills, education, experience and geographic location of the individual candidate. The compensation range reflects base rate only.)

Compensation will be commensurate with experience. Additionally, for eligible full-time employees, we offer a competitive benefits package including medical insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance; a flexible spending account; voluntary life and accident plans; and a 401(k) retirement plan with matching. We have six office locations in the US: San Diego, California, Los Angeles, California, Covington, Kentucky, Denver, Colorado, Nashville, Tennessee and Charleston, South Carolina. We're seeking local candidates (or those open to relocation) who are able to work collaboratively with us in one of our office's; however, based on business needs and unique job functions, some roles may be eligible for remote work. (Bonus points if you're bilingual in Spanish and/or Portuguese.)