Director, Paid Social and Search (Performance Media)

Starcom Mediavest Group Germany Gmbh

$121K — $174K *
Business Services
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7+ years in performance marketing, paid search, paid social, or digital media with progressive responsibility.
  • 4+ years in people management, including overseeing managers and senior team members.
  • Track record of achieving brand and performance objectives through paid search and social campaigns.
  • In-depth knowledge of search and social platforms, optimization techniques, and measurement strategies.
  • Strong analytical skills to convert complex data into practical insights.
  • Executive presence for effective communication with senior client stakeholders.
  • Ability to navigate complex scenarios, maintaining a focus on strategy and detailed execution.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and inspire high-performing paid search and social teams to achieve or exceed performance goals.
  • Develop and execute integrated strategies for paid search and social aligned with broader business objectives.
  • Act as a trusted advisor to clients and stakeholders, nurturing long-lasting relationships.
  • Establish success metrics including KPIs, measurement strategies, and optimization frameworks.
  • Guide teams in using advanced optimization methods and AI tools effectively.
  • Educate clients and teams on the value of performance media and the latest industry innovations.
  • Deliver impactful presentations outlining strategies, insights, and performance forecasts.

Benefits

  • Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or more.
  • Financial support for Adoption, Surrogacy, and Fertility services.
  • Monetary assistance for pet adoption.
  • Employee Assistance Programs and health/wellness reimbursements.
  • Tuition Assistance for continued education.
  • Generous paid time off including flexible vacation, sick days, and volunteer opportunities.
  • Employee matching gift programs for charitable donations.
  • Flexible working arrangements for better work/life balance.
  • 'Work Your World' program allowing remote work from various locations for up to 6 weeks annually.
  • Inclusive Business Resource Groups that advocate for diverse communities.
Full Job Description
Job Description

The Director, Paid Social and Search is a performance media leader responsible for setting the strategic vision and driving business impact across clients' paid search and paid social programs. This role owns end-to-end strategy, performance, and financial stewardship across search and social, while serving as a client advisor and people leader.

You will guide teams through an evolving performance media landscape-shaping innovation, championing best practices, and ensuring search and social are fully integrated into holistic media strategies. This role balances strategic leadership, operational excellence, talent development, and accountability for business results.

Responsibilities

  • Lead, motivate, and develop high-performing paid search and paid social teams, ensuring campaigns meet or exceed performance, financial, and quality goals
  • Own paid search and paid social strategy across platforms, aligning activation and optimization to broader brand and business objectives
  • Serve as a trusted senior advisor to clients and internal stakeholders, fostering strong, long-term relationships
  • Define success frameworks, including KPIs, measurement approaches, testing methodologies, and optimization strategies across search and social
  • Guide teams in applying advanced optimization techniques, platform automation, and AI-enabled tools with sound strategic judgment
  • Champion the value of performance media by educating clients and internal teams on platform innovation, emerging capabilities, and industry best practices
  • Deliver clear, compelling presentations that communicate strategy, insights, performance results, and forward-looking opportunities
  • Own financial management for assigned accounts, including forecasting, staffing plans, and overall account health
  • Partner closely with cross-channel leaders (analytics, programmatic, paid social, search, and broader media teams) to deliver integrated solutions
  • Establish and reinforce best practices, quality assurance standards, and scalable processes across search and social operations
  • Develop a deep understanding of clients' businesses, categories, and objectives to proactively shape strategic recommendations
  • Drive thought leadership on emerging trends, technologies, and responsible AI usage to enhance performance, insights, and operational efficiency
  • Foster a culture of collaboration, curiosity, creativity, and continuous learning across teams
  • Coach, mentor, and develop talent through training, feedback, and performance management


Qualifications

  • 7+ years of experience in performance marketing, paid search, paid social, or digital media with increasing responsibility
  • 4+ years of people management experience, including leading managers and senior practitioners
  • Proven experience driving results across brand and performance objectives using paid search and paid social
  • Deep understanding of paid search and social platforms, optimization methodologies, and measurement frameworks
  • Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights
  • Executive-level presence with comfort presenting to and influencing senior client stakeholders
  • Demonstrated ability to lead through complexity while balancing strategic vision and operational detail
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced Excel skills (e.g., formulas, pivot tables, data analysis)
  • Bachelor's degree preferred


Additional Information

The Power of One starts with our people! To do powerful things, we offer powerful resources. Our best-in-class wellness and benefits offerings include:
  • Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or more
  • Monetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and Fertility
  • Monetary assistance and support for pet adoption
  • Employee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balance
  • Tuition Assistance
  • Paid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and more
  • Matching Gifts programs
  • Flexible working arrangements
  • 'Work Your World' Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility)
  • Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliances


The benefits offerings listed are available to U.S. based employees, are reviewed on an annual basis, and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.

Compensation Range: USD $121,315.00 - USD $174,300.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 8/2/2026.

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