Search & Performance Senior Manager (Hybrid - 2 to 3 days onsite per week)
Overview:The Search & Performance Senior Manager owns Weedmaps' highest-intent acquisition platforms end-to-end, leading strategy, execution, and optimization across Google Ads in full (Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube, and Display) and Microsoft/Bing. As a senior individual contributor and platform owner, this person is directly accountable for scaling efficient new-shopper acquisition through intent-driven, auction-based buying in a heavily regulated vertical, partnering closely with Creative, Lifecycle, Product, and Data to turn paid investment into measurable marketplace growth. This is a hands-in-the-platform leadership role for an operator who can both set channel strategy and execute it at depth.
The impact you'll make:- Own paid search and intent-based performance strategy and execution across Google Ads (Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube, Display) and Microsoft/Bing, accountable for budget pacing, bidding strategy, and performance against new-shopper and efficiency targets.
- Drive efficient growth in First-Time Shoppers and Global Unique Shoppers, with a specific mandate to lower cost-per-first-time shopper on high-CPA channels (e.g., Search, Bing) while scaling volume.
- Manage Google Ads holistically as a single cross-surface platform, leveraging automated bidding, audience signals, first-party conversion data, and campaign structure to maximize incremental acquisition.
- Partner with the performance-creative function and Creative team to brief, test, and iterate search, video, and display assets, translating performance signals into the next round of creative concepts.
- Design and run a continuous experimentation roadmap (A/B and incrementality testing) across audiences, creative, bidding, and landing pages to compound learnings over time.
- Collaborate with the Lifecycle team to ensure acquired users are tracked through to engagement and retention, optimizing toward shopper quality and downstream value, not just front-end volume.
- Maintain rigorous channel hygiene and compliance, navigating platform policies and the cannabis regulatory landscape (state-level legal matrix) to keep accounts in good standing.
- Partner with Finance and the Senior Director on growth projections, budget scenarios, and monthly/quarterly planning, laddering plans up from state-level market priorities (P1/P2 markets).
- Work with Media Operations on tracking standardization (Branch/UTM), conversion measurement, and reporting to ensure clean, decision-grade performance data.
- Evaluate, test, and onboard new platforms, partners, and ad tech as opportunities and platform risk dictate; building resilience against channel volatility.
- Present channel performance, insights, and recommendations to marketing leadership and cross-functional stakeholders, including the new state-level operating cadence.
- Document strategies, optimizations, and processes in shared SOPs to support team-wide continuity and knowledge transfer.
What you've accomplished:- 5-8 years of hands-on paid media experience with deep expertise in paid search (Google Ads) and intent-based, auction-driven buying, with extensive working knowledge of all campaign types.
- Demonstrated track record of owning significant paid budgets and scaling user acquisition efficiently against clear CPA/ROAS and volume targets.
- Strong analytical foundation: fluent in metrics such as CPA, CPC, CTR, ROAS, and downstream quality/retention signals, with the ability to turn data into action.
- Proven experimentation mindset with a record of designing and executing A/B and incrementality tests.
- Experience partnering with creative teams on performance creative across search, video, and display assets.
- Track record of cross-functional collaboration with Product, Creative, Lifecycle/CRM, Data, and Finance.
- Excellent organization, prioritization, and communication skills, with the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
Bonus points: - BA/BS preferred.
- Familiarity with attribution/measurement tooling, MMPs (e.g., Branch), and GA4.
- Experience with Google Ads Data Manager, server-side conversion feeds, or first-party data integration into search platforms.
- Comfort mentoring junior team members or operating as a player-coach as the team scales.
- Experience in a marketplace, publisher, or two-sided platform business.
- Experience managing acquisition in regulated or restricted-advertising categories is a plus but not required.
The base pay range for this position is $123,200 - $140,000 per year, and a competitive bonus
2026 US Benefits for Full Time, Regular Employees:- Physical Health (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- 100% employer-paid premium for employees
- Up to 80% coverage for dependents
- Company HSA contribution with the High Deductible Health Plan
- 401(k) Retirement Plan (employer will match contribution up to 3.5% of employee contribution)
- Basic Life, Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance options
- Supplemental, voluntary benefits
- Student Loan Repayment/529 Education Savings with a monthly company contribution
- FSA (Medical, Dependent, Transit and Parking)
- Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance
- Critical Illness Insurance
- Accident Insurance
- Short- and Long-term Disability Insurance
- Pet Insurance
- Identity theft protection
- Legal access to a network of attorneys
- PTO, paid sick leave, and company holidays (including a 2026 holiday shutdown)
- Paid parental leave
