Senior Director of Media and PartnershipsJob Overview: The
Senior Director, Media & Partnerships will play a critical role in advancing Upbound's customer acquisition and brand growth objectives by developing audience-first media and partnership strategies that reach customers across the channels and moments that matter most. Reporting to the VP of Marketing, this role will lead paid and organic media strategy, identify and activate strategic partnerships, and drive Upbound's visibility across traditional search, social platforms, and emerging AI-powered discovery experiences. The ideal candidate has experience in managing budgets exceeding $50M, understands the digital media and mobile app advertising ecosystem, and can effectively measure varied media objectives with continuous improvements.
What You'll Do:- Develop performance marketing strategies and investment plans across paid social, display, video, audio, paid search, and traditional and connected TV channels
- Develop media strategies aligned to audience personas, localized merchandising priorities, and acquisition KPIs across web, app, marketplace, and e-commerce channels, leveraging CAC and LTV insights to optimize investment decisions
- Partner with Marketing Sciences to advance MMM (marketing mix modeling) capabilities and frequencies to inform investment decisions
- Lead agency and vendor relationships across media planning, buying, measurement, audience activation, and ad tech platforms, including Google, Meta, TikTok, mobile measurement partners, and other strategic providers
- Develop and scale test-and-learn programs across customer acquisition journeys, creative messaging, landing experiences, and media channels to drive incremental growth and return on investment
- Lead the organization's organic discovery strategy across traditional search and AI-powered answer engines, optimizing content to maximize visibility, authority and qualified traffic. Includes partnership with product on technical infrastructure.
- Partner with in-house creative teams, external agencies and creator/influencer platforms for creative development, including branded organic content that engages our follower base
- Oversee media budget planning and governance, including annual planning, quarterly forecasting, monthly accruals, and variance management in partnership with Finance and Accounting
- Mentor, coach and manage paid and organic media team members to maximize their potential and growth
- Build strong relationships with Rent-A-Center franchise owners and develop scalable local marketing and media programs that support franchise growth
- Partner with Customer Experience, Product, and Personalization teams to align media strategy with product roadmaps and customer experience enhancements
- Partner with Legal, Compliance, and technical teams to ensure privacy-compliant measurement practices, including server-to-server integrations, conversion tracking, and third-party tagging
What We're Looking For:- 10+ years' experience in digital marketing; agency, financial services, retail experience a plus
- Strong understanding of leveraging first-party data to drive audience targeting, personalization, measurement, and media performance
- Proven success developing strategic partnerships that create mutual value and drive shared customer and business outcomes
- Experience influencing executive leadership teams and presenting media investment strategies, performance insights, and growth recommendations to senior stakeholders
- Experience managing agencies and teams of 5-10, including in-house buyers
- Highly analytical, creative, and innovative, with the ability to adapt quickly to evolving business priorities and industry trends
- Demonstrated ability to translate customer insights and data into effective audience strategies, messaging frameworks, and channel investments
- Exceptional communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and collaborate effectively across functions
Sponsorship: Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.
