Director, Paid Search

Company description

Starcom is the world's first standalone media agency, a storied innovator that continues to lead the way for many of the world's best brands.

Starcom has long been the professional birthplace and proving ground for marketing leaders - CEOs, CMOs, sales leaders, and technology pioneers - and we continue to drive the industry with peerless talent and relentless innovation.

From the start, we've known that achieving growth for our clients requires understanding and connecting with real people where they live and work, in ways they value.

In an AI era, we remain ""Guided By Humanity,"" a phrase that describes our foundational belief that human expertise must remain in the driver's seat, supported by the best processes and technology.

With our proprietary capabilities and Publicis Media's industry-leading resources and clout, we create ideas that move people and drive transformative business outcomes for brands.

Overview

The Director, Paid Search is a senior performance media leader responsible for setting the strategic vision and driving business impact across clients' paid search programs. This role owns paid search strategy, financial stewardship, and senior level- client relationships while leading teams responsible for planning, optimization, and performance delivery.

As a Director, you will act as a thought leader internally and externally, guiding clients through an evolving search landscape, shaping innovation, and ensuring paid search is fully integrated into holistic media strategies. This role balances strategic leadership with operational excellence, people development, and accountability for business results.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire paid search teams in the development, execution, and optimization of campaigns that meet or exceed client performance and financial goals

• Build and maintain strong senior level relationships with clients and internal stakeholders, serving as a trusted strategic advisor

• Define success frameworks for paid search programs, including KPIs, measurement approaches, and optimization strategies

• Advocate for the value of paid search, educating clients and teams on platform innovation, automation, and evolving capabilities within the search ecosystem

• Guide teams in improving performance through advanced optimization techniques, platform automation, and AI-supported bidding and forecasting tools, while applying sound strategic judgment

• Lead client and internal presentations that clearly communicate strategy, insights, and performance outcomes

• Own financial management for assigned accounts, including P&L oversight, forecasting, and staffing plans

• Drive holistic media planning by partnering with cross-channel leaders across analytics, programmatic, paid social, and broader media disciplines

• Establish and reinforce best practices, quality assurance standards, and scalable processes across paid search operations

• Partner with department leads to identify opportunities for innovation, growth, and integrated solutions for clients

• Keep senior leadership informed of client opportunities, risks, and overall account health

• Develop a deep understanding of each client's business, category, and objectives to proactively shape strategic recommendations

• Participate in ongoing client meetings and executive level conversations, navigating complex stakeholder environments

• Support problem solving and conflict resolution with professionalism and diplomacy

• Lead advanced performance analysis and measurement approaches, including attribution, ROI analysis, forecasting, and media effectiveness

• Utilize syndicated research and platform insights to benchmark performance, inform planning, and manage expectations

• Foster a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and continuous learning across teams

• Drive innovation and paid search thought leadership internally and externally

• Coach, mentor, and develop talent through training, feedback, and performance management

• Contribute to the development and documentation of best practices that improve operational efficiency and team effectiveness

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in paid search, digital media, or performance marketing, with increasing levels of responsibility

• 5+ years of experience using data and insights to drive strategic marketing and media recommendations

• 4+ years of people management experience, leading high performing teams

• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate performance data into actionable insights

• Deep understanding of paid search platforms, measurement frameworks, and optimization strategies

• Comfort presenting to executive level stakeholders and influencing decision making

• Strong leadership, communication, and relationship building skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including advanced Excel capabilities

• Bachelor's degree preferred

Additional information

Starcom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employment decisions are made without regard to actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law, genetic information, marital status, military service and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.

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: $121,315 - $174,300. 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 7/6/2026.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [email protected].

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.