Associate, 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 Associate, Paid Search supports the development, execution, and optimization of paid search campaigns across major search platforms. This role is ideal for an analytically minded individual with strong attention to detail and a curiosity for how consumers use search throughout the decision journey.

As an Associate, you will work closely with Managers and Senior Associates to execute campaigns, monitor performance, and apply optimizations that support client business objectives. This role emphasizes learning, hands-on platform experience, and building a strong foundation in performance marketing.

Responsibilities

Gather research and insights to support new paid search campaign builds

Assist Managers in collecting and organizing data for media plan development

Prepare and process required documentation for campaign activation, including purchase authorizations and vendor approvals

Execute campaign trafficking for approved paid search plans across platforms

Monitor campaign budgets, pacing, and bids to ensure alignment with performance goals

Actively monitor campaign performance and the competitive landscape

Support ongoing optimization efforts, including bid adjustments, keyword refinement, and testing initiatives

Utilize bid management tools and platforms such as SA360, Google Ads and Microsoft Ads to build, optimize, QA, and report on campaigns

Analyze performance data directly from the platforms or from 3rd parties like SA360, GA4, Adobe, etc... to support reporting and contribute to performance insights

Maintain monthly billing and partner with client strategy and billing teams to resolve discrepancies

Learn and apply relevant tools for reporting, analytics, and competitive analysis, including bid management platforms, Google Trends, and internal tools

Leverage platform automation and AI-enabled features (e.g., automated bidding, performance signals) to support efficient optimization while following established best practices

Work closely with Managers to prioritize tasks and manage workload effectively

Ensure timely and accurate delivery of all assigned work

Stay informed on search industry trends, new tools, and evolving ad formats

Complete required training programs and platform certifications

Build strong working relationships with internal teams and client partners

Qualifications

6+ months of experience supporting paid search campaign development, management, or optimization

Foundational understanding of paid search (PPC) and digital advertising principles

Strong analytical and mathematical skills with the ability to interpret performance data

High attention to detail with strong organizational and communication skills

Curious, motivated, and comfortable working both independently and within a team environment

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including intermediate to advanced Excel skills

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: $50,065 - $66,360, 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 5/30/2026.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact USMSTACompliance@publicis.com.

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