Associate Director, Paid Search

Associate Director, Paid Search

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 Director, Paid Search is a senior performance marketing leader responsible for driving paid search strategy, executional excellence, and team development across key client accounts. This role partners closely with clients and internal cross-channel teams to deliver scalable, data-driven search programs aligned to broader business objectives.
You will lead and mentor Managers, Senior Analysts, and Analysts while owning the strategic direction of paid search programs, balancing innovation, performance, and operational rigor. This role is ideal for a paid search expert who thrives in fast-paced environments and matrix organizations, values collaboration, and enjoys translating complex data into clear, actionable insights.
Responsibilities

Own paid search strategy and performance for assigned accounts, aligned to client business objectives
Act as a senior client partner, leading performance discussions, planning conversations, and strategic presentations
Develop cross-platform paid search roadmaps, including testing, optimization, and growth initiatives
Partner with analytics, programmatic, paid social, and broader media teams to deliver integrated recommendations
Oversee campaign structure, budgeting, forecasting, and pacing to ensure performance and financial accountability
Utilize platform automation and AI-enabled bidding and optimization tools to drive efficiency and insight, with thoughtful human oversight
Evaluate emerging platform features, betas, and best practices to keep programs competitive and forward-looking
Promote a test-and-learn approach focused on continuous performance improvement
Lead, mentor, and develop paid search teams through coaching, feedback, and clear career pathing
Set expectations for performance excellence, operational rigor, and strategic thinking
Conduct performance reviews and support hiring, onboarding, and ongoing talent development
Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture rooted in curiosity and accountability
Ensure quality control across paid search planning, execution, and reporting
Drive consistency in processes, documentation, and best practices to support scale and efficiency
Support staffing plans, financial planning, and resourcing discussions for assigned accounts
Identify opportunities to improve workflows, tools, and team capabilities through continuous improvement
Qualifications

5+ years of paid media experience, with a strong focus on paid search/SEM
2–4+ years of digital marketing experience across search, social, and/or display
2+ years of people management experience with a proven ability to lead and develop teams
Deep understanding of paid search platforms, bid management and analytics platforms, performance metrics, and optimization strategies
Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn data into clear insights and recommendations
Comfortable presenting to senior level stakeholders and influencing client decision-making
Highly organized, proactive, and collaborative with a passion for performance marketing excellence
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: $97,375 - $ 139,965 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 6/15/2026.
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.