Director of Paid Media & Growth Strategy

Our client is seeking a strategic and results-driven Director of Paid Media – Media Planning & Activation to lead enterprise-level paid media strategy across multiple business segments. This is an exciting leadership opportunity for an experienced media professional who thrives at the intersection of strategy, analytics, and execution.
This role is ideal for someone who has successfully led high-performing media organizations, managed large-scale paid media investments, and enjoys building and optimizing teams, processes, and performance. While the initial focus will be supporting two key business segments with media budgets of approximately $20M each, this position offers significant opportunity for growth, expanded ownership, and increased organizational influence.
The ideal candidate is a collaborative leader who can think strategically while remaining hands-on with execution, analytics, and optimization. Success in this role is measured by business impact, revenue growth, and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Media Leadership
Develop and lead full-funnel paid media strategies that drive brand awareness, customer acquisition, conversion, and revenue growth.
Create integrated media plans across Paid Search, Paid Social, Programmatic Display & Video, Connected TV (CTV), Online Video (OLV), Affiliate Marketing, and Hotel/Metasearch platforms.
Translate business objectives into measurable media strategies, investment recommendations, and performance goals.
Continuously evaluate opportunities to improve media effectiveness, efficiency, and ROI.
Leadership & Team Development
Lead and mentor a team of paid media professionals, providing coaching, development, and performance management.
Support and develop direct reports while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
Serve as a trusted leader who influences organizational decisions beyond direct reports.
Build scalable processes, establish best practices, and elevate overall team performance.
Media Planning & Performance
Own annual and quarterly media planning, budgeting, forecasting, and investment strategies.
Monitor campaign performance and lead optimization efforts to maximize business results.
Develop reporting frameworks that clearly communicate performance, insights, risks, and recommendations to executive leadership.
Champion data-driven decision making through advanced analytics and performance measurement.
Cross-Functional Partnership
Collaborate closely with Marketing, Finance, Analytics, Revenue Management, Technology, and executive leadership to align media investments with broader business objectives.
Present strategic recommendations and performance insights to senior leadership with confidence and credibility.
Navigate complex, matrixed organizations while influencing stakeholders across multiple departments.
Identify opportunities to modernize media strategy, measurement, and activation capabilities.
Lead test-and-learn initiatives focused on emerging platforms, automation, AI, and new advertising technologies.
Challenge existing processes by asking thoughtful questions, identifying gaps, and implementing innovative solutions that improve long-term performance.
Help shape future media strategies as additional programs and responsibilities are added over time.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
10+ years of experience leading enterprise-level paid media programs.
5+ years of experience managing teams, developing talent, and leading cross-functional initiatives.
Strong experience developing full-funnel media strategies with measurable performance outcomes.
Deep expertise across Paid Search, Paid Social, Programmatic Display & Video, CTV/OLV, Affiliate Marketing, and digital media planning.
Experience managing significant media budgets and optimizing investments based on business performance.
Strong understanding of media measurement, including attribution, incrementality testing, media mix modeling, and ROI analysis.
Experience with platforms such as Google Marketing Platform, DV360, Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Meta, The Trade Desk, Adobe Analytics, and other leading ad technologies.
Proven ability to interpret complex performance data and translate insights into strategic recommendations.
Executive-level communication and presentation skills with experience influencing senior leadership.
Preferred Background
Experience working in-house within a complex, matrixed organization is required.
Previous agency experience is highly preferred, providing a strong understanding of media planning, activation, and campaign execution.
Experience in hospitality, retail, technology, automotive, franchise organizations, travel, or other consumer-facing industries is welcome.
Experience supporting multiple brands or business segments with varying budgets and objectives.
Demonstrated success leading organizational change, improving existing processes, and building scalable media capabilities.
Why Apply?
Opportunity to shape the future of a growing enterprise media organization.
High-visibility leadership role with direct exposure to executive decision-makers.
Manage meaningful media investments while influencing long-term marketing strategy.
Lead and develop a talented team with opportunities for expanded leadership responsibilities.
Collaborative environment that values innovation, strategic thinking, and continuous improvement.
Competitive compensation, annual bonus opportunity, comprehensive benefits, and long-term career growth.
If you're a strategic media leader who enjoys balancing high-level vision with hands-on execution—and you're passionate about building stronger teams, smarter processes, and measurable business results—we'd love to connect.

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