Director, Paid Media

JOB SUMMARY: The Director, Paid Media is a strategic leader responsible for driving innovative, results-oriented digital campaigns across programmatic, social, search, display, video, and mobile. This role manages a small team and works cross-functionally to align paid campaigns with client goals, performance metrics, and agency growth targets. You are an expert in leading multi-brand, multichannel paid strategies with a strong focus on client ROI, team development, and emerging digital trends. You play a key role in operationalizing new services and driving revenue growth within Giant Noise.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Strategic Planning & Media Leadership: Collaborate with key stakeholders to define measurable goals and KPIs, tailoring digital campaigns to maximize ROI and drive business growth; ensure cohesive messaging, budgeting efficiency, and platform-specific strategy alignment. Design, management, and continuous optimization of paid ad campaigns across social media and digital platforms, including programmatic, social, search, display, video, and mobile.
• Campaign Management & Performance: Conduct performance analysis using tools, providing actionable insights to optimize ad spend, targeting, and creative executions. Regularly present performance summaries and recommendations to executive leadership; prepare detailed reports for clients, presenting data clearly and recommending actionable improvements for future campaigns to maximize impact and increase retention.
• Industry Knowledge, Data-Driven Insights & Client Counsel: Leverage data analytics to track campaign performance and ROI, using findings to iterate on and improve campaign effectiveness. Develop and maintain in-depth reports on key metrics, trends, and areas for optimization, sharing insights with stakeholders to support data-driven decision-making.
• Team Management & Cross-Functional Leadership: Manage and mentor a small team of high-performing media professional(s), fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation. Encourage a spirit of collaboration and knowledge sharing within the team and the organization; lead by example, building a sense of respect, transparency, and positivity through expert management and mentorship. Lead with a whole-agency mindset, working closely with cross-functional teams to support a unified way of working across teams and the entire Giant Noise client roster.
• Business Development: Drive the growth of a new line of business by conceptualizing, building, and operationalizing innovative products and services. Contribute to the agency’s revenue growth and profitability by developing scalable frameworks that generate alternative revenue streams. Stay ahead of industry trends by actively participating in conferences, webinars, and networking opportunities, translating emerging insights into actionable strategies that benefit both the agency and its clients.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

This position requires a deep understanding of each client's business, competitive landscape, and paid media and ad buying expertise, and the right candidate is an expert at strategic planning, trend identification, and performance optimization for their client portfolio.

• Experience: 7-10 years of experience in digital marketing, preferably within a creative, high-energy culture, balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
• Management: At least 2-3 years of experience managing and developing team members, including performance oversight and mentorship.
• Education: Bachelors Degree in marketing, communications, business or a related field.
• Client Experience: Applicants must have a proven track record of managing multi-brand, multi-channel paid media strategies with large budgets. Experience working directly with senior-level clients and presenting performance insights is essential.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

• Paid Media Platforms: The ideal candidate is highly proficient across core ad platforms, including Google Ads (Search, Display, YouTube), Meta Ads Manager (Facebook/Instagram), LinkedIn Ads, TikTok Ads, X/Twitter Ads, Amazon Advertising, and programmatic DSPs such as The Trade Desk or DV360.
• Social Media Expertise: They should have a deep understanding of platform-specific strategies, audience behavior, and campaign optimization across all major social media platforms. Experience with social scheduling tools like Sprout Social is expected.
• Analytics & Attribution: Strong data fluency is critical, including proficiency in Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Google Tag Manager, and Looker Studio. Familiarity with attribution and performance tools such as Triple Whale, Northbeam, or Rockerbox is preferred.
• CRM & Ecommerce Integration: The candidate should have experience with CRM and ecommerce platforms, including tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, Klaviyo, Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento. This includes the ability to connect paid efforts with broader martech stacks and conversion strategies.
• Strategic Thinking & ROI Focus: Strategic thinking is essential, with the ability to connect paid media initiatives to business goals and optimize campaigns based on performance insights. Candidates should be comfortable analyzing and interpreting data to deliver clear, actionable recommendations.
• Project Management: Strong project management skills are required, including the ability to prioritize tasks, manage deadlines, and report status across multiple projects. Familiarity with platforms such as Asana, Trello, Monday.com, or Basecamp is helpful.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills are a must. Candidates must be comfortable presenting campaign results, strategic plans, and performance reports to both internal teams and client stakeholders.
• Team Collaboration: Team leadership and collaboration are key. The right candidate will know how to inspire and manage teams, promote shared accountability, and foster a respectful, inclusive, and performance-driven team culture.
• Problem-Solving & Technology Awareness: This role also requires the ability to problem-solve quickly and thoroughly, as well as stay up to date with evolving technology, tools, and digital best practices. Familiarity with how new technologies influence media and creative processes is a plus.
• Research & Industry Trends: Candidates should demonstrate strong research skills and a commitment to understanding industry trends, platform shifts, and audience behavior that impact media performance and strategy.

WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Physical Demands: Sitting 85% of the time, standing 15% of the time.
• Working Hours: Typically, work hours are from 9:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST, Mondays through Fridays. Availability to work as needed on nights and weekends may be required.
• Travel: Ability to travel weekly for client meetings, industry events, and team retreats as needed
• Physical Ability: Capable of lifting 20-50 lbs. as necessary.
• Manual Dexterity: Regular use of hands and fingers for computer use.
• Sensory Function: Everyday use of vision and auditory senses, including exposure to blue light from computers.
• Environment: Work primarily indoors in an environmentally controlled setting. However, occasional travel and the ability to work in-office and on-site for client related meetings and events may be necessary.
• Communication: Daily communication with peers, media, and clients is essential to the role.
• Cognitive Demands: Ability to maintain cognitive thinking and logical reasoning throughout tasks and responsibilities.

At Giant Noise, we are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that celebrates diversity in all its forms. We believe that a diverse and equitable team leads to richer creativity, innovation, and success. We welcome and encourage applicants of all backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives to apply. Giant Noise is an equal opportunity employer, and we are dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work every day.