Cleared Paid Media Manager

The Paid Media Director will oversee and lead the paid media and digital marketing strategy implementation. This role will be responsible for executing comprehensive, full-funnel media plans, managing the development of brand assets, and maintaining performance across digital channels. The ideal candidate must also have a strong background in analyzing industry trends, compiling, and assessing market research, data visualization, and conducting in-depth research to inform media and marketing plans. Must be willing to participate in a brief marketing and media skills assessment during the hiring process. You are entrepreneurial, flexible, and can roll up your sleeves to help pick up on work – no task it too small. You’re a data-obsessed storyteller, educating the broader organization on what works and most importantly, why it works by gathering and synthesizing data.

The Work:

• Develop and execute a paid media strategy and drive impactful programs that generate awareness and drive demand.
• Ability to build a paid media strategy from the ground up – ensuring a comprehensive media mix.
• Extensive knowledge of the digital ecosystem and relevant partners/vendors in the industry.
• Manage multi-million dollar budgets across paid media channels to maximize results.
• Provide accurate and timely budget forecasts, ensuring efficient resource allocation.
• Collaborate with internal teams, create custom measurement and performance reports focusing on key metrics and business drivers.
• Provide feedback on creative briefs based on past performance, propose tactics, and adjust based on landscape opportunities.
• Partner with organic and earned media marketing teams from start to finish to ensure cohesive strategy and campaign enablement.
• Work with the in-house creative team to execute day-to-day audience, creative and copy optimization within campaigns.
• Track, analyze and report data from campaigns to uncover insights and refine and optimize both the media plan and the campaign creative.
• Must be able to go on site 100%.

Here's what you need:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 8+ years of experience in paid digital advertising, ideally in consulting or a digital agency.
• 2+ years of managing a team of media buyers.
• Hands-on-keyboard experience setting up, running, and managing paid media campaigns.
• Full proficiency with media buying platforms (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook/Meta Ads, Twitter/X Ads, Programmatic DSPs).
• Experience using Google Analytics (or other web analytics tool) to understand impact of paid advertising on web site traffic and usage.
• Knowledge of digital media systems and tools (e.g., attribution, tagging, ad verification).
• Demonstrated ability to apply research insights a convert into strategy development.
• Experience working outside of paid media platforms to support organic marketing efforts.
• Successful track record of delivering strategically thoughtful projects that deliver measurable impact.

Bonus points if you have:

• Previous digital agency or in-house experience.
• Experience establishing and maintaining relationships with individuals at all levels, with both internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Ability to identify operational gaps/opportunities and implement solutions.

Security clearance:

• Active Top Secret clearance