Director, Paid Media – Performance Marketing

Role Overview

• Manage end-to-end paid media strategy and execution across a full-funnel mix, including: High-intent, down-funnel paid search and conversion-focused campaigns and upper-funnel awareness and demand-generation campaigns across paid social, forums, and other platforms
• Translate enrollment goals, program demand, and partner brand considerations into tailored channel strategies and performance plans.
• Ensure campaign structure, messaging, and targeting align with institutional brand standards and program positioning.
• Actively monitor and optimize campaigns to improve CPL, CPA, conversion rates, and lead quality.
• Reallocate spend based on performance trends, program priorities, and seasonal enrollment cycles.
• Identify underperforming tactics quickly and pivot strategy to maximize efficiency and impact.
• Design and optimize campaigns using advanced targeting tactics, including geotargeting, geofencing, remarketing, and retargeting.
• Develop audience strategies that balance reach, intent, and efficiency across the funnel.
• Continuously refine targeting and segmentation to improve lead quality and conversion performance.
• Evaluate, test, and scale new paid media platforms, formats, and channels based on program-specific and partner-specific needs.
• Identify when more targeted or alternative approaches are appropriate to test.
• Apply a disciplined test-and-learn framework to assess impact, efficiency, and scalability before broader investment.
• Partner closely with SEO and content teams to evaluate paid vs. organic opportunity by program, keyword, and market.
• Adjust paid media investment as organic performance improves to lower overall cost of acquisition.
• Collaborate with web and CRO teams to improve landing pages, conversion paths, messaging, and forms based on performance data.
• Support experimentation efforts including A/B testing of creative, landing pages, and funnel flows.
• Analyze full-funnel performance from click through enrollment to identify trends, gaps, and optimization opportunities.
• Provide clear, actionable insights and recommendations to marketing leadership and internal stakeholders.
• Partner with admissions and analytics teams to assess lead quality, speed-to-lead, and downstream outcomes.
• Support evaluation of new program opportunities by analyzing search demand, keyword volume, audience intent, and competitive density.
• Partner with marketing leadership and business development to develop lead volume, CPL, and enrollment projections for prospective programs.
• Use paid media and search insights to inform go-to-market recommendations, channel mix, and budget expectations.
• Identify early indicators of program risk or opportunity based on market signals and performance benchmarks.
• Collaborate closely with the Director/Head of Marketing on strategy, planning, and forecasting.
• Align with admissions teams to ensure paid media supports conversion efficiency and enrollment goals.

Requirements

• 7+ years of hands-on experience in paid media and performance marketing, with direct responsibility for strategy, execution, and optimization.
• Deep expertise in high-intent, down-funnel paid search campaigns and conversion-focused optimization.
• Proven experience running upper-funnel awareness and demand-generation campaigns across paid social, forums, and diverse media platforms.
• Strong experience with advanced targeting tactics, including geotargeting, geofencing, remarketing, and retargeting.
• Demonstrated ability to test and scale new channels, platforms, and tactics based on performance data and program-specific needs.
• Experience conducting or supporting market demand analysis and program viability assessments using search and competitive data.
• Experience in higher education is a plus.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate data into forecasts, insights, and recommendations.
• Experience working cross-functionally with SEO, web, CRO, and analytics teams.
• Hands-on experience with major paid media platforms, including Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Meta, LinkedIn, and additional platforms such as Reddit.

Benefits

• full medical/dental/vision coverage
• 401K with match
• generous time-off policy with paid volunteer time
• competitive salaries with the potential for performance bonus
• remote working flexibility