Associate Director, Search Marketing

Overview

Serving as escalation point of contact for day-to-day clients
Shaping and articulating the department and agency’s view on customer segmentation, media strategy tactics and execution
Managing the strategic components of an integrated SEM campaign, with other digital and offline media.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing development of program strategies and analyses for clients (e.g., target audience recommendations, timing/scheduling strategy, etc.)
• Drawing insights from program results, keeping clients and internal teams looped in on strategic implications
• Identifying and addressing client issues, as well as new opportunities within existing client business
• Owning and clearly responding to client questions and issues related to media, serving as day-to-day contact
• Managing assigned accounts within the media department with minimal oversight, including media planning, media negotiations and implementation, performance tracking and analysis, and various associated projects
• Working closely with account, creative and measurement teams to ensure media plans and creative/measurement work are strategically aligned, client needs are met and quality levels are maintained
• Providing creative solutions to client challenges; resourceful and able to troubleshoot issues with limited direction
• Fostering relationship with internal teams (Media, S&A and other capabilities) and external teams while managing multiple client stakeholders
• Understanding big picture implications and how insights can be applied in other programs and channels
• Active knowledge sharing with capability and broader agency

Qualifications

• A four-year degree and 7 to 9 years of digital media experience, 6+ years of SEM experience
• Deep familiarity with the digital environment and a clear understanding of media planning and buying process (multi-channel knowledge and DoubleClick Search expertise required)
• Strong understanding of media research tools – you know their strengths/weaknesses, and when and how to effectively use them
• Creative solutions to client challenges; resourceful and able to troubleshoot issues with limited direction
• Fluency with Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
• Experience working with Tag Management Solutions, DMP, MTA and Site Analytics tools
• Strong ability to understand client objectives and how they translate into search and media strategies
• Excellent client presence and ability to lead discussions with internal and external leadership
• Stellar communication and presentation skills – you’re poised, articulate and convincing
• Willingness to travel as needed – you’re open to new places, new faces and new ideas
• Familiarity with prompt-based interaction and commonly used generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Google Gemini, DALL·E, Midjourney) is a plus, especially for tasks like ideation, research, or content generation
• Experience working within pharmaceutical and healthcare environments is a plus