Director, Paid Media (Advertising)

About the role

Busch Gardens is a place of thrills, fun and positive, lasting memories. And that's just what its like to work here! As a key member of our team, you'll play a major role in bringing happiness and excitement to people from around the world. If you're dedicated, dependable and driven to deliver exceptional guest service, this is a place for you!

Responsibilities

• Media Strategy & Investment: Develop and lead the annual paid media strategy, budget, and investment allocation across TV, radio, OOH, print, direct mail, paid search, social, CTV/OTT, streaming, digital audio, programmatic, and emerging platforms. Balance upper-funnel brand building with lower-funnel demand generation across the full customer journey. Partner with agency teams on planning, negotiation, and performance optimization. Partner with Brand & Advertising Manager to plan advertising creative needs and optimizations. Build forecasting models and measurement frameworks (attribution, incrementality, MMM) to guide investment decisions.
• Data, Measurement & Reporting: Monitor KPIs including attendance, admissions revenue, ROAS, CAC, LTV, and incremental revenue. Build executive dashboards that communicate marketing effectiveness and optimization opportunities. Partner with CRM and Consumer Insights to leverage first-party data for targeting and personalization.
• Team & Stakeholder Leadership: Manage relationships with agency, publisher, and technology partners, holding them accountable for performance and innovation. Present strategic recommendations and results to senior leadership. Stay current on media innovation, AI-enabled marketing, privacy regulation, and measurement practices. Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business Administration, or related field. MBA or Master's degree preferred.
• Experience: 7-10+ years of progressive experience in integrated media and performance marketing. 5+ years managing and developing high-performing marketing teams. Proven success managing multi-million-dollar budgets and delivering measurable growth. Experience with marketing analytics, attribution, forecasting, and measurement frameworks. Theme park, attraction, hospitality, or entertainment industry experience preferred.
• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Deep knowledge of the omnichannel media ecosystem alongside a strong understanding of content, social, and partnership marketing. Financial acumen managing large budgets and optimizing ROI. Strategic thinker balancing brand building with short-term performance. Strong analytical, decision-making, and communication skills, with the ability to translate data into business recommendations.

Pay

Compensation: 90K - 105K USD Annually

Benefits

• Paid Time Off
• Complimentary Park Tickets and Passes
• Park Discounts on Food and Merchandise
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401K Retirement plan
• Voluntary Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Disability Benefits
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Dependent and Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Legal Assistance Plan