Managing Director, Head of Paid Social

About the role

The Managing Director, Head of Social will lead Crossmedia's paid social practice, setting strategic direction and standards for paid social across planning, activation, optimization, testing, measurement, and performance. This role will serve as a trusted advisor to senior clients, translating complex business challenges into clear, differentiated, and measurable paid social strategies.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Crossmedia’s senior subject-matter expert in paid social, providing strategic leadership across clients, teams, and the broader agency.
• Develop sophisticated, audience-first strategies that connect business objectives, consumer behavior, media investment, creative, and platform capabilities.
• Evaluate emerging platforms, formats, technologies, and capabilities and translate relevant opportunities into actionable client strategies.
• Partner with Analytics, Planning, Creative, and Investment teams to ensure paid social strategies are integrated, data-informed, and connected to broader business outcomes.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team of approximately 25+ people, creating an environment that values curiosity, strong thinking, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Help shape the continued evolution of CrossSocial, identifying opportunities to connect paid social with complementary capabilities such as creators, influencers, content, and experiential initiatives.

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience in paid social media, with significant experience in senior strategic and leadership roles within an agency, platform, or client-side environment.
• Deep expertise in paid social strategy, including full-funnel planning, audience strategy, activation, optimization, testing, and measurement across major social platforms.
• A strong understanding of the evolving social landscape, including platform innovation, consumer behavior, emerging technologies, and creator ecosystems.
• Experience with leading and developing a high-performing team, with a strong focus on accountability, collaboration, and talent development.
• Proven ability to translate business objectives into sophisticated, audience-first social strategies.
• Strong understanding of how paid social connects with Paid Search, Programmatic, Planning, Analytics, Creative, and broader media strategies.
• Commercial acumen and experience contributing to client growth, retention, new business, and/or expansion.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders internally and externally.
• An entrepreneurial, hands-on approach and the ability to operate effectively within a dynamic, evolving environment.