Senior SEM Manager

About the role

The Senior SEM Manager will report directly to the Director, Performance & Paid Media and is responsible for owning and scaling paid search as one of 1Password's most strategic demand channels. This is a rare, high-impact role that sits at the intersection of B2C and B2B, driving growth across two distinct go-to-market motions: a Product-Led (Self-Serve) motion where paid search fuels trial starts and direct conversions, and a Sales-Assisted motion where it generates qualified pipeline for the enterprise and mid-market sales team.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the global paid search strategy across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and emerging search platforms (including AI-powered search surfaces like SGE/Perplexity)
• Develop and maintain a paid search roadmap that maps to both Self-Serve (trial starts, direct conversions) and Sales-Assist (MQL, SQL, pipeline) KPIs simultaneously
• Balance B2C buying behavior (individual users, prosumers, families) with B2B buying cycles (SMB through Enterprise), tailoring bidding, messaging, and landing experiences accordingly
• Lead the evolution of paid search strategy as 1Password scales into new markets, products, and customer segments
• Execution & Optimization
• Own end-to-end campaign management: keyword strategy, audience segmentation, bid management, ad copy, and landing page alignment
• Drive ongoing optimization across CAC, ROAS, MQL volume, pipeline contribution, and LTV signals, with clear visibility into both PLG and SLG performance
• Build and manage a rigorous experimentation program — continuous A/B testing of creative, landing pages, offers, and audience segments
• Partner closely with the Web team to ensure paid search landing experiences convert efficiently for both self-serve and sales-assisted paths
• AI As a Builder
• Actively leverage AI tools (e.g. Google Ads AI features, Performance Max, broad match + smart bidding, ChatGPT, Gemini, Dust, etc.) to accelerate and enhance every dimension of the paid search workflow
• Build AI-assisted processes for keyword research, competitive analysis, ad copy generation and testing, search term mining, and performance reporting
• Stay ahead of how generative AI and LLM-based search (Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Bing Copilot) are reshaping the paid search landscape — and adapt strategy accordingly
• Champion AI adoption within the broader performance marketing team, sharing learnings and frameworks
• Analytics & Attribution
• Partner with Marketing Analytics and Revenue Operations to ensure accurate attribution across both PLG (trial-to-paid) and SLG (MQL-to-opportunity-to-closed-won) funnels
• Own forecasting and budget pacing for the paid search channel, with clear reporting on contribution to pipeline and ARR
• Build fluency across GA4, SA360, Salesforce, and self-serve analytics tools to tell the full funnel story
• Cross-Functional Partnership
• Work closely with Global Campaigns, SEO/GEO and Growth Web to align on messaging, offer strategy, and conversion paths tailored to each motion
• Serve as the paid search subject matter expert in demand gen planning cycles, QBRs, and budget conversations
• Manage agency and vendor relationships where applicable, holding partners to high performance standards

Requirements

7+ years of hands-on paid search / SEM experience in a B2B SaaS or dual B2C/B2B environment

Proven experience managing paid search across both a PLG/self-serve and a sales-assisted motion — not just one or the other

Track record of managing large budgets with direct accountability to pipeline and revenue outcomes

Expert-level proficiency in Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, SA360, and GA4

Strong command of B2B attribution and Salesforce-integrated reporting

Actively uses AI tools to accelerate workflow and build smarter processes

Analytically rigorous — you connect search metrics to business outcomes, not just channel KPIs

Strong communicator who can influence senior stakeholders with clear, data-backed recommendations

Equally comfortable at the strategic and executional level

Qualifications

USA-based roles only: The annual base salary for this role is between $118,000 USD and $171,000 USD, plus immediate participation in 1Password's benefits program (health, dental, 401k and many others), utilization of our generous paid time off, an equity grant and, where applicable, participation in our incentive programs.

Canada-based roles only: The annual base salary for this role is between $113,000 CAD and $164,000 CAD, plus immediate participation in 1Password’s generous benefits program (health, dental, RRSP and many others), utilization of our generous paid time off, an equity grant and, where applicable, participation in our incentive programs.