Associate Director of Paid Media

Silverback Strategies is a performance marketing agency built to help marketers grow and capitalize on change. Ad Age, Inc Magazine, The Washington Post, The Washingtonian, and The Washington Business Journal have recognized Silverback as one of the best places to work.

We hire the best and help them get better. Silverbackers are supported, challenged and inspired by their peers. Regardless of title or tenure, every Silverbacker plays a role in helping our agency get better. This is a place where you can make a difference.

Our new Associate Director of Paid Media will serve as a team lead and subject matter expert in all things Paid Media. You will act as a true channel expert, developing and managing a portfolio of key client strategies, supporting your greater team’s portfolio, and mentoring and coaching a team of 2-4 Paid Media Account Managers to enhance relationships, manage timelines and deliverables, and grow client performance. You’ll also serve as a “thought leader” for Paid Media within the agency, helping to drive Silverback’s Media product forward and contributing to the growth and success of the Media & Creative department as the “right hand” of Silverback’s Senior Director of Paid Media (the department head).

This self-motivated individual will inspire their team members and direct reports to deliver above-and-beyond work for their individual clients. At the same time, this person will also manage their own client(s), consisting of 1-2 large accounts that represent some of the agency’s most important Paid Media engagements.

The Associate Director of Paid Media will work cross-functionally to find opportunities to enhance our clients' overall digital programs, collaborating closely with counterparts on the SEO and Measurement/Data teams. You’ll work closely with and report directly to the Senior Director of Paid Media, with whom you’ll take an active role in innovating on the continued development of Silverback’s Media best practices and product offerings.

Here’s what we expect from our Associate Director of Paid Media, with responsibilities broken down into three categories:

People Management & Operational Responsibilities

• Act as the direct people manager for a high-performing team of 3-4 Paid Media Managers (account managers), each of whom has their own portfolio of 2-4 clients per person
• Hold weekly 1:1s with direct reports; take an active role in coaching, mentoring, and developing employees
• Accountable for hiring success onto your assigned team
• Play an active role in engaging & retaining high-performing employees
• Promote a positive, collaborative, psychologically safe work environment through highly personalized people management techniques
• Leverage Asana project management tool to create and assign tasks, ensuring a smooth workflow among Media team members
• Join in brainstorming sessions and collaborate with the Senior Director of Paid Media and other key Media stakeholders (Associate Director of Media Planning, Associate Director of Ad Ops & Data) in the continued development of Paid Media best practices
• Act as the “right hand” of the Sr. Director of Paid Media to help them set & execute department-level priorities and keep the department running smoothly

Paid Media Management & Innovation

• Responsible for driving the strategy, innovation and performance of multiple client Paid Media strategies and building long-lasting client relationships
• Work independently and with your team to plan, implement, and audit paid media campaigns & strategies that align with client KPIs and marketing goals
• Collaborate with Client Services and SEO counterparts on cross-channel marketing strategy for clients
• Collaborate with Creative team on ad creation and testing plans as well as the Measurement team on CRO improvements, tracking implementation and optimization
• Play lead role in developing Paid Media channel strategy for clients, aligned with organizational and marketing goals and KPIs, including Search, Display, Social, and Video
• Lead channel innovation efforts, ensuring clients' Paid Media strategies are following evolving best practices and using performance data to identify opportunities for new campaigns, optimizations and testing
• Understand the client’s industry, audience and goals and stay on top of industry changes, trends, and best practices

Strategic Client Relationship

• Play an active role in retaining clients and aiding in client satisfaction through proactive communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and issue resolution
• Act as the “face of Paid Media” for your assigned client(s)
• Play a higher-level role in overseeing the success of your direct reports’ clients, assisting with brainstorming or problem solving as needed
• Identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities for clients on your team
• Clearly and accurately communicate project timelines, managing client expectations and adhering to established internal workflows

What We’re Looking For (Hard Skills)

• Minimum of 6+ years of digital / performance marketing agency experience
• Previous agency experience is a MUST-HAVE!
• At least 2 years of experience acting as a team lead and/or people manager, ideally in a performance marketing agency environment
• Tactical experience with BOTH Paid Search and Paid Social platforms. Search- or social-only candidates will not be considered!
• Track record of success in managing high-performing teams through “formal” management techniques like 1:1s, performance management/reviews, etc
• Advanced proficiency with Google Analytics and Sheets/Excel
• Previous experience managing paid media strategies & execution for midmarket/midsize clients highly preferred!

What We’re Looking For (Intangibles)

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong relationship building & interpersonal skills — both for building trust and rapport with fellow Silverbackers (especially your direct reports) and clients!
• Genuine curiosity and passion for learning
• Outstanding time management and organization skills
• Strong work ethic and a “roll up your sleeves and get it done” mentality
• Service-oriented mindset; you should genuinely want to and enjoy delivering excellent customer service and client experience(s)
• Unafraid of constructive feedback — seeking to constantly improve and “level up”
• Ability to handle tough conversations with clients as needed & constantly seek to move a client relationship forward even in the face of challenges
• Desire to work in a highly collaborative environment with very skilled, smart, and talented teammates!

PERKS/BENEFITS

• Unlimited PTO
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
• Monthly Team Events and a fun, casual, inclusive company culture
• Company-paid ClassPass membership
• 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• Summer Fridays
• 401(k) with Employer Match

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• We’re a fully remote agency with employees working across the continental United States. At Silverback, you'll be part of a remote work culture that emphasizes smooth, productive online communication.
• We at Silverback pride ourselves on being an extremely tight-knit team. We boast an unparalleled culture of collaboration, empathy, and a truly "work hard, play hard" mentality.
• We are consistently recognized as a Top Workplace on Glassdoor, and were most recently awarded a prestigious 2022 Best Places to Work designation by Ad Age. Apply today & discover for yourself what makes Silverback Strategies such a special place to work. We can't wait to hear from you!

Silverback Strategies is an equal opportunity employer. If you believe you meet the qualifications for the position, then we invite you to apply. We celebrate the free flow of conversation, ideas and opinions at Silverback, but actions such as bullying, discrimination, harassment or retaliation of any kind are strictly prohibited in our workplace. We are committed to providing a safe, open and accommodating environment that allows all of our team members to thrive. Employment decisions are made without regard to age, color, disability, family, genetic information, origin, race, religion, sex. For more information, we invite you to visit eeoc.gov.