Group Director, SEM

Monks; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 221,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

Monks is seeking a seasoned Search leader to drive growth across paid search and YouTube, overseeing high-spend accounts and serving as SME across paid search strategies. You will lead a cross-functional team and collaborate with vendor partners to accelerate client ROI.

The role demands 12+ years in paid search, management experience, and a track record of managing multi-million-dollar budgets across D2C/Retail/B2B/B2C verticals, with strong presentation and strategic planning skills.

Qualifications

• 12+ years Paid Search experience.
• Managed $20MM+ in annual ad spend across multiple clients.
• Experience communicating with VPs to C-Suite executives.
• Direct management of Paid Search budgets of at least $1MM+ monthly.
• Experience directing strategy across D2C/ Retail/ B2B/ B2C verticals.
• Experience with YouTube, Performance Max, Demand Gen, and Value-Based Bidding.
• Strong slide presentation and Excel/Google Sheets skills.
• 5+ years of management with 3+ direct reports at Associate Director level or above.
• Experience with bid management platforms (SA360, Skai, Marin).

Responsibilities

• Lead a SEM team including channel specialists and account leads.
• Respond to the changing landscape in paid search as a thought leader.
• Drive revenue from new business and client growth.
• Present performance and priorities to clients and internal stakeholders.
• Partner on media plans, forecasting, testing, and reporting.
• Develop quarterly/annual roadmaps to advance accounts with trends.
• Mentor and develop team, contribute to training and case studies.
• Collaborate with Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and other partners.

Skills

Paid Search leadership

Client management

Cross‑functional collaboration

YouTube advertising

Presentation skills

Excel/Sheets

People management

Budget management

Strategy development

Multi-vertical advertising

Tools

SA360

Skai

Marin

Google Ads

Job description

About The Role

We are looking for a strong, passionate, and energetic Search leader to drive growth and strategic oversight across the paid search department with a focus on working on our largest accounts and also serving as an SME across paid search and YouTube. We are looking for someone passionate about search-driven performance marketing who has a strong background in leading multiple accounts across verticals. This individual should be a people-focused leader who enjoys hands‑on, cross‑functional collaboration and wants to join a fast‑growing, innovative digital agency that is hyper‑focused on client performance and ROI.

Responsibilities

• Reporting to the Head of Search, this role will serve as a people leader, including SEM channel specialists (Paid Search, YouTube, Demand Gen, PMax, Shopping, and App) as well as Account Leads managing direct client partnerships, contract negotiations/renewals, client onboarding, etc.
• This role will serve as a Search thought leader prepared to respond to the changing landscape in paid search
• Responsible for revenue driven from new business, client relationships, and client growth
• Will present Paid Search performance and tactical priorities to the client and internal stakeholders; however, the main priority is to help lead a paid search team
• Partners with cross‑channel leads on creating media plans, including forecasting, testing, tactical plans, and reporting
• Drives Search strategy, innovation - testing on your book of business while improving performance, developing quarterly or annual roadmaps to keep advancing accounts with the latest trends and opportunities
• Manage others from Account Managers to Directors
• Contribute to team morale and culture through engagement, team building, and mentorship
• Contribute to overall department training, POVs, award submissions, and case studies
• Work closely with Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and other vendor partners on alpha and beta opportunities, expansion opportunities, client strategy and planning, and best practices
• Responsible for operationalizing processes and helping gain adoption across team focus areas
• Assist in creating a team culture across a hybrid working model

About You

The essentials:

• 12+ years Paid Search experience
• Worked across multiple clients overseeing a minimum of $20MM in annual ad spend
• Experience communicating with senior clients' points of contact from VPs to C-Suite
• Experience handling direct management of Paid Search budgets of at least $1MM+ in monthly ad spend
• Experience directing strategy in D2C or Retail, B2B, and B2C digital advertising efforts across different verticals is a major plus
• Experience in YouTube, Performance Max, Demand Gen, and Value-Based Bidding, understanding of Offline Conversion Data, and CRM integrations with Google Ads a plus
• Advanced slide presentation making and Excel / Google sheet skills
• Experience presenting paid search strategy to marketing executives, large teams, and senior audiences
• Have 5+ years of management experience with at least 3 direct reports at Associate Director level and above
• Experience with a bid management platform is preferred, such as SA360, Skai, Marin, etc.

At Monks, we believe in fostering an environment where a diversity of perspectives can thrive. We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage qualified applicants, from all backgrounds, who are excited to contribute to our mission.

Hybrid

This role is subject to our Return to Office (RTO) policy. If you reside within a commutable distance of one of our office locations, you will be expected to work from the office a set number of days per week. The specific details, including the number of required office days, will be in accordance with the company’s then-current RTO policy, which is subject to change from time to time.

Monks has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what Monks may pay for the position at the time of posting. Monks may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on job-related factors, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.

Salary Range $221,000-$270,000 CAD

About Monks

Monks is the global, digital-first, data-driven, unitary operating brand of S4Capital plc, where our culture centers on how we show up for the work and for one another. That begins with the commitment to strive for mastery - taking deep pride in our craft and creating work that sets the bar. In everyday execution, we drive momentum by choosing bold action rather than waiting for certainty. Above all, our teams are stronger together, bringing diverse perspectives into a unified team that communicates with clarity, trust, and mutual respect.

This commitment to craft and innovation translates directly into widespread industry acclaim: Monks was named a Contender in The Forrester Wave: Global Marketing Services and a leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Global Digital Marketing Agencies. It ranks among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies (2022-25) and remains the only partner featured in AdExchanger’s Programmatic Power Players list every year (2020-24). Named Adweek’s first AI Agency of the Year (2023) and The One Show’s inaugural AI Pioneer Organization (2025), Monks was also awarded Business Intelligence Group’s 2026 Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Award in the Human-Machine Interaction Team category. Additionally, Monks.Flow earned AI-based Marketing Solution of the Year at the 2026 AI Breakthrough Awards and a 2026 Global Generative AI Award in the Agentic Marketing Innovation category. Finally, Monks achieved a record-breaking number of FWAs and continues to hold the most of any partner.

We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to building a respectful and empowering work environment for all people to freely express themselves amongst colleagues who embrace diversity in all respects. Including fresh voices and unique points of view in all aspects of our business not only creates an environment where we can all grow and thrive but also increases our potential to produce work that better represents and resonates with the world around us.