Manager, SEM

Gofractional; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid-remote working environment

Dog friendly office

Job summary

Rakuten Kobo is seeking an experienced SEM Manager for a 12-month contract to lead day-to-day management and optimization of global paid search campaigns across Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.

You will own budget allocation, bidding strategies, and testing while partnering with SEO, Analytics, and agency partners to maximize CPA, ROAS, and profitability.

Qualifications

• 4–6+ years hands-on SEM/paid search experience in ecommerce or consumer digital businesses.
• Deep expertise in Google Ads including Search, Shopping/PMax, automated bidding and audience strategies.
• Experience managing budgets across markets/geographies.
• Strong understanding of CPA, CAC, ROAS, LTV and contribution margin.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day management and optimization of Kobo's global paid search campaigns.
• Manage SEM across Devices, Kobo Plus subscriptions and digital Content.
• Budget & pacing management across markets and campaigns.
• Lead testing of ad copy, audiences, bidding approaches and landing pages.
• Provide reporting on performance, actions taken and next steps.

Skills

SEM

Google Ads

GA4

Budget management

Performance marketing

Analytical skills

Tools

Microsoft Advertising

Conversion tracking

Job description

Manager, SEM (12-month contract)

The Role:

We're looking for an experienced SEM Manager to join Rakuten Kobo on a 12-month contract as an independent contractor to help lead the day-to-day management and optimization of our global paid search program across Devices, Kobo Plus and Content.

This is a hands-on performance marketing role for someone who can step in quickly, operate independently and make an immediate impact. You'll own campaign execution and optimization, manage investment across multiple markets, and continuously improve performance through smarter bidding, targeting, testing and budget allocation.

You'll work closely with Media, eCommerce, SEO, Analytics, Creative and agency/platform partners to ensure paid search efficiently captures demand and delivers against clear commercial outcomes.

What You'll Do

• Own day-to-day management and optimization of Kobo's global paid search campaigns across Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.
• Manage SEM across multiple lines of business, including Devices, Kobo Plus subscriptions and digital Content.
• Manage budgets and pacing across markets, products and campaigns, proactively reallocating investment based on performance.
• Optimize against key metrics including CPA/CAC, ROAS, revenue, conversion and contribution margin.
• Develop and optimize campaign structures, bidding strategies, keywords, audiences, match types and negative keyword strategies.
• Manage Search, Shopping/PMax and other relevant paid search campaign formats.
• Build and launch campaigns supporting promotions, product priorities and key commercial periods.
• Lead ongoing testing across ad copy, creative, audiences, bidding approaches and landing pages.
• Monitor performance closely, quickly identify issues or opportunities, and take action without requiring significant oversight.
• Partner with SEO to understand paid and organic search performance together and identify where paid investment is most incremental.
• Provide clear, concise reporting on performance, actions taken, risks and recommended next steps.

What You Bring

• 4-6+ years of hands-on SEM / paid search experience, ideally within ecommerce, subscription or consumer digital businesses.
• Deep expertise in Google Ads, including Search, Shopping/PMax, automated bidding and audience strategies.
• Experience managing meaningful paid search budgets across multiple products, markets or geographies.
• Strong understanding of performance marketing economics, including CPA, CAC, ROAS, LTV and contribution margin.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills, with the ability to quickly diagnose performance changes and translate data into action.
• Experience with GA4, conversion tracking, attribution and performance reporting.
• Understanding of SEO and the relationship between paid and organic search.
• Comfortable working both strategically and directly in-platform — this is not an agency-management or strategy-only role.
• Able to get up to speed quickly, work independently and deliver with limited onboarding.

What Success Looks Like

You'll quickly become a trusted extension of the team, ensuring our paid search program remains well-managed, efficient and commercially disciplined. You'll bring additional capacity where we need it most, while identifying opportunities to improve CPA, profitability and overall search performance.

This is initially an individual contractor engagement, with flexibility based on business needs.

The Perks:

• Hybrid-remote working environment
• Dog friendly office

Position Details:

• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Employment Type: Full time
• Contract Duration: 12 months