Paid Performance Manager

Havas Media; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Havas Market seeks a Paid Performance Manager to lead a portfolio of major UK retailers with multi‑million-pound budgets. You will manage 1–2 Executives, oversee campaigns across paid search and formats like Performance Max and Demand Gen, and influence strategy with senior leadership.

You will drive client engagement through weekly meetings, deliver analysis and reporting, and push innovative paid search solutions while supporting new business opportunities.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in a Performance remit, ideally in an agency.

Responsibilities

• Create and manage paid search campaigns to meet client objectives.

Skills

Paid search management

Client facing

Team leadership

Strategy development

Data analysis

Tools

Google Ads

Microsoft Ads

Google Analytics

SA360

Pacvue

Skaii

Job description

Agency : Havas Market Job Description : Havas Market PAID PERFORMANCE MANAGER Reporting To: PAID PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR Office Location: Havas Market Manchester, No 3, Circle Square, Manchester M1 7FS

ABOUT HAVAS MARKET

We are Havas Market, part of the Havas Media Network. We believe in in the fusion of commerce and performance to drive limitless performance. We break down barriers between commerce and performance to build cohesive multichannel purchase experiences that powerfully combine tech and human flair. Havas Market expertise spans four core specialist services: paid media (PPC, paid social, shopping international), owned (SEO, CRO, content, creative, localisation), commerce (Amazon, Marketplaces, Retail Media, social commerce) and earned (digital PR, social).

We help clients to: Connect with the human behind the click - we harness human-led planning and technology to create experiences that connect more deeply and drive superior digital performance. Capture meaningful metrics that matter - we focus on meaningful results that drive business impact, not just superficial metrics, ensuring client strategy delivers real commercial success. Combine curious minds and powerful technology - we turn data into actionable insights, all powered and delivered by cutting-edge technology, giving clients a competitive edge in market.

THE ROLE

As a Paid Performance Manager, you will be a performance specialist with extensive search management experience and client facing skills. You will lead a portfolio of our key accounts within Havas Market’s digital performance team. The principal elements of the role will be to manage 1-2 Paid Performance Executives in the pursuit of performance excellence. Your client set will be an exciting portfolio of the UK’s biggest retailers - well-loved, household brands, specialising in Health and Beauty, with multi-million-pound budgets. You will be responsible for campaign implementation, analysis, optimisation, delivery and evaluation across paid search and all relevant formats, such as Performance Max, Demand Gen, and possibly some app activity too. Working alongside the Paid Performance Director on your clients, you will also have a chance to heavily influence strategy and lead on the implementation of innovative, new solutions for your clients. There will be a heavy client facing element to this role, as you’ll lead weekly calls/meetings and lead on or parts of larger monthly and quarterly meetings, with the support of your line manager. As such, it’s essential you feel comfortable with clients, have strong communication skills, as well as a proactive attitude and a real hunger for success. You will also need to support your line manager on new business and PR opportunities, as and when these come in. This will take the form of research, analysis, assisting in strategy and narrative etc., and helping to push the Havas Market name more widely as we look to scale.

KEY RESPONSBILITIES

Capability (specialism, technical knowledge) Being responsible and accountable for the creation and management of paid search campaigns to effectively deliver client objectives and targets. Being a technical lead and point of authority on paid search, shopping, performance max, demand gen and app. Oversee and manage optimisation of campaigns through utilisation of bid management tools to deliver on-going paid performance. Drive best practice on your client(s), and through your team; specifically, improving the quality of campaign delivery, innovation and automation. Developing and planning holistic paid performance strategies largely independently, but with the support of your line manager where required. Overseeing and/or executing the optimisation of campaigns, both manual and automated, using the full breadth of tools and technologies at your disposal (bid management tools, scripts, proprietary technology and external technology etc.). Developing a rich understanding of your clients’ audience and the consumer journey for their vertical, always striving to deliver richer insight to clients. Helping to drive innovation and creative solutions for clients, ensuring media firsts and beta participation where possible. Complete and manage the forecast/ plan of monthly budgets in-line with client objectives and targets. Ensuring timely delivery of all team reporting and analysis outputs.

Management (people and development) Independently manage personal development plans for all direct reports, ensuring SMART objectives are set. Ensure your direct reports have timely appraisals, and that these are logged into the TalentSpace HR portal. Develop paid search expertise, tech knowledge and all-round skill set of your direct reports. Ensure your direct reports maintain all basic technical requirements for Havas Performance including qualifications and training. Provide regular support and advice to help progress direct reports. Provide clear and defined roles and responsibilities for each position in your team - work with your line manager to ensure you have an accurate role breakdown.

Financial (admin, financial management) Overseeing accurate and timely finance administration and budgeting. Work with your line manager to ensure you have a clear understanding of profitability for your client portfolio.

Relationships (client, internal) Being the main point of contact for clients for the Paid Search channel and interpreting and communicating performance strategy or campaign data as and when required. Maintain, and grow strong relationships with relevant day to day client stakeholders. Manage client relationships to build respect and trust in your judgement. Client facing presentations on strategy, campaign recommendations and subsequent results. Develop and maintain development plans, roadmaps, media plans, and lead on strategy and reporting across your client portfolio. Develop a clear understanding of client business and marketing objectives. Bridge relationships across the paid team, ensuring close working collaboration across all pods within Paid Performance. In coordination with your line manager, identify opportunities for organic growth across your client portfolio.

Behavioural (proactivity, agency culture) Work on, and contribute to, new business efforts both within Havas Market, but also within the Network as required. Be a 'thought leader', both within the agency and across the industry. Taking a vocal point of view on industry issues and driving our positioning. Taking the business forward (innovation and growth) Help to drive innovation and creative search solutions for clients. Design innovative test-and-learn programs that deliver on the over-arching client strategy, driving the client marketing activity forward. Champion digital innovation amongst the agency and clients. Work with your line manager to create high quality case studies to represent your clients’ best activation work, as well as entering (and winning!) industry awards. Ensure media firsts and beta participation for clients. Reflect the agency ambition and vision in all work, leading and inspiring your team to meet the highest standards. Continuously look for opportunities to drive commerciality for the agency through cross sell of other Havas Media Group services.

DESIRABLE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

At least 3+ years’ experience within a Performance remit, ideally within an agency environment. Proven experience of working with enterprise level clients and large budgets (£1 million+) in paid search. Extensive experience and proven certification across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Google Analytics and SA360 (alongside any other relevant bid tech, i.e. Pacvue, Skaii). Experience and up to date knowledge competitor tools (SimilarWeb, Adthena, SEM Rush etc.). Excellent knowledge of industry tools and latest technologies. Must be able to communicate well, interpret Performance marketing to clients and manage client expectations. Good numeracy skills with strong knowledge/ experience of MS Excel. Passion for, and a wide understanding of, all aspects of digital media. Management experience is desirable but not essential. Strong time management skills and ability to prioritise workload across your direct reports. Excellent communicator – written and verbal, with the ability to present confidently. Ability to work under pressure. Thorough attention to detail. #LI-NK1

Contract Type : Permanent

Here at Havas across the group we pride ourselves on being committed to offering equal opportunities to all potential employees and have zero tolerance for discrimination. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants irrespective of age, sex, race, ethnicity, disability and other factors that have no bearing on an individual’s ability to perform their job.

About Us

Founded in 1835 by Charles-Louis Havas, Havas is one of the world’s largest global communications groups, with more than 23,000 people in over 100 countries sharing one single mission: to make a meaningful difference to brands, businesses, and people. Havas has developed a fully integrated model covering all communications activities. The teams of the three business units, Creative, Media and Health & You, work together with agility and in perfect synergy to offer clients tailor-made, meaningful, innovative and entertainment-oriented solutions that support them in their positive transformation.

Life at Havas We take great pride in our Havas family. They bring many unique personalities, perspectives and passions to their work. Collaboration is at the core of how we operate, and Havas Villages are the homes we work in. We encourage our people to take advantage of our many opportunities to learn and grow. Through local agency training sessions, our unique global and development programs, we offer our people endless opportunities to explore.

Havas Media Network We create the best media experience, capitalizing on the most meaningful media to build more meaningful brands. We know how to connect a client with their target audience - in the context of where they are, through the content they pay attention to. We deliver this expertise through the Mx System, our global operating methodology and strategic planning process, that creates value for our clients by turning consumer intelligence into clear growth targets, aligning stakeholders and KPIs, and measuring the impact of media experiences.

Havas Creative Network At Havas, we believe creativity isn't just a description of our business, it is part of our agencies’ DNA. We bring together some of the industry's most creative and accomplished agencies. By combining creative expertise with the strategic and innovative power of our Villages, we can build seamless teams around the individual needs of each of our clients.

Havas Health Driven by human purpose and focused on the betterment of humanity through health, Havas Health & You leverages a global collection of experts and individuals to help people everywhere live healthier lives. With a spirit rooted in innovation, creativity, and education, we are dedicated to delivering consistent excellence and groundbreaking work.