Senior Paid Media Manager

Adlib Recruitment; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hours

Hybrid working

25 days annual leave + 1 extra year of

Pension

Private healthcare

Glasses allowance

Training budget

Mentor scheme

Birthday day off

Job summary

Adlib Recruitment in Bristol is seeking a Senior Paid Media Manager to lead paid media strategy for key accounts across B2B and ecommerce. You will own forecasting, budgeting, and reporting, and report to the Head of Paid Media in a close-knit team.

You’ll develop people across the Paid Media pod, run one-to-ones, set objectives, deliver training, and collaborate with Organic and Multichannel teams. Expect hybrid working, a discretionary annual bonus and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Six+ years hands-on paid media experience, including agency work.
• Track record owning strategy across lead gen, e‑commerce and B2B accounts.
• Experience leading and developing a paid media team.
• Strong knowledge of Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Meta and LinkedIn.
• Advanced tracking and analytics with GA4, GTM and Looker Studio.
• Confident presenting to senior client stakeholders with budget and margin understanding.
• Experience applying AI in marketing with responsible data usage.

Responsibilities

• Set paid media strategy for the agency’s most valuable and complex accounts.
• Own forecasting, budget pacing and reporting.
• Lead reviews and planning with senior stakeholders.
• Develop people across the Paid Media pod, including one-to-ones and training.
• Collaborate with Organic and Multichannel teams to align with the wider strategy.
• Stay curious about new platforms and AI and apply them where they improve client work.

Skills

Paid media strategy

Team leadership

Client relationship management

Forecasting & budgeting

Executive presentation

AI in marketing

Tools

Google Ads

Microsoft Ads

Meta

LinkedIn Ads

GA4

Google Tag Manager

Looker Studio

StackAdapt

Job description

As Senior Paid Media Manager, you’ll join an established, people-led digital marketing agency in Bristol. Its client base spans B2B and e-commerce businesses across a range of sectors. You’ll report to the Head of Paid Media and take a leading role with paid media central to the agency’s future. This is an opportunity to bring strategic direction, strong client partnerships and thoughtful innovation to a close-knit team.

What you’ll be doing

As Senior Paid Media Manager, you’ll set paid media strategy for the agency’s most valuable and complex accounts. You’ll get to grips with each client’s commercial model, translate its objectives into a clear channel plan and own forecasting, budget pacing and reporting. You’ll lead reviews and planning sessions with senior stakeholders, explain recommendations with confidence and identify opportunities to grow accounts where they benefit the client.

You’ll also lead and develop people across the Paid Media pod. This includes regular one-to-ones, setting objectives, supporting career progression and delivering training. You’ll create playbooks and best‑practice guidance, provide technical support when issues arise, and work closely with Organic and Multichannel colleagues to make sure paid activity fits the wider strategy. You’ll stay curious about new platforms and AI, applying them where they improve real client work.

What experience you’ll need to apply

• For this Senior Paid Media Manager role, at least six years’ hands‑on paid media experience, including some agency‑side work.
• A track record of owning strategy across lead generation, e-commerce and B2B accounts.
• Proven line management experience, including one-to-ones, objectives and development conversations.
• Experience designing and delivering team training or upskilling.
• Expert knowledge of Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Meta and LinkedIn.
• Advanced tracking and analytics skills across GA4, Google Tag Manager and Looker Studio.
• Confidence presenting to senior client stakeholders, with commercial understanding of budgets, forecasting and margins.
• Practical experience applying AI in marketing, with good judgement about its value and appropriate use of client data.
• Experience with a programme advertising platform such as StackAdapt, complex accounts, or privacy‑aware measurement would be an advantage.

What you’ll get in return for your experience

The Senior Paid Media Manager will receive a salary of £45,000–£55,000, alongside an annual discretionary company bonus. The package includes flexible hours, hybrid working, 25 days’ annual leave plus an extra day for each year of service, and a paid birthday day off. There is also a pension, enhanced parental leave, flexible benefits including private healthcare or fitness memberships, and an annual glasses allowance. You’ll have access to a training budget, personal development support and a mentor scheme. Other benefits include a Christmas office closure, early Friday finishes, summer Friday afternoons off and paid charity leave.