Associate Director of Paid Media (Digital Marketing) – Austin, TX

Winwithoptimal; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an Associate Director of Paid Media to lead a dynamic digital media team. This role involves overseeing media strategies for high-profile clients, ensuring alignment on goals, and driving continuous improvement through innovative thinking. You will leverage your extensive experience in paid media to build strong client relationships and manage complex campaigns across multiple channels. Join a mission-driven team that values data, creativity, and collaboration, and make a significant impact on clients' marketing success. If you're passionate about media and ready to take the next step in your career, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

Open leave (paid time off)

Paid Leave for new parents

Health insurance (including dental and vision)

Flex Spending Plan

Employee Assistance Program

401K with company matching

Student Loan Repayment Program

Rewards and recognition programs

Mobile phone & internet reimbursement

Qualifications

• 7+ years of paid media experience with hands-on campaign buildout.
• Proven ability to analyze data and produce actionable insights.
• Strong communication and leadership skills required.

Responsibilities

• Own client relationships and manage high campaign volumes.
• Collaborate with teams to develop and implement media strategies.
• Oversee junior associates and ensure KPI attainment.

Skills

Paid Media Strategy

Data Analysis

Client Relationship Management

Communication Skills

Creative Ideation

Leadership

Campaign Optimization

Analytical Skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Business or Marketing

Tools

Google Analytics

Google Ads

Meta Ads

Adobe Analytics

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Optimal is hiring an Associate Director of Paid Media to join our digital media team. The Associate Director will play a critical role in overseeing the development and implementation of media strategy for key client accounts, with a focus on client satisfaction and KPI attainment. This role will see you working across a diverse team of media leads and external stakeholders to ensure alignment on client goals, and to drive continuous improvements towards client KPI’s through strategic innovation.

With a firm understanding of paid media and a strong focus on continuous improvement, you'll navigate our clients’ internal structures and build meaningful relationships with key stakeholders. In this role, you will leverage your leadership skills, media knowledge, and innovative thinking to drive client success.

Who Are We?

Optimal is a media company on a mission, bringing together the best data, technology, and people to achieve our clients’ marketing goals. Brand, campaign, or cause: we maximize performance at every moment. We strive to make a difference for our clients, the individuals we reach, and the world around us.

Our team of mission-driven doers is leading the digital media charge. From shaping opinions and winning elections to driving growth and connecting consumers with the products and services they need to live healthier, happier lives.

We’re always looking for exceptional people to join our team. If this sounds like you, please apply!

Essential Functions, Duties, & Responsibilities:

• Account Ownership and Client Relationship Management – Own and build client relationships with top-tier accounts. Opportunity to travel to clients for QBRs.
• Reporting – Work with the internal analytics team to develop reports that clearly communicate performance to suggest insights and identify opportunities. Review all content before client meetings / presentations to ensure it follows a logical progression and is clear, concise and digestible to clients while maintaining the detail necessary.
• Analysis – Dive deep into account KPIs and trends to identify shifts, areas of opportunity, and potential optimizations. Address poor performance thoughtfully and timely.
• Client Relationship Management - Own and maintain productive relationships with key client stakeholders, leading key client engagements and taking responsibility for performance towards KPI’s.
• Collaboration – Work closely with the Paid Media Director and leadership team to develop new and ongoing account strategy. Interface with various internal teams such as our business intelligence, business development, PPC, SEO, and creative teams. Foster a positive and productive team environment that encourages collaboration, innovation, and growth. Provide guidance, support, and mentorship to team members to optimize their performance and development.
• Creative Ideation – Deliver creative analysis to end client and creative agency. Guide the creative team and test variations of creative assets needed to determine highest-performing creative and ad copy. Construct and oversee implementation of ad testing methodology.
• Strategy – Work with clients and team leads to plan and allocate budgets across top performing channels. Identify opportunities to test new channels, ad types, & audiences. Lead forecasting efforts to ensure that media spend is allocated efficiently to drive success towards client KPI’s.
• Team Management - Oversee the development and ramp-up of junior paid media associates.
• Work with Industry Experts and Vendors – Enhance agency relationships with vendors to fully use their capabilities and recommend strategies and solutions that best meet our business needs.
• Adhere to administrative deadlines (timesheet submittal, other general office duties) and is responsive to accounting and other administrative staff when called upon to provide information.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications & Skill Requirements:

• 7+ years of full-time, professional paid media experience, including 5+ years of hands-on campaign buildout & optimization
• Consistent track record and hands-on experience handling high campaign volume, large budgets, and complex omni-channel strategies across paid search, paid social, display, and programmatic
• Demonstrated ability to produce actionable insights that drive value for the end client
• Superior ability to analyze data in Google Analytics, Google Ads, Meta Ads or other analytics platforms
• Experience in Adobe Analytics is a plus
• Outstanding analytical skills
• Proficient in Excel and PowerPoint
• Best-in-class communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal
• 4-year Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, advertising, statistics, analytics, or a related field is a plus
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Optimal is proud to offer the following:

• The base salary ranges from $100,000 to $130,000 annually depending upon factors including, but not limited to, experience, skill level, education and location.
• Open leave (paid time off)
• Paid Leave for new parents
• Health insurance (including dental and vision)
• Flex Spending Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401K with company matching
• Student Loan Repayment Program
• Rewards and recognition programs
• Mobile phone & internet reimbursement and much more!

Office Hours

This role is based out of our Austin office. Our Austin team works on a hybrid basis, with three days per week working in the office and two days per week working from home. Work hours are consistently 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday - Friday, with the expectation that evening and weekend work will be required as necessary.