Associate Vice President, Paid Search - EDU

Skydrop; Springfield (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage

Employee Equity

Employee Discounts

Virtual Wellness Classes

Pet Insurance

Job summary

Skydrop is seeking an Associate Vice President (AVP) of Paid Search to lead the strategy, performance, and growth across a portfolio of Higher Education clients. The successful candidate will have over 12 years of relevant paid search experience, deep expertise in performance marketing, and the ability to manage multimillion-dollar budgets.

This role requires exceptional client communication skills and a proven track record in driving measurable business outcomes. Benefits include unlimited PTO, excellent medical coverage, and equity opportunities.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of relevant paid search experience.
• Deep expertise in lead generation and performance marketing, ideally within Higher Education.
• Ability to manage and grow multimillion-dollar budgets across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads.
• Strong track record of driving measurable business outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy for Paid Search across Higher Education clients.
• Guide long-term strategy and investment decisions with key clients.
• Ensure delivery against key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Mentor and develop the search team for strong performance.

Skills

Paid Search Experience

Lead Generation

Performance Marketing

Client Communication

Data Analysis

Job description

WHO WE ARE

Zeta Global (NYSE: ZETA) is the AI‑Powered Marketing Cloud that leverages advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and trillions of consumer signals to make it easier for marketers to acquire, grow, and retain customers more efficiently. Through the Zeta Marketing Platform (ZMP), our vision is to make sophisticated marketing simple by unifying identity, intelligence, and omnichannel activation into a single platform – powered by one of the industry’s largest proprietary databases and AI. Our enterprise customers across multiple verticals are empowered to personalize experiences with consumers at an individual level across every channel, delivering better results for marketing programs. Zeta was founded in 2007 by David A. Steinberg and John Sculley and is headquartered in New York City with offices around the world. To learn more, go to www.zetaglobal.com.

The Role

We’re looking for an Associate Vice President (AVP) of Paid Search to lead strategy, performance, and growth across a portfolio of Higher Education clients. This role is responsible for setting the vision for Paid Search within the vertical, scaling best‑in‑class performance frameworks, and driving measurable business outcomes across complex, multi‑account portfolios.

This role serves as a senior strategic partner to both clients and internal stakeholders. You will elevate our approach to enrollment marketing through data‑driven decisioning, advanced platform capabilities, and deep vertical expertise.

Thought Leadership

• Define and evolve Paid Search strategy for Higher Education clients, aligned to enrollment cycles, program mix, and institutional goals


• Translate industry trends (e.g., seasonality, program demand, attribution challenges) into scalable, actionable frameworks


• Establish POVs on bidding strategies, funnel optimization, and audience targeting specific to EDU

Client Strategy & Leadership

• Serve as executive sponsor across key EDU client relationships, guiding long‑term strategy and investment decisions


• Oversee performance across portfolio, ensuring delivery against KPIs such as CPL, enrollment volume, and efficiency targets


• Identify and unlock growth opportunities including new channels, budget expansion, and testing roadmaps


• Lead QBRs and executive presentations with a focus on business outcomes and forward‑looking strategy

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a Search team, ensuring strong performance management and career growth


• Define team structure, resourcing models, and capacity planning to support current and future business needs


• Elevate team capabilities in platform innovation


• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement

Performance Ownership

• Ensure best‑in‑class execution across campaigns, including account structure, budget pacing, and optimization strategies


• Implement standardized frameworks for testing, reporting, and performance analysis across accounts


• Partner with analytics to refine attribution approaches and measurement strategies, particularly for long consideration cycles


• Drive consistency and rigor in how insights are translated into action and client impact

Analysis & Reporting

• Partner with analytics and ops teams to improve reporting, automation, and scalability


• Monitor industry trends, platform changes, and competitive landscape


• Deliver clear, data‑driven performance reports and insights to clients, diving into the “why” behind the data


• Recommend testing strategies, budget allocation shifts, and bid strategy adjustments based on performance trends


• Ensure accuracy, consistency, and timeliness of reporting

Qualifications

• 12+ years of relevant paid search experience


• Deep expertise in lead generation and performance marketing, ideally within Higher Education or similar verticals


• Proven ability to manage and grow multimillion‑dollar budgets across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads


• Strong track record of driving measurable business outcomes and client growth


• Exceptional client communication and executive presence


• Experience building and scaling teams, including talent development and organizational design


• Advanced analytical mindset, with the ability to translate complex data into clear strategic direction

Benefits & Perks

• Unlimited PTO


• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage


• Employee Equity


• Employee Discounts, Virtual Wellness Classes, and Pet Insurance And more!!

Salary Range

The salary range for this role is $140,000–$160,000, depending on location and experience.

People & Culture at Zeta

Zeta considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Zeta discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

We’re committed to building a workplace culture of trust and belonging, so everyone feels invited to bring their whole selves to work. We provide a forum for employees to celebrate, support and advocate for one another. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion here: https://zetaglobal.com/blog/a-look-into-zetas-ergs/

Zeta in the News

https://zetaglobal.com/press/?cat=press-releases