Director, Media

OATS; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

AARP, the nation’s largest nonprofit organization for people 50+, seeks a Director of Media to lead paid and organic search strategies and translate enterprise direction into actionable plans. You will oversee day-to-day performance across search channels and partner with marketing, analytics, and content teams to drive measurable outcomes.

The role requires strong leadership, a track record in SEM/SEO, and the ability to build scalable processes that improve ROI.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business Administration, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in digital media, search marketing, paid search, SEO, or integrated marketing with leadership experience.
• Proven ability to develop, execute, and optimize paid and organic search strategies that drive measurable outcomes.
• Strong experience analyzing campaign performance, audience insights, and dashboards to optimize media investments.
• Experience managing agency and vendor relationships and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Manages planning, activation, and optimization of paid search and SEO initiatives.
• Analyzes campaign performance and dashboards to identify insights and improve ROI.
• Oversees agency and vendor relationships, ensuring effective execution and delivery of results.
• Partners with marketing, content, analytics, and technology teams to align media strategies with priorities.
• Establishes workflows, processes, and quality standards for media execution to improve efficiency and scalability.

Skills

Media strategy

Leadership

SEM

SEO

Analytics & dashboards

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing/Advertising/Communications/Business Admin

Tools

Google Analytics

SEO tools

Job description

Overview

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health and financial security, and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest-circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and the AARP Bulletin.

The Director, Media leads the development, execution, and optimization of AARP’s paid and organic search media strategies to drive measurable outcomes aligned with marketing and business objectives. This role translates enterprise media direction into actionable search plans, manages agency and vendor partners, and oversees day‑to‑day team performance across paid search, SEO, and related channels. Works closely with marketing, analytics, and content partners.

Responsibilities

• Manages the planning, activation, and ongoing optimization of paid search and SEO initiatives, ensuring campaigns are aligned with objectives, audience insights, and performance targets established at the enterprise level.
• Analyzes campaign performance, dashboards, and audience data to identify insights, inform strategic adjustments, and improve return on media investment across paid and organic search channels.
• Oversees agency and vendor relationships to ensure effective execution, adherence to best practices, and timely delivery of results, serving as the primary point of accountability for search media performance.
• Partners with marketing, content, analytics, and technology teams ensuring media strategies are aligned with campaign priorities, audience engagement goals, and content experiences across channels.
• Establishes and monitors workflows, processes, and quality standards for paid and organic search media execution, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability across campaigns and teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business Administration, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in digital media, search marketing, paid search, SEO, or integrated marketing, including leadership experience managing complex media programs.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing, executing, and optimizing paid search and organic search (SEO) strategies that drive measurable business and marketing outcomes.
• Strong experience analyzing campaign performance, audience insights, and marketing dashboards to identify optimization opportunities and improve return on media investment.
• Proven ability to manage agency and vendor relationships, ensuring effective execution, adherence to best practices, and achievement of performance objectives.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, including marketing, content, analytics, and technology stakeholders, to align media strategies with organizational priorities.
• Strong knowledge of search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO), audience targeting, campaign measurement, and digital media performance optimization.
• Excellent leadership, project management, and operational skills, with experience establishing workflows, quality standards, and scalable processes that improve efficiency and campaign effectiveness.

AARP will not sponsor an employment visa for this position at this time.

Additional Requirements

• Regular and reliable job attendance
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Exhibit respect and understanding of others to maintain professional relationships
• Independent judgement in evaluation options to make sound decisions
• In office/open office environment with the ability to work effectively surrounded by moderate noise.

Hybrid Work Environment

AARP observes Mondays and Fridays as remote workdays, except for essential functions. Remote work can only be done within the United States and its territories.

Compensation and Benefits

AARP offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including a 401(k); 100% company-funded pension plan; health, dental, and vision plans; life insurance; paid time off to include company and individual holidays, vacation, sick, caregiving, and parental leave; performance-based and peer-based recognition and tuition reimbursement.

Equal Employment Opportunity

AARP is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture. AARP does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, color, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, mental or physical disability, genetic information, veteran status, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.