Director, Paid Search

The Tombras Group; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dog-friendly offices

Flexible PTO

Generous parental leave

Medical (employee + dependents)

401(k) participation

Employer-paid Dental & Vision

Job summary

The Tombras Group is seeking a Director, Paid Search to lead and optimize advanced paid search strategies across Google, Microsoft, and YouTube ecosystems. You will drive data-driven campaigns, mentor a high-performing team, and cultivate strong client relationships while leveraging AI to deliver measurable ROI.

This is a hands-on leadership role in a national advertising agency. You will collaborate across social, programmatic, and investment teams to deliver holistic media solutions with

Qualifications

• 8+ years of paid search experience in an advertising agency
• Google Ads certifications to validate proficiency
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities
• Proactive, self-driven work ethic with initiative
• Early AI adoption and hands-on AI implementation in campaigns
• Excellent collaboration and cross-team communication skills
• Deep knowledge of paid search campaigns across Google, Bing, and Apple ecosystems

Responsibilities

• Architect & optimize Google Ads, Microsoft Ads across formats (Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display)
• Lead with a hands-on, player-coach approach and mentor staff
• Present tactical plans and campaign status to C-suite clients regularly
• Manage budgets, bidding strategies, and pacing with advanced automation
• Analyze data to extract insights and inform monthly/quarterly reviews
• Drive landing page strategy and optimization collaboration with teams
• Implement AI-driven strategies to improve performance across clients
• Ensure accurate billing and timely budget pacing
• Collaborate with media and creative teams to build cohesive data-driven plans
• Stay current on search marketing trends and generative AI applications

Skills

Paid search experience

Google Ads certifications

Critical thinking & problem-solving

Proactive & self-driven

Early AI adoption & implementation

Collaboration & communication

Paid search platforms knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Advertising/Marketing/Business/PR/Communications or related field

Tools

Floodlights/pixels/GA conversions/Enhanced Conversions

Excel, PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Suite

Google Analytics / Adobe Analytics

Job description

Tombras, a 600+ person, full-service, national advertising agency with a digital mindset, is seeking a Director, Paid Search.

You’ll be joining one of the top independent agencies in North America. Connecting Data & Creativity for Business Results® is working for our clients and creating a flywheel affect fueling both client and agency growth. You’ll be a part of a highly creative agency that has been recognized by AdAge, Adweek, Communication Arts, Fast Company, Forbes and Fortune. Tombras was recently named 2025 AdAge Agency of the year and 2024 AdAge Independent Agency of the Year.

Join an industry-leading search marketing team—recognized as a Google Agency Excellence winner and honored with 31 national US Search Awards—that thrives on solving our clients’ biggest business challenges. As Director, Paid Search, you will develop, implement, and continually optimize innovative paid search, Performance Max, Demand Gen and YouTube advertising campaigns. This is an opportunity to break the status quo of search marketing by leveraging data and AI in unique ways, collaborating across social, programmatic, and investment teams, and driving holistic media solutions that deliver measurable, incremental impact. We seek someone with an entrepreneurial and analytical mindset who can build strong client relationships, mentor team members, and champion bold new ideas to power award-winning performance.

If you’re passionate about using data and AI to redefine search marketing for leading enterprise brands—and you’re ready to build holistic solutions that drive real business results—we want to hear from you.

Where you'll be working:

Knoxville, Atlanta or Portland. Relocation Assistance may be provided.

What You'll Be Doing

• Architect effective Google Ads and Microsoft Ads campaigns across all ad formats and surfaces including Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, App and Gmail.


• This is a hands-on keyboard role that requires a player-coach mentality and experience with heavy implementation capabilities, combined with excellent client communication and team management.


• Exhibit confident communication skills to effectively present tactical paid search plans and campaign status reports to C-suite level clients on a daily and weekly basis


• Manage paid search budgets and bids using best-in-class campaign structure strategies, portfolio bid management, campaign settings, demographic targeting, remarketing, custom audience lists, and custom-built automation for pacing and goal forecasting


• Research keywords, analyze their relevance and perform competitive analysis connecting the dots with backend client CRM data


• Recommend landing page strategies and consult on landing page planning and optimizations


• Possess a well-developed analytical ability and a proven track record of extracting tangible insights from large data sets and synthesizing them into actionable plans for monthly meetings and QBRs.


• A/B/n testing a multitude of campaign variables to increase the efficiency of campaign budgets to drive leads/conversion improvements, expand search impression share and drive higher ROI for our clients


• Administer bid management tools to accurately pace daily paid search budgets


• Monitor and analyze campaign performance in platforms like Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and SA360.


• Implement and test strategies designed to increase conversion rates and lower cost-per-lead across multiple clients in multiple verticals


• Ensure billing and budget pacing is handled accurately and in a timely matter


• Work closely across all other media and creative teams at Tombras to build cohesive data-driven media plans with best-in-class approaches to measurement and strategy recommendations for creative effectiveness


• Champion department processes, stay current on search marketing industry trends and best practices—we’re looking for thought leaders in generative AI use cases for both internal and external facing applications.

What You Bring

• 8+ years of Paid Search experience within an advertising agency


• Google Ads certifications


• Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving: Ability to approach complex challenges creatively, analyze data insights, and make strategic decisions that go beyond standard campaign optimizations.


• Proactive & Self-Driven Work Ethic: Demonstrates initiative, ownership, and the motivation to seek out new ways to improve workflows and client outcomes.


• Early AI Adoption & Successful AI Implementation: Advanced use of AI, LLMs, and Google's latest in AI automation to enhance productivity, optimize campaigns, automate reporting, develop deep campaign opportunities, generate audience insights, and develop better performing creative across Google Ads surfaces (Search, Shopping, Display, Gmail and YouTube).


• Continuous Learning Mindset: Eagerness to learn new technologies, adapt to emerging industry trends, and consistently iterate on best practices.


• Collaboration & Communication: Capable of working across different teams (social, programmatic, investment) to develop holistic, cross-channel media solutions that drive real business results.


• Intimate knowledge of paid search campaign types, strategies and tactical executions of Search, Performance Max, Discovery, YouTube, Display, Local, Shopping, and App across Google, Bing and Apple.


• Working knowledge around tracking solutions like Floodlights, pixels, Google Conversions, UET goals, Enhanced Conversions and offline conversions tracking (Enhanced Conversions for Leads).


• Skilled in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Keynote and the Google Suite.


• Intimate knowledge of website analytics programs (Google Analytics, Adobe, etc.)


• Bachelor's Degree in Advertising/Marketing, Business, PR/Communications or related field.

Why You'll Want To Work At Tombras

• Family - It comes first, on every list. Tombras has been family-run since day 1, we strive to facilitate a family-oriented environment rooted in supporting one another.


• Dog-friendly offices


• Flexible PTO


• Generous parental leave for primary and non-primary caregivers


• Medical (PPO or High Deductible option) for employee + dependents


• 401(k) Participation


• Employer-paid Dental & Vision


• A company culture of promotions from within and an atmosphere allowing for varied and rapid career development.

Want more reasons to work at Tombras? Check out the latest Tombras News and Our Values.

Tombras is proud to be an equal opportunity employer dedicated to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce.

Tombras is an E-Verify employer and participates in the E-Verify program.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice. Job may require traveling overnight, driving long distances as required and sitting for extended periods of time with occasional walking and standing and occasionally lifting or carrying articles weighing less than 10 pounds.