Director, Paid Search and Social

Publicis Groupe; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 121,000 - 174,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid family care

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Flexible working arrangements

Work Your World program

Job summary

Starcom is seeking a Director, Paid Social and Search to lead performance media strategies across client programs. You will own end-to-end strategy, drive business impact, and mentor teams while shaping innovation and best practices in a fast‑moving environment.

You will guide cross‑functional teams, foster collaboration, and deliver integrated search and social solutions that meet strategic objectives and client needs.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in performance marketing, paid search, or digital media with increasing responsibility.
• 4+ years of people management experience leading managers and senior practitioners.
• Proven experience driving results across brand and performance objectives using paid search and paid social.
• Deep understanding of paid search and social platforms, optimization methodologies, and measurement frameworks.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights.
• Executive‑level presence with comfort presenting to and influencing senior client stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through complexity while balancing strategic vision and operational detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced Excel skills.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate, and develop high‑performing paid search and paid social teams, ensuring campaigns meet or exceed performance, financial, and quality goals.
• Own paid search and paid social strategy across platforms, aligning activation and optimization to broader brand and business objectives.
• Serve as a trusted senior advisor to clients and internal stakeholders, fostering strong, long‑term relationships.
• Define success frameworks, including KPIs, measurement approaches, testing methodologies, and optimization strategies across search and social.
• Guide teams in applying advanced optimization techniques, platform automation, and AI‑enabled tools with sound strategic judgment.
• Champion the value of performance media by educating clients and internal teams on platform innovation, emerging capabilities, and industry best practices.
• Deliver clear, compelling presentations that communicate strategy, insights, performance results, and forward‑looking opportunities.
• Own financial management for assigned accounts, including forecasting, staffing plans, and overall account health.
• Partner closely with cross‑channel leaders (analytics, programmatic, paid social, search, and broader media teams) to deliver integrated solutions.
• Establish and reinforce best practices, quality assurance standards, and scalable processes across search and social operations.
• Develop a deep understanding of clients’ businesses, categories, and objectives to proactively shape strategic recommendations.
• Drive thought leadership on emerging trends, technologies, and responsible AI usage to enhance performance, insights, and operational efficiency.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, curiosity, creativity, and continuous learning across teams.
• Coach, mentor, and develop talent through training, feedback, and performance management

Skills

Performance marketing

Paid search

Paid social

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Client management

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

Excel

Job description

Company description

Starcom is the world's first standalone media agency, a storied innovator that continues to lead the way for many of the world's best brands.

Starcom has long been the professional birthplace and proving ground for marketing leaders – CEOs, CMOs, sales leaders, and technology pioneers – and we continue to drive the industry with peerless talent and relentless innovation.

From the start, we've known that achieving growth for our clients requires understanding and connecting with real people where they live and work, in ways they value.

In an AI era, we remain ""Guided By Humanity,"" a phrase that describes our foundational belief that human expertise must remain in the driver's seat, supported by the best processes and technology.

With our proprietary capabilities and Publicis Media's industry‑leading resources and clout, we create ideas that move people and drive transformative business outcomes for brands.

Overview

Director, Paid Social and Search is a performance media leader responsible for setting the strategic vision and driving business impact across clients’ paid search and paid social programs. This role owns end‑to‑end strategy, performance, and financial stewardship across search and social, while serving as a client advisor and people leader.

You will guide teams through an evolving performance media landscape—shaping innovation, championing best practices, and ensuring search and social are fully integrated into holistic media strategies. This role balances strategic leadership, operational excellence, talent development, and accountability for business results.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate, and develop high‑performing paid search and paid social teams, ensuring campaigns meet or exceed performance, financial, and quality goals
• Own paid search and paid social strategy across platforms, aligning activation and optimization to broader brand and business objectives
• Serve as a trusted senior advisor to clients and internal stakeholders, fostering strong, long‑term relationships
• Define success frameworks, including KPIs, measurement approaches, testing methodologies, and optimization strategies across search and social
• Guide teams in applying advanced optimization techniques, platform automation, and AI‑enabled tools with sound strategic judgment
• Champion the value of performance media by educating clients and internal teams on platform innovation, emerging capabilities, and industry best practices
• Deliver clear, compelling presentations that communicate strategy, insights, performance results, and forward‑looking opportunities
• Own financial management for assigned accounts, including forecasting, staffing plans, and overall account health
• Partner closely with cross‑channel leaders (analytics, programmatic, paid social, search, and broader media teams) to deliver integrated solutions
• Establish and reinforce best practices, quality assurance standards, and scalable processes across search and social operations
• Develop a deep understanding of clients’ businesses, categories, and objectives to proactively shape strategic recommendations
• Drive thought leadership on emerging trends, technologies, and responsible AI usage to enhance performance, insights, and operational efficiency
• Foster a culture of collaboration, curiosity, creativity, and continuous learning across teams
• Coach, mentor, and develop talent through training, feedback, and performance management

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in performance marketing, paid search, paid social, or digital media with increasing responsibility
• 4+ years of people management experience, including leading managers and senior practitioners
• Proven experience driving results across brand and performance objectives using paid search and paid social
• Deep understanding of paid search and social platforms, optimization methodologies, and measurement frameworks
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights
• Executive‑level presence with comfort presenting to and influencing senior client stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to lead through complexity while balancing strategic vision and operational detail
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced Excel skills (e.g., formulas, pivot tables, data analysis)
• Bachelor’s degree preferred

Additional information

Starcom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employment decisions are made without regard to actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law, genetic information, marital status, military service and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.

The Power of One starts with our people! To do powerful things, we offer powerful resources. Our best‑in‑class wellness and benefits offerings include:

• Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or more
• Monetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and Fertility
• Monetary assistance and support for pet adoption
• Employee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balance
• Tuition Assistance
• Paid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and more
• Matching Gifts programs
• Flexible working arrangements
• 'Work Your World’ Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility)
• Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliances

The benefits offerings listed are available to U.S. based employees, are reviewed on an annual basis, and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [e-mail].

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation Range: USD $121,315.00 - USD $174,300.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third‑party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 9/13/2026.