Director, Paid Social Activation

Kepler; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare/Dental/Vision

Unlimited PTO

401k Contributions

$75/mo Wellness Stipend

$100/mo Mobile Phone Stipend

$50/mo Internet Stipend

$500/yr Annual Learning Stipend

$2,000/yr Annual Tuition Stipend

One-time $200 New Hire Home Office Equipment Stipend

Parental Leave - 16 weeks primary caregiver / 6 weeks secondary caregiver

Annual Work From Anywhere - 4 weeks per year

Job summary

Kepler in New York is searching for a Director of Paid Social Activation to lead innovative social media strategies and foster key client relationships. In this role, you will guide a high-performing team, providing expertise in paid social media planning and activation while using insights to drive business objectives.

You will need 7+ years of experience in social marketing, strong communication abilities, and a passion for identifying trends to navigate the evolving landscape of paid social media.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in social marketing with a proven track record.
• Hands-on expertise across major social media platforms.
• Ability to develop innovative, results-driven strategies.
• Strong business acumen to translate metrics into outcomes.
• Exceptional communication skills for internal and external audiences.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the thought leader on paid social planning and activation.
• Develop and execute a vision for Paid Social Media Activation.
• Anticipate social and media trends for Kepler's advantage.
• Act as a strategic partner for key clients in social media.
• Drive new business through effective communication of social propositions.

Skills

Social media strategy development

Leadership in paid social

Communication and presentation skills

Trend analysis

Job description

About Kepler

Kepler is the agency for today’s most ambitious brands -- a leading omnichannel, full-funnel, full-service agency, powered by the proprietary Kip platform, specializing in media, creative, data, and technology. We are at the forefront of marketing innovation, helping our clients navigate the ever‑evolving landscape of consumer behavior, culture, and AI. Kepler is seeking a visionary leader to explore and push the boundaries of what great looks like in Paid Social Media.

The Role

We are looking for a dynamic and deeply passionate, entrepreneurial leader to serve as Kepler’s Director of Paid Social Activation within the Media Center of Excellence. The role will collaborate with the Head of Social, Entertainment, and Culture (SEC), and is ultimately responsible for building effective systems—both human and technology‑powered—in paid social media that catalyze cultural moments and real business results for many of today’s industry‑leading brands. The ideal candidate lives and breathes for architecting the very best paid social campaigns and challenging status quo through innovative solutions including advanced testing frameworks, AI/feature adoption, and more, across all partners. You are an established forward‑thinking thought leader, capable of developing a long‑term vision for our social media capabilities (5+ years out), with consideration for the impact of AI on marketing, and articulating that vision to both clients, prospects, and internal stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the agency’s primary thought leader on paid social planning, activation, optimization and measurement—representing Kepler with clients, partners, press, and business development opportunities.
• Develop and execute a forward‑thinking vision for Kepler’s Paid Social Media Activation practice, including often collaborating with Kepler Influence capabilities.
• Anticipate social, cultural, and media trends, connecting the dots with evolving social platform and media capabilities to keep Kepler and our clients ahead of the trends.
• Assist teams (and BD) in audits and recommendations related to paid social.
• Collaborate with Kepler’s Head of Social, Entertainment, and Culture to weave content‑heavy social topics of entertainment like fashion, sports, food, music, movies/shows, and beauty into Kepler’s paid social capabilities and solutions for clients.
• Guide and mentor a high‑performing team of paid social media experts, fostering a culture of creativity, innovation, curiosity, and excellence.

Client Growth And Relationship Management

• Act as a senior strategic partner for key clients, providing expert counsel on how to leverage paid social media to achieve their business objectives.
• Drive new business growth by effectively communicating Kepler’s paid social proposition to prospective clients.
• Develop and nurture strong relationships with social platform partners (Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snap, YouTube/Shorts, etc.) to unlock unique opportunities for our clients.

Capability Development And Innovation

• Identify and integrate emerging technologies, tools, and methodologies into Kepler process and tools (e.g., Kip) to enhance our social offerings.
• Collaborate with Kepler Strategy, Activation, Data Strategy, and Creative teams to establish best practices and standardized processes to ensure consistent, high‑quality execution and innovation across all client accounts.
• Collaborate with industry vertical leads and other Media COEs to build bespoke social solutions, e.g., commerce/retail, B2B, finance, travel, etc.
• Champion the integration of social media insights into broader marketing and business strategies.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in social marketing, paid and/or organic, with a proven track record of leadership and success in a dynamic environment. (# of years of experience is less important than other more qualitative qualifications)
• Deep hands‑on‑keyboard expertise across all major social media platforms, with an understanding of their feed algorithms, ad products, optimization and measurement details, creative best practices, and community/cultural nuances.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute innovative, results‑driven social media strategies for a diverse portfolio of clients.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to translate social media metrics into meaningful business outcomes.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to inspire and persuade both internal and external audiences.
• A passion for social with a keen eye for identifying and capitalizing on emerging trends.

What We Look For

• A Forward‑Thinking Visionary & Thought Leader: A strategic leader who can anticipate cultural and media trends, integrate emerging AI technologies, and serve as the agency’s primary voice on advanced social media activation and measurement to both clients and prospects.
• An Expert Architect of Paid Social: An entrepreneurial expert with deep knowledge of major social platforms (Meta, TikTok, etc.), their algorithms, and ad products, who can collaborate cross‑functionally to build bespoke, results‑driven campaigns and testing frameworks.
• A Collaborative Team & Relationship Builder: A Director‑level leader who will mentor a high‑performing team, foster strong relationships with major platform partners, and work closely with internal teams—especially the Social, Entertainment, and Culture lead—to merge content trends with paid execution.

Total Compensation

• Base Salary: $140,000 - $160,000
• Target Annualized Discretionary Bonus: 10% ($14,000 - $16,000)
• Target Total Cash: $154,000- $176,000

Benefits

• Healthcare/Dental/Vision
• Unlimited PTO
• 401k Contributions
• $75/mo Wellness Stipend
• $100/mo Mobile Phone Stipend
• $50/mo Internet Stipend
• $500/yr Annual Learning Stipend
• $2,000/yr Annual Tuition Stipend
• One‑time $200 New Hire Home Office Equipment Stipend
• Parental Leave - 16 week primary caregiver / 6 week secondary caregiver leave
• Annual Work From Anywhere 4 weeks per year

Kepler is a people first organization. If this role piques your interest but you may not check every box, we still encourage you to apply! Studies show that imposter syndrome can prevent women and people of color from applying unless they meet every single qualification. We welcome all who are interested to apply, you just might be a great candidate for this role or others.