Manager - Growth & Performance Marketing

Ascend Wellness Holdings (CSE: AAWH.U / OTCQX:AAWH); Rochelle Park (NJ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Ascend Wellness Holdings is seeking a Manager of Growth & Performance Marketing to own media strategy across SEM, SEO, and programmatic channels, driving ROI and scale. The role combines media leadership with analytics, turning complex performance data into actionable business guidance and working with agencies to optimize campaigns across markets.

You will partner with Brand, Ecommerce, Loyalty, and Insights teams, manage budgets and KPIs such as CAC and ROAS, and stay ahead of platform changes

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Analytics or related discipline.
• 4+ years of performance marketing or digital media experience with deep SEM/programmatic expertise and strong SEO knowledge.
• Experience managing meaningful media budgets and agency partners with a track record of improving KPIs (CAC/ROAS).
• Strong understanding of media best practices, optimization levers, audience strategy, bidding, attribution, and tracking.
• Analytical skills with large datasets; familiarity with analytics tools (BDSA, Hoodie Analytics) is a plus.
• Knowledge of Google Ads, Google Analytics, Search Console; advanced Excel skills.

Responsibilities

• Own media strategy and optimization across SEM, SEO, programmatic and other paid digital channels, focused on maximizing business impact and ROI.
• Manage budgets, pacing, audience strategy, channel mix and performance against acquisition, traffic, conversion, CAC, ROAS and other commercial KPIs.
• Lead agency and vendor management, challenging recommendations and ensuring partners apply best practices across planning, activation, optimization, measurement and reporting.
• Serve as the internal subject‑matter expert on paid/organic search, programmatic media, platform capabilities and optimization, translating technical complexity into clear actions.
• Translate promotions, launches and market priorities into media strategies, briefs, audience plans and activation requirements for agency execution.
• Build and interpret reporting that connects media activity to business outcomes; identify trends, anomalies, risks and opportunities and translate them into action.
• Partner with analytics and growth teams on forecasting, customer acquisition and broader growth initiatives.
• Drive disciplined testing across audiences, creative, channels and offers, with clear hypotheses and actionable recommendations.
• Work cross‑functionally with Brand, Retail & Trade, eCommerce, Loyalty/CRM, Creative and Insights to connect media strategy to commercial priorities.
• Maintain a high bar for media QA, tracking, attribution, landing‑page experience and reporting; proactively resolve issues with agencies and partners.
• Stay current on platform changes, search trends, privacy/measurement developments and cannabis advertising restrictions; use AI tools to improve analysis and workflow efficiency.

Skills

Performance marketing

SEO

Programmatic

Budgets

Agency management

Analytics

Google Ads

Google Analytics

Search Console

Excel

Data to insights

BDSA

Hoodie Analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing/Business/Analytics

Tools

DSP platforms

Job description

JOB SUMMARY

The Manager of Growth & Performance Marketing role brings a media and data analytics expert responsible for maximizing Ascend's digital media investment across SEM, SEO, programmatic and other performance channels. The role leads media strategy, agency management, optimization and measurement, bringing the technical depth to challenge partners, navigate platform complexity and continuously improve performance. The role also flexes into analytics, reporting and broader growth initiatives. The ideal candidate combines deep media expertise, strong analytical instincts and the ability to turn complex performance data into clear business action.

Primary Responsibilities

• Own media strategy and optimization across SEM, SEO, programmatic and other paid digital channels, focused on maximizing business impact and ROI.
• Manage budgets, pacing, audience strategy, channel mix and performance against acquisition, traffic, conversion, CAC, ROAS and other commercial KPIs.
• Lead agency and vendor management, challenging recommendations and ensuring partners apply best practices across planning, activation, optimization, measurement and reporting.
• Serve as the internal subject‑matter expert on paid/organic search, programmatic media, platform capabilities and optimization, translating technical complexity into clear actions.
• Translate promotions, launches and market priorities into media strategies, briefs, audience plans and activation requirements for agency execution.
• Build and interpret reporting that connects media activity to business outcomes; identify trends, anomalies, risks and opportunities and translate them into action.
• Partner with the Sr. Manager, Performance Marketing on analytics, market intelligence, forecasting, customer acquisition and broader growth initiatives as needed.
• Drive disciplined testing across audiences, creative, channels and offers, with clear hypotheses, sound readouts and actionable recommendations.
• Work cross‑functionally with Brand, Retail & Trade, eCommerce, Loyalty/CRM, Creative and Insights to connect media strategy to commercial priorities.
• Maintain a high bar for media QA, tracking, attribution, landing‑page experience and reporting; proactively resolve issues with agencies and partners.
• Stay current on platform changes, search trends, privacy/measurement developments and cannabis advertising restrictions; use AI tools to improve analysis and workflow efficiency.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, ideally in Marketing, Business, Analytics or a related discipline.
• 4+ years of performance marketing or digital media experience, with deep expertise in SEM and programmatic and strong working knowledge of SEO; cannabis media experience is a strong asset.
• Demonstrated experience managing meaningful media budgets and agency partners, with a track record of improving acquisition, conversion, CAC, ROAS and other KPIs.
• Deep understanding of media best practices, optimization levers, audience strategy, bidding, attribution, tracking and platform mechanics; able to confidently challenge agencies and technical partners.
• Strong analytical skills and comfort working with large or imperfect datasets to diagnose performance, identify opportunities and support decisions; experience with BDSA and Hoodie Analytics is a significant plus.
• Strong working knowledge of Google Ads, Google Analytics, Search Console and programmatic/DSP platforms; advanced Excel skills required.
• Ability to translate complex media and performance data into clear business insights and recommendations, with curiosity to stretch into market intelligence, forecasting and broader growth work.
• Strong agency/vendor management skills, organization, QA discipline, urgency and follow‑through across multiple markets and campaigns.

Physical Requirements

Continuously: Hearing; visual acuity
Frequently: Sitting; standing; walking; talking; repetitive use of hands/arms
Occasionally: Bending over; reaching overhead; pushing or pulling; grasping; subject to noise; lifting and carrying up to 25 lbs.
Not Applicable: Crawling; climbing; crouching; kneeling; balancing; repetitive use of legs; eye/hand coordination; fine manipulation; lifting or carrying over 25 lbs.

EEO STATEMENT

Ascend Wellness Holdings, LLC and its subsidiaries is an equal opportunity employer and celebrate the population of differences and does not discriminate in its hiring / hiring practices, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Nothing in this job specification restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Critical features of this job are described under various headings above. They may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons. The above statements are strictly intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as a complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees in this position. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.