Manager, Paid Social

Starcom; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Paid time off including holidays and휴가

Work Your World program

Job summary

Starcom is seeking a Manager, Paid Social in Chicago to lead day-to-day paid social campaigns, develop strategies, and mentor a team of Analysts. You will work with cross-functional teams to turn marketing goals into performance-driven social activations and deliver actionable insights.

The role blends strategic leadership with hands-on execution, requiring deep paid social expertise and strong collaboration across the agency to exceed client objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred in marketing, advertising, business, engineering, statistics, economics, sociology, or a related field.
• 3+ years of directly relevant paid media experience, with emphasis on paid social campaign development, execution, and optimization.
• 1+ years hands-on experience managing and optimizing campaigns across Facebook and Instagram, with TikTok experience required; API-based and self-serve tools experience preferred.
• Solid understanding of traditional and digital media planning principles, including audience targeting, budgeting, pacing, and measurement.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret performance data and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
• Demonstrated organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills in a fast-paced environment.
• Prior people management or leadership experience preferred, including coaching and mentoring.

Responsibilities

• Direct and manage the day-to-day workflow of paid social campaigns, including proposal development, activation, maintenance, and post-buy recaps.
• Partner with Investment, Strategy, and Activation teams to respond to briefs, develop campaign plans, and deliver new solutions.
• Train, mentor, and develop Analysts and Senior Analysts, providing guidance on executional excellence and optimization approaches.
• Compile and synthesize data across multiple social platforms to deliver weekly and monthly performance reporting with insights and recommendations.
• Lead knowledge-sharing sessions and contribute new approaches and optimization strategies.
• Create and deliver presentations for clients and internal stakeholders articulating strategy and results.

Skills

Paid social campaign management

Facebook/Instagram/TikTok ads

Analytical skills

Project leadership

Excel proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred in marketing/advertising/business/related field

Tools

API-based tools

Self-serve advertising platforms

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.

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

The Manager, Paid Social serves as the day‑to‑day steward of paid social campaign development, activation, and innovation. This role works closely with media strategy and client teams to translate high‑level marketing goals and media objectives into impactful, performance‑driven paid media campaigns across social platforms. The Manager is responsible for the daily leadership and development of a team of Analysts and Senior Analysts, balancing project management to ensure timely, high‑quality delivery with ongoing coaching, mentorship, and career development. This position is both strategic and hands‑on in scope, requiring deep paid social expertise and the ability to translate data into actionable insights and recommendations. The Manager partners closely with the Associate Media Director and Director to strengthen paid social thought leadership within the team and to help develop innovative strategies that consistently meet and exceed client business objectives.

Responsibilities

• Direct and manage the day‑to‑day workflow of paid social campaigns, including proposal development, campaign activation and ongoing maintenance, and post‑buy recaps
• Partner cross‑functionally with Investment, Strategy, and Activation teams to respond to client briefs, develop strategic campaign plans, communicate service offerings, and collaboratively identify and deliver new solutions
• Train, mentor, and develop Analysts and Senior Analysts, providing guidance on executional excellence, optimization approaches, and career growth
• Compile and synthesize data across multiple social platforms, collaborating with the Analytics team to deliver weekly and monthly performance reporting, inclusive of insights, optimization recommendations, and future strategy considerations
• Uphold established account management standards while continuously enhancing campaign best practices and operational rigor
• Monitor emerging trends across social platforms, ad formats, and technologies, translating new developments into performance opportunities and client‑ready recommendations
• Champion strong communication and collaboration within the paid social team and across the broader agency
• Actively participate in and lead knowledge‑sharing sessions, contributing learnings, new approaches, and optimization strategies
• Develop and execute action plans for achieving and measuring social media success, including defining KPIs, measurement frameworks, and optimization roadmaps
• Advocate for the value of paid social by educating clients, partners, and internal teams on evolving capabilities, platform innovation, and best practices
• Provide oversight and direction to a dedicated team of social media buyers, ensuring quality, consistency, and performance across all activations
• Lead regular performance reviews and check‑ins, tracking results against KPIs and identifying opportunities for improvement
• Guide optimization efforts through strategic refinements, testing initiatives, and the adoption of new platform features and capabilities
• Create and deliver clear, compelling presentations for clients and internal stakeholders that articulate campaign strategy, performance results, and next‑step recommendations
• Develop informed points of view on emerging technologies, trends, and opportunities within the social media landscape to support innovation and thought leadership

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred, ideally in marketing, advertising, business, engineering, statistics, economics, sociology, or a related field
• 3+ years of directly relevant paid media experience, with a strong emphasis on paid social campaign development, execution, and optimization
• 1+ years of hands‑on experience managing and optimizing campaigns across Facebook and Instagram, with experience in TikTok required; experience leveraging API‑based and/or self‑serve tools strongly preferred
• Solid understanding of traditional and digital media planning principles, including audience targeting, budgeting, pacing, and measurement
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret performance data and translate insights into actionable recommendations
• Demonstrated organizational, problem‑solving, and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams in a fast‑paced environment
• Prior people management or leadership experience preferred, including coaching, mentoring, or project oversight
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, with intermediate to advanced Excel skills (e.g., formulas, pivot tables, data manipulation)
• Resourceful, curious, and self‑motivated, with the ability to work independently while also thriving in a highly collaborative team environment

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.

Benefits

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].

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