Manager, Search Marketing

Publicis Group; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); On-site; USD 75,000 - 108,000; Full time

Job summary

Publicis Groupe in Chicago seeks a Manager of Search Marketing to lead a team of analysts within the Digitas SEM capability and drive strategic SEM initiatives.

You will oversee performance metrics, reporting, and client relationships while shaping bid strategies and best practices to deliver precise campaigns aligned with client goals.

Qualifications

• A four-year degree and 5 to 7 years of digital media experience, 4+ years of SEM experience.
• Strong familiarity with the digital environment and media planning/buying processes.
• Proven data interpretation and analytical skills with KPI focus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary contact for day-to-day clients.
• Lead development of program strategies and analyses for clients.

Skills

SEM

Digital media

Team leadership

Analytics

MS Office

Education

Four-year degree

Tools

DoubleClick Search

DMP

Site Analytics

Tag Management

Job description

Company description

Present in over 100 countries and employing nearly 80,000 professionals, Publicis Groupe is the third largest communications group in the world. Publicis Groupe is listed on the Euronext Paris [FR0000130577] and is part of the CAC 40 index. Active across the entire value chain, Publicis Groupe offers its major clients a transversal, unified and fluid model allowing them access to all the Groupe’s tools and expertise around the world through the mantra "The Power of One."

Overview

As Manager of Search Marketing, you’ll manage the strategic components of an integrated SEM campaign. You will lead a team of analysts within the Digitas SEM capability team to establish performance metrics, report results and foster client and vendor relationships.

Responsibilities

• Serving as primary contact for day-to-day clients
• Spearheading the development of program strategies and analyses for clients (e.g., target audience recommendation, geographic targeting, timing/scheduling strategy)
• Overseeing day-to-day internal team’s work on bid strategy optimization and testing
• Establishing and driving paid search best practices for team to assimilate across tactics and activations
• Maintaining a level of quality assurance and holding the team accountable for delivering campaigns and executions with precision
• Writing and delivering media strategies, and overseeing the translation of these strategies into final media recommendations
• Ensuring that media deliverables meet and align with client goals and objectives
• Prioritizing teamwork, delegating responsibilities, and implementing a task management system that is universally accepted and applied
• Developing team for advancement through positive mentoring, providing critical feedback, and exuding a genuine interest in professional success of others
• Ensuring that analysts are effectively developing and optimizing campaigns for added value
• Overseeing performance forecasting, budgeting process and allocation with client and internal stakeholders
• Providing creative solutions to client challenges
• Fostering relationship with internal teams (Media, S&A and other capabilities) and external teams while managing multiple client stakeholders
• Understanding big picture implications and how insights can be applied in other programs and environments
• Active knowledge sharing with capability and broader agency

Qualifications

• A four-year degree and 5 to 7 years of digital media experience, 4+ years of SEM experience
• Prior experience managing direct report(s) preferred
• Strong familiarity with the digital environment and a clear understanding of media planning and buying process (multi-channel knowledge and DoubleClick search expertise preferred)
• Strong understanding of media research tools – you know their strengths/weaknesses, and when and how to effectively use them
• Keen attention to detail and an analytical approach to achieving objective
• Solid quantitative and research skills, and proven data interpretation capability
• Fluency with Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel). Experience working with Tag Management Solutions, DMP, MTA and Site Analytics tools preferred
• Excellent client presence and ability to lead discussions with internal and external leadership
• Strong ability to understand client objectives and how they translate into search and media strategies
• Stellar communication and presentation skills – you’re poised, articulate and convincing
• Willingness to travel as needed – you’re open to new places, new faces and new ideas
• Familiarity with prompt-based interaction and commonly used generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Google Gemini, DALL·E, Midjourney) is a plus, especially for tasks like ideation, research, or content generation.

Additional information

Our Publicis Groupe motto “Viva La Différence” means we’re better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

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 $75,050.00 - USD $107,835.00/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 10/1/2026.