Paid Digital Media Director

McDaniels Marketing; Pekin (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401K plus profit-sharing

Vision insurance

Pet insurance

Paid time off

Holiday pay

Group outings and events

Continuing education

Quarterly bonus program and year-end

Job summary

McD Digital, headquartered in Pekin, IL, seeks a Paid Digital Media Director to lead client paid media strategy across Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok and programmatic channels. You will oversee planning, setup, optimization, and reporting, while coaching a 2–3 person team and establishing robust processes and measurement standards.

The role requires strong leadership, expert knowledge of digital trends, and the ability to align paid media with broader client marketing goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts/Science degree in marketing, technology or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in digital marketing and analytics or related discipline.
• Experience in project management tools and techniques.
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal).
• Understanding and experience with web technologies, specifically CMS and SEO.
• Advanced knowledge of digital marketing trends and techniques.
• Expertise in organic social media.
• Ability to manage and motivate a team to achieve success.
• Inherently motivated and organized with a “can-do” attitude and ability to be flexible and creative.

Responsibilities

• Lead paid digital media strategy for client accounts across Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, programmatic platforms, hotel/travel advertising platforms, and emerging digital channels.
• Oversee the planning, setup, execution, optimization, and reporting of PPC and paid media campaigns to ensure client goals, budgets, timelines, and performance expectations are met.
• Manage, coach, and support a team of 2–3 Digital Marketing Specialists, including assigning workloads, reviewing campaign work, providing feedback, supporting training, and helping team members grow in technical and strategic capabilities.
• Establish and maintain paid media processes, quality control standards, naming conventions, tracking requirements, optimization routines, reporting expectations and documentation for the digital media team.
• Serve as the senior paid media strategist for clients, helping define campaign objectives, audience strategies, budget allocations, platform recommendations, media mix, testing plans and performance benchmarks.
• Partner with account managers and internal teams to align paid media strategies with broader client marketing goals, creative messaging, landing pages, SEO, content, analytics and business objectives.
• Review and approve campaign launches, major optimizations, budget shifts, ad copy, targeting structures, reporting narratives and strategic recommendations prepared by Digital Marketing Specialists.
• Monitor account performance across all managed platforms and proactively identify opportunities to improve return on ad spend, cost per lead, conversion rates, traffic quality, occupancy/direct bookings, brand awareness and other client-specific KPIs.
• Lead monthly or quarterly performance analysis for key accounts, translating data into clear insights, recommendations and next steps for both clients and internal teams.
• Maintain advanced knowledge of Google Ads, Google Analytics, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, programmatic advertising, hotel advertising platforms, tagging/tracking tools and new paid media opportunities.
• Research, evaluate and recommend new platforms, technologies, beta opportunities, targeting capabilities, automation tools and digital advertising tactics that may benefit clients.
• Ensure accurate tracking and measurement practices are in place, including conversion tracking, UTM strategy, pixels/tags, attribution considerations, analytics reviews and coordination with web/SEO teams when needed.
• Support business development by contributing to audits, proposals, media plans, budget recommendations, presentations and strategic recommendations for prospective and existing clients.
• Help forecast staffing needs, capacity, profitability, service offerings, pricing considerations and operational improvements for the paid digital media department.
• Maintain strong client service standards by communicating campaign performance, explaining strategy, addressing questions and helping build confidence in the agency’s digital expertise.
• Stay current on platform policy changes, privacy updates, AI-driven campaign tools, industry trends, competitive benchmarks and best practices that affect paid media performance.
• Provide hands‑on campaign support when needed, especially for complex accounts, new platform launches, major troubleshooting, advanced optimization or high‑priority client initiatives.
• Collaborate with leadership on team performance reviews, department goals, digital revenue growth, profitability and service quality.

Education

Bachelor of Arts/Science in marketing, technology or related field

10+ years of digital marketing and analytics experience

Project management tools & techniques

Excellent communication (written & verbal)

Web technologies knowledge (CMS, SEO)

Advanced digital marketing trends & techniques

Expertise in organic social media

Team leadership & motivation

Can-do, organized, flexible and creative mindset

Tools

None

Job description

The Paid Digital Media Director helps our clients achieve results through more effective digital advertising and content marketing strategies. Primary responsibilities include overseeing McD Digital paid media operations from the company headquarters in Pekin, IL, recommending digital strategies for clients, and establishing and managing processes and personnel to execute and measure said programs. This position also involves cross-training and support of website development, maintenance, and SEO to assist other McD team members.

Client Focused

This position is a key leadership role for McD Digital. It is imperative that professional customer service, analytical skills, and advanced knowledge of digital trends are core competencies of the preferred candidate.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead paid digital media strategy for client accounts across Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, programmatic platforms, hotel/travel advertising platforms, and emerging digital channels.
• Oversee the planning, setup, execution, optimization, and reporting of pay-per-click and paid media campaigns to ensure client goals, budgets, timelines, and performance expectations are met.
• Manage, coach, and support a team of 2–3 Digital Marketing Specialists, including assigning workloads, reviewing campaign work, providing feedback, supporting training, and helping team members grow in technical and strategic capabilities.
• Establish and maintain paid media processes, quality control standards, naming conventions, tracking requirements, optimization routines, reporting expectations and documentation for the digital media team.
• Serve as the senior paid media strategist for clients, helping define campaign objectives, audience strategies, budget allocations, platform recommendations, media mix, testing plans and performance benchmarks.
• Partner with account managers and internal teams to align paid media strategies with broader client marketing goals, creative messaging, landing pages, SEO, content, analytics and business objectives.
• Review and approve campaign launches, major optimizations, budget shifts, ad copy, targeting structures, reporting narratives and strategic recommendations prepared by Digital Marketing Specialists.
• Monitor account performance across all managed platforms and proactively identify opportunities to improve return on ad spend, cost per lead, conversion rates, traffic quality, occupancy/direct bookings, brand awareness and other client-specific KPIs.
• Lead monthly or quarterly performance analysis for key accounts, translating data into clear insights, recommendations and next steps for both clients and internal teams.
• Maintain advanced knowledge of Google Ads, Google Analytics, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, programmatic advertising, hotel advertising platforms, tagging/tracking tools and new paid media opportunities.
• Research, evaluate and recommend new platforms, technologies, beta opportunities, targeting capabilities, automation tools and digital advertising tactics that may benefit clients.
• Ensure accurate tracking and measurement practices are in place, including conversion tracking, UTM strategy, pixels/tags, attribution considerations, analytics reviews and coordination with web/SEO teams when needed.
• Support business development by contributing to audits, proposals, media plans, budget recommendations, presentations and strategic recommendations for prospective and existing clients.
• Help forecast staffing needs, capacity, profitability, service offerings, pricing considerations and operational improvements for the paid digital media department.
• Maintain strong client service standards by communicating campaign performance, explaining strategy, addressing questions and helping build confidence in the agency’s digital expertise.
• Stay current on platform policy changes, privacy updates, AI-driven campaign tools, industry trends, competitive benchmarks and best practices that affect paid media performance.
• Provide hands‑on campaign support when needed, especially for complex accounts, new platform launches, major troubleshooting, advanced optimization or high‑priority client initiatives.
• Collaborate with leadership on team performance reviews, department goals, digital revenue growth, profitability and service quality.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Bachelor of Arts/Science degree in marketing, technology or related field
• Minimum 10 years of experience in digital marketing and analytics or related discipline
• Experience in project management tools and techniques
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal)
• Understanding and experience with web technologies, specifically content management systems and SEO
• Advanced knowledge of digital marketing trends and techniques
• Expertise in organic social media
• Ability to manage and motivate a team to achieve success
• Inherently motivated and organized with a “can‑do” attitude and ability to be flexible and creative

The Paid Digital Media Director is expected to review the performance of the digital marketing specialists with support from the COO and President of McD

Compensation

Full‑time position eligible for all Company Benefits (see employee manual for details)

Benefits Quick Overview

• Health insurance (United Healthcare)
• 401K plus profit‑sharing (lump sum distribution) once you qualify; Value: 3% safe harbor; 15‑18% of W2 for profit‑sharing payout
• Blue Cross Vision Insurance Group dental insurance (shared expense)
• Pet insurance at group rates
• 8 days paid time off year one; 15 days year two; 20 days year five
• Holiday pay
• Group outings and events
• Continuing education

Plus: Quarterly bonus program and year‑end performance bonus based on the profitability and growth of the digital division.