SEM Associate Director, Paid Search Activation

Citigroup; New York (NY); On-site; USD 164,000 - 245,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision coverage

401(k)

Life, accident, and disability ins.

Wellness programs

Paid time off (vacation, sick leave, &

Paid holidays

Job summary

Citi is seeking a Senior Manager, Paid Search Operations to own end-to-end SEM execution for the U.S. Consumer Cards Paid Media team, driving AI-powered automation and compliant, high-performing campaigns at scale.

You will lead a large SEM team responsible for trafficking, QA, budgeting, and performance reporting, and partner with Google, Microsoft, and SA360 to shape Citi's search capabilities while delivering measurable ROAS and efficiency.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on SEM execution in large-scale programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end paid search campaigns across multiple lines of business.
• Develop and manage a large SEM execution team, including trafficking, QA, budgeting, and reporting.
• Operationalize AI-driven search capabilities and establish governance for risk.
• Enforce QA controls, SLAs, and procedures to speed time-to-market.
• Oversee campaign financial operations including orders, credit lines, pacing, and billing.

Skills

SEM Execution

Leadership

Budget Management

Automation & AI

Analytics & KPIs

Stakeholder Communication

Tools

Google Ads

Microsoft Ads

SA360

GA/Analytics

Job description

Citi is hiring a Senior Manager, Paid Search Operations to own and lead the full execution of paid search campaigns within the U.S. Consumer Cards Paid Media team — one of the most visible and high-impact digital marketing functions at one of the largest card issuers in the United States. This role carries end-to-end accountability for Search Engine Marketing (SEM) execution, automation strategy, and team leadership across a large-scale, multi-line-of-business acquisition program. You will play a defining role in shaping how Citi competes in AI-powered and automated search environments, while delivering compliant, high-performing campaigns at scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end hands-on execution of all paid search campaigns across multiple lines of business, from initial build through full campaign flight, ensuring flawless delivery at scale.
• Manage and develop a large SEM execution team accountable for campaign trafficking, quality assurance, budget pacing, and performance reporting.
• Coordinate the operationalization of AI-driven and automated search capabilities — including automated bidding, targeting, and budget optimization — and establish governance frameworks to manage the associated risks.
• Establish and enforce quality assurance controls, campaign launch SLAs, and end-to-end operating procedures to eliminate operational risk and accelerate speed to market.
• Oversee campaign financial operations including insertion orders, credit line management, pacing controls, and billing reconciliation across all active campaigns.
• Maintain senior-level partnerships with Google, Microsoft, and SA360, influencing platform roadmaps and ensuring Citi benefits from emerging search capabilities.
• Define and track operational KPIs — including launch accuracy, error rate reduction, and speed-to-market — holding the team accountable for continuous performance improvement.
• Partner with Data Science, Analytics, and AdTech teams to scale attribution models, tracking solutions, and real-time performance monitoring frameworks.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• 10 or more years of hands-on SEM execution experience, with significant leadership responsibility for large-scale paid search programs in complex or regulated environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead execution teams managing large SEM budgets, with a measurable record of improving ROAS, CPA, and conversion efficiency.
• Deep working knowledge of Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and SA360, including advanced command of automated bidding strategies such as tCPA, tROAS, multi-target portfolio strategies, and shared budgets.
• Expertise in digital analytics, attribution modeling, A/B testing, and performance measurement frameworks applied directly to paid search programs.
• Track record of leading operational transformation and automation within highly regulated industries, with a clear understanding of compliance, data privacy, and advertising standards requirements.
• Ability to communicate SEM strategy, execution risks, and operational priorities clearly to senior stakeholders across Marketing, Technology, Legal, Finance, and Risk.
• Highly organized and execution-focused, with the capacity to manage multiple complex campaign programs simultaneously without loss of quality or control.

Beneficial Skills & Qualifications

• Experience working within financial services or another similarly regulated industry, with familiarity in navigating legal and compliance review processes for digital advertising.

This job description provides a high-level review of the types of work performed. Other job-related duties may be assigned as required.

Job Family Group

Marketing

Job Family

Advertising, Branding and Media

Time Type

Full time

Primary Location

New York New York United States

Primary Location Full Time Salary Range

$163,600.00 – $245,400.00

Citi offers competitive employee benefits, including:

• medical, dental & vision coverage
• 401(k)
• life, accident, and disability insurance
• and wellness programs.
• Citi also offers paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays.

Most Relevant Skills

Please see the requirements listed above.

Other Relevant Skills

For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.

Anticipated Posting Close Date

Oct 02, 2026

Automated Processing and AI

We use automated processing, including artificial intelligence, for our legitimate business interests (or our reasonable and appropriate business purposes) to identify and align the candidate’s skills and abilities with a specific job opening. Additionally, if you so choose, or consent, we can match your skills and abilities to other suitable roles at Citi.

Importantly, all our hiring processes and decisions, including determining your suitability for a role, are conducted, checked, and decided by individuals. Our automated processing and AI do not involve relying on automatic or autonomous decision-making. Please refer to any Jurisdictional Considerations, with specific provisions for your country (where relevant) for further details.

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