Senior Director, Search & Video

Learning Care; Novi (MI); On-site; USD 9,100,000 - 9,783,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition reimbursement

Childcare discount

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Learning Care is seeking a Senior Director - Paid Media to own paid search, Performance Max, Local Service Ads, and YouTube strategy for our largest acquisition channel. This high-visibility role reports to the VP, Performance Marketing & Enrollment and focuses on driving ROI with hands-on expertise and executive communication.

You will manage agency relationships, partner with content and SEO teams, and guide best practices across paid channels while maintaining a senior IC stance with no

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, or related field.
• 10–12+ years of paid search/SEM and video advertising experience.
• Proven experience managing large-scale paid media budgets and ROI accountability.

Responsibilities

• Own paid search, Performance Max, Local Service Ads, and YouTube/OLV strategy and investment.
• Set and drive the testing and innovation agenda for these channels, incl. AI Max.
• Own senior agency relationships for paid search and video, including scope and performance.
• Audit campaign structure, tracking, and keyword/query strategy across Google Ads, LSAs, MS Ads, and YouTube.
• Present channel performance and investment recommendations to VP and executives.
• Collaborate with Content Strategy on ad messaging and with SEO on paid/organic overlap.

Skills

Paid search

SEM

Video advertising

Budget management

Agency relationships

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Marketing/Communications

Tools

Google Ads

Microsoft Ads

YouTube

Job description

Join a strong community where all we do is care-for the children and families we serve every day, as well as for our dedicated team members. Our people are our best asset. We listen and we know what you're looking for:

• You want benefits. We support you with a minimum 50% childcare discount, immediate access to benefits, innovative health programs, 401(k) company match, and much more.
• You want balance. We offer flexible schedules that work for you, no nights or weekends, the ability to bring your children to work with you, and paid time off.
• You want opportunity. We invest in your future with ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, credential assistance, and our unique Master Teacher Program.
• You want recognition. We provide a positive, fun workplace where employees are appreciated.

The Sr. Director, Paid Media owns paid search, Performance Max, Local Service Ads, and YouTube/OLV strategy and investment for the organization's largest acquisition spend category, serving as the senior, hands-on-keyboard authority on these channels and the primary internal voice on their performance to the VP and, when needed, executive leadership. This is a senior individual-contributor role: it carries Director-level strategic weight, budget accountability, and executive visibility without formal supervisory responsibility, reflecting both the scale of investment in this channel and the frequency of direct executive engagement with it.

Essential Functions:

• Own paid search, Performance Max, Local Service Ads, and YouTube/OLV strategy and investment allocation for the organization's single largest acquisition spend category
• Set and drive the testing and innovation agenda for these channels, including emerging platform capabilities (e.g., AI Max, evolving Performance Max features), ahead of broader organizational adoption
• Own the senior, executive-level relationship with agency for paid search and video specifically, including scope, performance accountability, and escalation
• Serve as the hands-on-keyboard practitioner in Google Ads, LSAs, Microsoft Ads, and YouTube, personally auditing campaign structure, conversion tracking, and keyword/query strategy
• Serve as the primary internal voice on search/video performance to the VP and, when required, the CDO and other executive leadership, given their frequent direct engagement with this channel
• Partner with Content Strategy on ad and video messaging, and with SEO Strategy on paid/organic query overlap
• Informally guide platform best practices for other paid-channel owners across the team, without formal supervisory authority
• Report investment recommendations and channel performance directly to the VP, Performance Marketing & Enrollment

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• This position does not have direct reports. It is a senior individual-contributor / expert-track role, reflecting deep platform expertise and executive visibility rather than people management.
• This role owns the day-to-day agency and vendor relationships for paid search and video, specifically

Minimum Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Communications, or related field
• 10-12+ years of experience in paid search/SEM and video advertising, with deep, hands-on platform expertise
• Proven experience owning large-scale paid media budgets and being held accountable for ROI at an executive level
• Proven experience managing senior agency relationships, including scope and performance negotiation
• Comfortable operating as a senior individual contributor without formal supervisory authority

Other Skills and Abilities Qualifications:

• Deep, expert-level fluency in Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and YouTube, including emerging platform capabilities
• Strong executive presence and ability to communicate channel performance directly to senior leadership
• Strong analytical mindset with ability to translate platform-level detail into executive-level insight
• Ability to informally influence and guide other channel owners without direct authority
• Comfortable holding a senior title without a direct-report team — genuinely an individual-contributor/expert-track seat, not a people-management role
• Highly organized and adaptable in a fast-paced, performance-driven environment

Compensation and Benefits:

• Compensation based on position, education and experience. Bi-weekly paid.
• Base salary range: $200-215k
• This position is eligible for our Support Central bonus program which is based on annual achievement of company performance.

Health and Wellness Benefits:

• Employees are eligible for a variety of health and welfare benefits based on their Full-time or Part-time status on their date of hire, which include medical, dental, vision, healthcare & dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs), life insurance, disability, accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, pre-paid legal, pet insurance and identity theft protection.
• Employees are eligible to participate in our 401(k) retirement plan after 30 days of employment. Participating employees are also eligible to receive a company provided match on their elective deferrals once they reach 1 year of employment with the company.

Employee perks/discounts:

• Education assistance including tuition reimbursement
• Childcare discount available to all employees
• Corporate partner Discounts
• This position is eligible for paid time off. All Corporate employees are enrolled in our Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) plan. This plan allows for flexibility and discretion between employees and managers in taking time off - with no set accrual for vacation or sick time. Employees can use Flexible PTO for any reason and is compliant with the Colorado Healthy Families Work Act.
• Applications accepted through 10/23/2026.

Learning Care is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against an employee or applicant based on race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law.