Senior Manager, Paid Media

WorldStrides; Charlottesville (VA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) match

HSA contributions

Paid time off

Volunteer day

Mental health days

Tuition reimbursement

Certifications

Travel opportunities

Flexible work options

Employee Resource Groups

EAP and wellness resources

Parental leave

Job summary

WorldStrides is reorganizing its Marketing team to accelerate lead generation and pipeline growth. As Senior Manager of Paid Media, you will own the full paid media strategy across K-12, International, and Performing Arts with campaigns across Search, Social, Display, Programmatic, and YouTube.

You will manage significant media budgets, drive MQL targets, and partner with Marketing Ops to build robust attribution and optimization frameworks.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of hands-on paid media experience with direct budget ownership.
• Expert-level proficiency in Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, and programmatic buying.
• Experience owning MQL or pipeline targets in a B2C or B2B2C environment.
• Strong analytics skills using dashboards, GA4, and performance data.
• Experience managing external media agencies with accountability.
• Experience in K-12 education, travel, or seasonal consumer categories preferred.
• Familiarity with Salesforce or HubSpot attribution and CRM integration preferred.
• Experience using AI tools for creative testing and media optimization preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own the annual paid media strategy across K-12 Domestic, International, and Performing Arts; align channel mix, budget, and audience to MQL and pipeline goals.
• Manage and optimize campaigns across Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, TikTok, and programmatic platforms.
• Build a test-and-learn framework testing audiences, creative formats, bidding strategies, and landing pages.
• Collaborate withCreative and Website teams to ensure landing pages align with paid messaging and convert.
• Own budgeting, weekly spend reporting, CPC, CPL, and MQL contribution by channel and segment.
• Build attribution models with Marketing Ops and manage agency/platform partnerships.

Skills

Paid media

Google Ads

Meta Ads Manager

Programmatic

Analytics (GA4)

CRM attribution

Agency management

AI testing tools

Tools

Salesforce

HubSpot

GA4

Job description

Company Introduction

WorldStrides is the global leader in educational travel and experiential learning. The company was founded in 1967 to provide middle school travel programs to Washington, D.C. and has grown to provide a wide range of programs for more than half a million students annually to over 100 countries around the world. WorldStrides offers experiential learning programs in educational travel, performing arts, language immersion, career exploration, service-learning, study abroad, and sports. Each of these experiences helps students to see beyond the classroom and to see the world – and themselves – in new ways.

Job Description

WorldStrides is reorienting its Marketing organization around lead generation and pipeline growth - and Paid Media is the engine that will get us there at scale. As Senior Manager of Paid Media, you will own the full paid media strategy across all three segments (K-12, International, Performing Arts) and all channels (Search, Social, Display, Programmatic, YouTube). You have a test-and-learn mindset, a deep command of performance data, and the creativity to build campaigns that move educators and students. You will own significant media budget and be accountable for MQL targets.

Responsibilities

Paid Media Strategy & Execution

• Develop and own the annual paid media strategy across K-12 Domestic, International, and Performing Arts - aligning channel mix, budget allocation, and audience targeting to MQL and pipeline goals


• Manage and optimize campaigns across Google Ads (Search, Display, YouTube), Meta (Facebook, Instagram), TikTok, and programmatic platforms


• Build a systematic test-and-learn framework - testing audiences, creative formats, bidding strategies, and landing pages to improve performance quarter-over-quarter


• Expand into new channels including direct mail amplification and streaming audio where ROI warrants

Budget & Performance Management

• Own the paid media budget - reporting weekly on spend efficiency, CPC, CPL, and MQL contribution by channel and segment


• Build attribution models with Marketing Ops ensuring paid media receives accurate funnel credit


• Manage agency relationships and platform partnerships, holding them accountable to performance SLAs

Creative & Landing Page Collaboration

• Brief Creative on paid ad requirements by channel and test hypothesis - creative is your partner, not your vendor


• Partner with the Sr Manager, Website Content to ensure landing page experience matches paid messaging and converts efficiently

What Success Looks Like

• Paid media channels delivering agreed % of total MQL volume each quarter


• Cost-per-MQL improving year-over-year through systematic optimization


• Test-and-learn cadence delivering at least 2 validated performance improvements per quarter


• Full attribution model in place with Marketing Ops by Q2

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of hands-on paid media experience including direct budget ownership


• Expert-level proficiency in Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, and programmatic buying platforms


• Demonstrated experience owning MQL or pipeline targets in a B2C or B2B2C environment


• Strong analytics skills - you live in dashboards, GA4, and performance data


• Experience managing external media agencies and holding them accountable


• Experience in K-12 education, travel, or seasonal consumer categories with long consideration cycles (preferred)


• Familiarity with Salesforce or HubSpot attribution and CRM integration (preferred)


• Experience using AI tools for creative testing and media optimization (preferred)

Work Perks

• Comprehensive health benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, accident, critical illness, disability insurance, FSA/HSA options with employer HSA contributions, and a generous 401(k) match.


• Generous paid time off including 11 paid company holidays, 25 PTO days the first year (prorated), 1 paid volunteer day, 4 mental health days, and bereavement


• Professional development support, including up to $5,250 annually for tuition reimbursement and up to $1,000 for certifications annually


• Opportunities for paid and discounted travel


• Flexible work schedule providing on-site, remote, and hybrid office opportunities


• Encouraged participation in a wide variety of Employee Resource Groups


• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and wellness resources, including fitness centers at select locations


• Paid parental, caregiver, and disability leave


• Team Member Discount Program


• Engaging, collaborative, and fun work environment

Compensation Range: $85,000 USD - $95,000 USD

WorldStrides, a global organization, is committed to educate and serve communities worldwide. Our commitment is fueled by the passion of our team members and partners to make experiential learning accessible, while also being socially, environmentally, and ethically responsible. Together, we accomplish this by investing in initiatives to promote inclusion, diversity, and sustainability.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, WorldStrides is committed to building a diverse workforce, supported by an environment that promotes inclusion and belonging. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

WorldStrides will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States. This is not a position for which sponsorship will be provided. Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F-1, J-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J or TN, or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible for hire. Select seasonal roles may consider students on J-1 or F-1 visas.