PAID MEDIA LEAD

Liquid Thought Group; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 950,000 - 1,350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Mentorship programme

Learning platforms access

Staff discount

Birthday leave

Latest tech equipment

Wellness programme

Free parking

Job summary

Liquid Thought Group in Cape Town is seeking a driven Paid Media Lead to steer high‑scale campaigns for a fast growing on‑demand delivery business.

You will own multi‑channel paid media, optimise cost per order, and partner with creative, analytics and product teams to grow app traffic, orders and market share.

The role offers a hybrid work model, mentorship, learning resources and a supportive environment with clear path for career growth.

Qualifications

• A tertiary degree in Marketing, Statistics, Mathematics or Computer Science.
• 5–7 years' experience managing large scale paid media campaigns, ideally in on demand/e-commerce/app focus.
• Strategic paid media development across search, social, display and programmatic.
• Data-driven performance optimisation with strong analytics to monitor metrics and ROI.
• Leadership and cross-functional collaboration with creative, analytics, CRM and product teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee a cohesive paid media strategy aligned with marketing and business objectives.
• Drive app traffic growth, targeting first-time buyers and reactivating lapsed users.
• Plan, execute and optimise multi-channel paid campaigns to hit revenue and order targets.
• Manage cost per order and ROI, ensuring channel efficiency.
• Expand market share through targeted paid media across regions.
• Collaborate with creative, analytics, CRM and product teams to improve campaign effectiveness.
• Leverage data for audience targeting and personalised ad experiences.

Skills

Digital advertising

Analytics

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing/Statistics/Math/CS

Tools

Google Ads

Meta Ads

Programmatic Platforms

Attribution models

Job description

Paid Media Lead

Location: Cape Town

Our client, a fast growing on demand delivery business that forms part of one of South Africa's leading e-commerce groups, is looking for a highly talented Paid Media Lead to join their team in Cape Town.

This is an opportunity to work at genuine scale, engaging millions of customers, alongside some of the strongest talent in the industry. The wider group has a strong culture of promoting from within, offering real room for career growth across its portfolio of businesses.

The business is passionate about delivering exceptional customer experiences through innovation and data driven strategies. As Paid Media Lead, you will play a critical role in growing the customer base, driving orders and building market share. If you thrive in a fast paced, collaborative environment and are excited by the opportunity to lead a high performing team, this role is for you.

The role reports to the Head of Customer Growth.

Purpose of the Role

The Paid Media Lead will oversee and execute strategies designed to drive high quality traffic to the app and increase orders placed through it, including from first time buyers. Operating within a fast paced on demand delivery app environment that connects users to a wide range of merchants, the role focuses on achieving measurable results tied directly to traffic, orders, revenue and market share.

The ideal candidate will be data driven, innovation oriented and skilled at managing large scale paid media efforts across various channels, aligning all traffic generation initiatives with business goals.

Key Responsibilities

Paid Media Strategy Development

• Create and oversee a cohesive paid media strategy that aligns with broader marketing and business objectives, focusing on both user acquisition and retention.

App Traffic Growth

• Drive initiatives to increase app traffic that translates into orders, including targeting first time buyers and reactivating lapsed users.

Campaign Execution

• Plan, execute and optimise multi channel paid acquisition campaigns across search, social, display, programmatic and other platforms to drive revenue and order targets.

Cost Efficiency Management

• Manage and optimise effective cost per order (CPO) while ensuring channel efficiency and return on investment (ROI).

Market Share Expansion

• Use paid media strategies to expand the app's market share and secure its competitive positioning across different markets and regions.

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with internal teams such as creative, analytics, CRM and product to coordinate and improve campaign effectiveness.

Audience Targeting and Segmentation

• Leverage data to identify and refine key customer segments, ensuring personalised and relevant ad experiences that maximise conversion rates.

Agency and Vendor Management

• Lead partnerships with external agencies and vendors to ensure the delivery of high performing paid advertising campaigns.

Performance Analytics

• Develop and maintain reporting systems to monitor campaign performance, traffic metrics, market share data and achievement of revenue and order growth targets.

Innovation and Trends

• Stay ahead of digital advertising trends, tools and platforms to ensure the business leverages state of the art technologies and tactics.

Qualifications and Experience

• A tertiary degree, preferably in Marketing, Statistics, Mathematics or Computer Science.
• A minimum of 5 to 7 years' experience managing large scale paid media campaigns, ideally within an on demand, e-commerce or app focused environment.
• Strategic paid media campaign development and execution across multiple channels, including search, social, display and programmatic platforms, to drive app traffic and order growth.
• Data driven performance optimisation, with strong analytical skills to monitor campaign metrics, optimise cost per order efficiency and achieve ROI objectives.
• Leadership and cross functional collaboration experience, managing teams and working effectively with creative, analytics, CRM and product teams.
• Deep technical expertise in digital advertising platforms such as Google Ads and Meta Ads, and in attribution models within app focused or e-commerce environments.
• An innovation focused approach to staying ahead of digital advertising trends and leveraging emerging technologies, while maintaining cost efficiency and revenue targets.

Skills and Attributes

• Technical expertise: a deep understanding of digital advertising platforms (Google Ads, Meta Ads, programmatic channels and similar) and attribution models.
• Data driven decision making: strong analytical and problem solving skills, with the ability to interpret campaign performance data and derive optimisations that boost performance.
• Leadership: experience managing and motivating a team, with the ability to work cross functionally and inspire collaboration.
• Attention to detail: a high level of precision and care when designing and monitoring campaigns to ensure quality and compliance.
• Innovative thinking: the ability to think creatively and adapt to rapidly changing environments while staying ROI focused.
• Industry insight: demonstrable knowledge of the trends, challenges and opportunities in the on demand app and delivery space.

What's on Offer

• A market related total remuneration package, structured flexibly to suit your needs.
• A hybrid working model.
• An open, collaborative work environment with no siloes.
• A mentorship programme.
• Access to a global tech community and free online learning platforms.
• Regular social events and team activities.
• A generous staff discount.
• A day's leave on your birthday.
• The latest tech and equipment set up to your preference.
• A free, confidential employee wellness programme offering counselling, legal support and financial guidance.
• Free parking.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. Preference will be given to applicants from previously disadvantaged groups and persons with disabilities, in line with their employment equity plan.

If you do not hear back from us within one month, please consider your application unsuccessful. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to each applicant individually.