Director, Paid Search – YouTube

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Act as Rain's leading subject matter expert in the dynamic realm of paid search, YouTube, and related media avenues, providing insightful perspectives on automation, AI-driven search experiences, algorithmic bidding, commerce media, product feeds, measurement changes, audience signals, and emerging opportunities.

• Formulate paid search strategies that align with client business goals rather than merely focusing on keyword coverage or platform tactics; demonstrating the ability to tie media investments to growth, efficiency, customer acquisition, revenue, lead quality, brand health, and measurable business outcomes.

• Clarify the roles of paid search and YouTube within holistic omnichannel media plans, ensuring that search is integrated into a broader channel strategy encompassing social, programmatic, retail media, CTV, affiliate, shopping, and full-funnel media ecosystems.

• Guide, mentor, and motivate a team of paid search specialists, fostering a culture of curiosity, accountability, continuous learning, quality assurance discipline, and pride in both strategic thinking and executional craftsmanship.

• Contribute to Rain's thought leadership initiatives, new business strategies, and paid search product development, including pitches, points of view, playbooks, case studies, vendor relationships, platform partnerships, and articulating Rain's unique approach to paid search and YouTube.

• Establish trusted relationships with senior marketing leaders and client stakeholders, serving as a strategic advisor capable of translating intricate search, shopping, and YouTube dynamics into clear, confident recommendations.

• Deliver executive-level presentations with clarity, credibility, and conviction, encompassing performance summaries, strategic roadmaps, testing plans, growth opportunities, search landscape insights, and difficult discussions when performance, investment, or direction requires adjustment.

• Elevate the dialogue beyond media metrics to business results, assisting clients in grasping how paid search contributes to customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), incrementality, revenue growth, lead quality, audience development, demand capture, and long-term brand value.

• Function effectively across multiple accounts and cross-functional teams, collaborating with Client Service, Analytics, Creative, Integrated Planning, Media Investment, AdOps, and Project Management to ensure robust communication, sound recommendations, and disciplined execution.

• Remain engaged in the work and closely involved with execution to diagnose, guide, and enhance performance, including campaign structure, bidding, budgeting, keyword strategy, query analysis, audience signals, shopping feeds, creative assets, landing page considerations, measurement, and reporting.

• Establish and maintain best-in-class activation standards across the paid search team, ensuring each account adheres to disciplined quality assurance, intelligent testing frameworks, accurate trafficking, clear optimization priorities, compelling performance narratives, and consistent compliance with internal processes.

• Employ a performance marketing mindset in daily and weekly campaign management, overseeing pacing, key performance indicators (KPIs), budget allocation, shifts in search demand, algorithmic learning phases, and optimization opportunities with a focus on both short-term efficiency and long-term business growth.

• Cultivate and sustain a profound understanding of the tools that drive paid search excellence, including Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Search Ads 360, Apple Search Ads, shopping and product feed platforms, reporting tools, and relevant third-party search management technologies.

• Provide strategic leadership in YouTube planning and activation, which includes campaign planning, audience strategy, creative considerations, tracking, trafficking, optimization, and identifying how YouTube can support both brand and performance objectives.

• Recognize the increasing overlap between search, commerce, and retail behavior, including shopping feeds, product data quality, Amazon Ads, affiliate considerations, commerce platforms like Shopify and Squarespace, and the impact these factors can have on paid search performance.

• Collaborate closely with creative, analytics, and planning teams to enhance the overall performance system, understanding that paid search outcomes are influenced by more than just bids and keywords; they are shaped by messaging, landing pages, offers, audience demand, measurement design, and cross-channel media interactions.

• Challenge traditional thinking as necessary, aiding clients and internal teams in comprehending how paid search is adapting as AI, automation, marketplace behavior, YouTube, and retail media transform how consumers discover, compare, and convert.

⛳️ Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in advertising, marketing, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• 7-9 years of experience in paid search, combining practical knowledge with managerial expertise.

• Experience in an advertising agency setting is mandatory, showcasing the ability to manage multiple accounts simultaneously.

• Managerial experience is essential, with a proactive interest in mentoring, developing, and delegating effectively within a team.

• Extensive experience with Google Ads and Microsoft Ads; relevant certifications are highly preferred.

• Familiarity with Search Ads 360 and third-party search management platforms such as Marin, Kenshoo, or Adobe is advantageous.

• 3+ years of experience with YouTube is beneficial; experience with YouTube Select is a significant advantage.

• Experience with shopping feeds, product companies, commerce platforms, Amazon Ads, affiliate programs, or direct-to-consumer brands is highly regarded.

• Proficiency in measurement, trafficking, reporting, and generating campaign performance insights through data evaluation.

• Capability to analyze performance data sets, identify key narratives, and communicate effectively both internally and externally.

• Effective utilization of a performance marketing mindset, with the ability to analyze data, diagnose performance variables, and devise strategic methods for continuous optimization.

• A strong interest in advertising technology, digital trends, search innovation, AI-driven media, automation, commerce, and the evolving landscape of consumer discovery.

• A foundational understanding of how search intent, automation, creativity, landing page experience, feed quality, measurement, and cross-channel signals work together to achieve business outcomes.

• Excellent project management abilities, high attention to detail, and a commitment to maintaining the highest quality assurance standards.

• A collaborative attitude, creative problem-solving approach, and a willingness to exceed client expectations when required.

• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly with advanced skills in Excel and PowerPoint.

• A sincere appreciation for our agency's core values.

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance.

• Quarterly profit-sharing program.

• 401(K) plan with employer match (and immediate eligibility).

• 4-6 weeks of paid time off (PTO).

• 12 paid holidays.

• 12-18 weeks of fully-paid Family and Medical Leave.

• Monthly Work-From-Home allowance.