Associate Director, Paid Search
darkroom · New York · hybrid
ABOUT DARKROOM
Darkroom is the leading next-generation growth marketing firm engineering the brands of tomorrow. Founded in 2017, we set out to redefine what a modern agency could be, by replacing the inertia of legacy advertising behemoths with a model built for speed, intelligence, and measurable impact.
At our core, Darkroom is a human services company powered by Shadow, a universal AI commerce layer that integrates executive-level strategy with proprietary agentic technology. This fusion enables our teams to deliver outsized returns by enhancing creative output, operational efficiency, and revenue generation across every stage of the customer journey.
Our track record speaks for itself: billions in attributable revenue driven across e-commerce marketplaces, media networks, DTC ecosystems, and social commerce platforms. Every engagement feeds into our proprietary data infrastructure, enabling a continuous feedback loop that accelerates growth, improves margins, and compounds results across our client portfolio.
What began as a boutique design studio has evolved into one of the fastest-growing private companies in America (Inc. 5000) and among the most effective performance media agencies of the 2020s (Varos). Our founders were recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for advancing the intersection of technology, marketing, and advertising, cementing Darkroom’s role as a defining player in the future of media innovation.
About the Role
We are hiring for our Paid Media team, looking for an Associate Director, Paid Search: a senior performance leader who combines deep mastery of paid search advertising systems with strategic vision, team leadership, and executive-level client management. This is not just a tactical execution role; it demands the ability to architect full-funnel paid search strategies across Google, YouTube, Bing, App Install, and the emerging AI search ecosystem (including platforms like Kontext, Koah, Perplexity, Claude, and OpenAI, some of which don’t have ad services yet), lead a team of practitioners, and drive measurable revenue outcomes across a portfolio of high-growth brands.
The ideal candidate is obsessed with paid search advertising and is a recognized expert in search buying behavior, with a proven track record of selling products through paid search, scaling ad accounts well beyond $1M USD per month, building and mentoring high-performing teams, and serving as a trusted strategic advisor to senior client stakeholders. You live and breathe ads manager, you’re curious about where AI search is heading, and you think in systems, not campaigns. You hold yourself accountable to the business outcomes that matter.
You’ll report to the Managing Director of the department and serve as a senior leader within the Paid Media practice, owning the strategy, performance, and growth of a portfolio of key accounts. You’ll collaborate closely with Creative, Creator, Analytics, Brand, and Client Strategy teams, and will be responsible for developing the next generation of paid search talent at Darkroom.
This is a fast-paced, high-accountability environment designed for marketers who are ambitious, curious, and ready to grow. You’ll gain hands-on experience in a broad range of platforms and verticals, while developing the skills needed to lead performance strategies end-to-end.
Darkroom is a career incubator for ambitious talent looking to operate at the intersection of business, design, and innovation.
What you’ll do:
- Own and drive the overarching paid search strategy across a portfolio of high-growth U.S. brands, ensuring alignment between media investment, search demand, creative output, and business objectives.
- Serve as the point of contact for senior client stakeholders, presenting quarterly business reviews, growth roadmaps, and performance forecasts to CMOs and marketing leadership.
- Partner with the Managing Director to define team OKRs, capacity planning, and service delivery standards across the Paid Search practice.
- Champion Darkroom’s paid search point of view, staying ahead of auction dynamics, bidding and algorithm changes, and the evolution of AI search products to inform both client strategy and internal best practices.
- Lead the development of annual and quarterly paid search plans, including budget allocation, channel mix across traditional search, YouTube, and AI search, keyword and audience strategy, and creative roadmaps.
- Oversee campaign architecture, bidding strategy, optimization frameworks, and testing methodologies across key paid media accounts with aggregate monthly spends ranging from $500K to $5M+.
- Drive best-in-class performance across Google, YouTube, Bing, App Install, and emerging AI search platforms (Koah, Kontext, and others as they launch ad products), with deep mastery of the paid search auction, bid systems, and market dynamics to convert customers at the lowest possible cost for the brand.
- Set the standard for real-time, proactive, and reactionary ad-buying decisions in response to up-or-down trends on ad platforms, staying close enough to the accounts to lead by example.
- Pioneer innovative paid search strategies that blend traditional search, YouTube, and emerging AI search, piloting new platforms as AI search products evolve.
- Establish and enforce rigorous KPI frameworks (CPA, CAC, iROAS, nCAC, MER, aMER, CTR, and CPM), ensuring data-driven decision-making at every level.
- Architect and pressure-test attribution models in partnership with Analytics, using platform ad managers, third-party reporting tools, and AI to give clients a clear and accurate view of cross-channel performance.
- Proactively identify growth opportunities through brand and website audits, competitive intelligence, and new acquisition audience targeting, translating insights into actionable channel strategies.
- Ensure new customer acquisition stays healthy within the broader e-commerce equation, owning the full funnel from offer to ad to landing page to conversion.
- Develop quarterly strategies and forecasts based on success metrics, ad spend, YoY performance, and projections that ladder into each client’s broader growth plan.
- Serve as the senior creative strategist on accounts, guiding clients and internal creative teams on ad copy, landing page alignment, short-form video creative for YouTube, and creative testing frameworks.
- Manage, coach, and develop a team of Paid Search Managers and Specialists, setting clear performance expectations and fostering a culture of accountability and craft.
- Conduct structured performance reviews and build individualized growth plans for direct reports.
- Establish internal quality standards for campaign builds, reporting, and client deliverables, and ensure consistent adherence across the team.
- Act as an escalation point for complex performance challenges and client issues, providing senior-level guidance and resolution.
What you’ll need to be successful:
- 7+ years of paid media advertising experience, with at least 5+ years specializing in Paid Search and Google in particular.
- 5+ years managing paid search advertising for high-growth consumer brands with aggregate monthly spends of $1M+ across a portfolio.
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing a team of 3+ paid media practitioners in a fast-paced agency or in-house environment.
- Proven track record of scaling Google ad accounts beyond $1M USD/month while maintaining or improving efficiency metrics.
- Executive-level client management skills: ability to build trust with CMOs and senior marketing leaders, present strategic recommendations with confidence, and navigate complex stakeholder dynamics.
- Expert-level command of Google Ads and deep familiarity with YouTube, Microsoft Advertising (Bing), and the emerging AI search ad ecosystem.
- Mastery of the e-commerce marketing funnel, from offer to ad to landing page to conversion.
- Mastery of e-