Director, Digital Marketing

Director, Digital Marketing/ Performance Media

Darktrace is a global leader in AI-driven cybersecurity, helping organizations stay ahead of evolving threats every day.

Darktrace was built on a genuinely differentiated idea: that Adaptive AI could detect and respond to novel, real-time cyber threats. That approach matters more than ever in the era of AI. Today, our customers depend on us to stay ahead.

At Darktrace, we are energized by that responsibility. We work across teams and rally around a shared goal. We own outcomes end to end - step in, step up and see things through without waiting to be asked. We make decisions with urgency, say the hard thing, and hold each other to high standards with care and directness. We move first and learn fast anticipating where our customers are going next, continuously challenging ourselves.

We invest in the skills, learning and opportunities that help people deliver at the level their roles demand, and reward the aptitude and curiosity to grow beyond them.

Our Values: Own It | Win as One | Raise Our Bar | Move First. Learn Fast

Job Description:

About the Role

Darktrace is seeking a strategic, data-driven Director, Digital Marketing/ Performance Media to lead global paid media strategy and execution across the full digital ecosystem. This role is responsible for driving pipeline generation, optimizing media investment, and ensuring paid media programs directly contribute to revenue growth across Darktrace's cybersecurity portfolio.

Reporting to the SVP, Revenue Marketing, the Director will own performance media strategy across paid search, paid social, programmatic display, retargeting, account-based marketing (ABM) syndication, and intent-driven activation programs. The successful candidate will work in close partnership with Product Marketing, Integrated Campaigns, Marketing Operations, Analytics, Field Marketing, Sales, and external agency partners to maximize campaign performance and marketing ROI.

This leader will be accountable for performance media budget allocation, channel strategy, agency management, measurement frameworks, and team leadership, ensuring media investments are optimized to deliver measurable business outcomes and support Darktrace's continued global growth.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Performance Media Strategy & Execution

• Own the global digital/performance media strategy across paid search, paid social, programmatic display, retargeting, ABM syndication, and intent-based targeting platforms.
• Build and manage a multi-million dollar performance media budget across regions, products, and campaign priorities, ensuring efficient allocation against pipeline and revenue targets.
• Develop channel-specific media strategies that align with integrated campaign objectives, target audiences, product priorities, and business goals.
• Translate campaign narratives and audience strategies into scalable paid media programs that drive awareness, engagement, pipeline generation, and customer acquisition.
• Lead account-based marketing media orchestration efforts, including account targeting, intent signal activation, audience segmentation, and coordinated outreach programs aligned with Sales and Field Marketing priorities.
• Identify and evaluate emerging channels, technologies, and paid media opportunities that can accelerate growth and improve marketing performance.

Performance, Measurement & Optimization

• Own performance media reporting and accountability across key metrics including pipeline generated, pipeline influenced, cost per opportunity, customer acquisition cost, return on ad spend (ROAS), and channel efficiency.
• Partner with Marketing Operations and Analytics teams to design and maintain attribution models that connect media investments directly to pipeline creation and revenue outcomes.
• Continuously analyze channel performance and optimize spend allocation to maximize business impact.
• Lead a disciplined test-and-learn framework across creative, audience targeting, bidding strategies, landing page experiences, and media formats.
• Develop executive-facing performance dashboards and reporting that communicate business impact and inform investment decisions.
• Ensure media investments are measured against clear performance objectives and aligned with revenue targets.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration

• Partner closely with Product Marketing and Integrated Campaigns teams to ensure paid media programs amplify key campaign themes, product launches, and strategic initiatives.
• Collaborate with Creative and Brand teams to ensure paid media assets maintain brand consistency while maximizing platform-specific performance.
• Work with Field Marketing and Partner Marketing teams to support regional programs, event amplification, and co-marketing initiatives.
• Partner with Revenue Operations, Demand Generation, and Digital teams to create seamless campaign execution and lead management processes.
• Provide strategic guidance on audience strategy, segmentation, targeting, and channel planning across Darktrace's marketing organization.

Agency & Vendor Management

• Lead relationships with media agencies, technology vendors, publishers, and platform partners.
• Establish performance benchmarks, service expectations, and accountability measures for agency and vendor partners.
• Evaluate and manage paid media technologies, platforms, and vendor relationships to maximize efficiency and performance.
• Negotiate vendor investments and opportunities that support growth initiatives and enhance marketing performance.

Leadership & Team Development

• Build, lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing performance media team focused on business impact, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Establish clear objectives, success metrics, and development plans for team members.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, experimentation, and data-driven decision making.
• Serve as the performance media leader within annual and quarterly planning processes, providing strategic recommendations on budget allocation and growth opportunities.
• Champion best practices across digital marketing, media optimization, measurement, and marketing technology adoption.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, Analytics, or a related field.
• 8-12+ years of experience in performance marketing, paid media, demand generation, digital marketing, or related disciplines within cybersecurity, enterprise software, SaaS, or B2B technology environments.
• Proven track record managing global paid media programs and multi-million dollar media budgets.
• Deep expertise across paid search, paid social, programmatic advertising, retargeting, ABM platforms, and intent-based marketing strategies.
• Hands-on experience with platforms such as Google Ads, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, Meta Ads Manager, and leading demand-side platforms (DSPs).
• Demonstrated success using paid media to drive measurable pipeline generation, customer acquisition, and revenue growth.
• Strong understanding of marketing attribution, funnel analytics, conversion optimization, and marketing measurement frameworks.
• Experience partnering closely with Sales, Revenue Operations, Product Marketing, Demand Generation, and Executive Leadership teams.
• Proven ability to translate business goals into scalable paid media programs and performance strategies.
• Strong analytical, quantitative, and data visualization skills with the ability to turn insights into action.
• Experience managing agencies, media vendors, and third-party partners.
• Demonstrated people leadership experience, including coaching, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, project management, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience marketing cybersecurity, AI, cloud, or enterprise technology solutions.
• Experience marketing to both technical buyers (CISOs, Security Operations, IT leaders) and executive business decision-makers (CIOs, Board members, Executive Leadership).
• Experience with ABM platforms such as 6sense, Demandbase, LinkedIn ABM, or similar intent-driven marketing technologies.
• Familiarity with Salesforce, Marketo, HubSpot, or related CRM and marketing automation platforms.
• Experience building attribution models and optimizing performance marketing investments in complex B2B buying environments.
• Experience operating in high-growth, global technology organizations.

What Success Looks Like

• Consistently delivers measurable pipeline and revenue contribution through paid media channels.
• Creates a scalable, high-performing media strategy that supports Darktrace's growth objectives across regions and product lines.
• Establishes clear measurement frameworks that connect media spend directly to business outcomes.
• Builds strong partnerships across Product Marketing, Integrated Campaigns, Revenue Marketing, Sales, and Operations teams.
• Continuously improves efficiency through testing, optimization, and data-driven decision making.
• Develops a high-performing performance media team recognized for innovation, accountability, and business impact.
• Positions paid media as a strategic growth engine and