Paid Media Lead

Paid Media Lead

Rivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract. As a company, we constantly challenge what's possible, never simply accepting what has always been done. We reframe old problems, seek new solutions and operate comfortably in areas that are unknown. Our backgrounds are diverse, but our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations.

Role Summary Rivian's Growth Marketing team is responsible for creating and driving demand and conversion across the full customer funnel for our vehicles. The Paid Media Lead owns Rivian's paid media strategy end-to-end and is the primary strategic partner to our media agency of record. This person sets the media agenda, translates business goals into channel strategy and budget allocation, and partners closely with measurement to make sure every dollar is evaluated against a clear read on incrementality - not just platform-reported performance.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategic relationship with our media agency: set the media agenda, prioritize briefs, hold the agency accountable to performance and efficiency targets, and run the cadence of QBRs, budget pacing, and testing roadmap.
• Lead full-funnel paid media strategy - upper-funnel awareness/consideration through lower-funnel conversion (Demo Drive, Reserve, Order) - across Meta, Google/Search, YouTube/CTV, OOH, programmatic, etc.
• Translate business objectives (e.g., reservation and order targets) into channel mix, budget allocation, and a testing agenda, in partnership with the agency.
• Serve as the connective tissue for go-to-market across the funnel - partnering closely with Brand and Creative so paid strategy and messaging stay aligned with brand positioning and campaign moments, and with eComm and Lifecycle Marketing so hands from paid into owned channels are seamlessly integrated.
• Partner with cross-functional measurement teams to interpret incrementality tests, MMM outputs, and attribution, and translate those findings into media decisions - you don't need to build the models, but you need to be fluent enough to argue with them.
• Diagnose performance misses (e.g., a channel underdelivering against a reservation target) and bring a point of view on the fix, not just the diagnosis.
• Partner cross-functionally with Brand, Creative, eComm, and Lifecycle Marketing so paid strategy reinforces the rest of the funnel.
• Report media performance and strategy to marketing leadership on a regular cadence.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in performance/paid media, including experience leading media strategy at a growth-focused company and/or agency.
• Direct experience managing a media agency relationship - briefing, budget ownership, and holding an agency accountable to KPIs.
• A track record owning full-funnel media strategy, not only bottom-of-funnel performance marketing.
• Proven ability to partner across Brand, Creative, and other GTM stakeholders to keep messaging and strategy connected across the funnel.
• Working fluency across measurement approaches - incrementality testing, MMM, and attribution - enough to be a sharp, informed partner to a measurement/analytics team.
• Deep statistical or data-science expertise is not required.
• Strong cross-functional operator, comfortable driving alignment without direct authority and operating in ambiguity.
• Automotive, EV, or considered-purchase category experience is a plus, not a requirement.

Pay Disclosure The salary range for this role is $125,000 to $165,560 for El Segundo, California based applicants. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, shift, and organizational needs. The successful candidate may be eligible for annual performance bonus and equity awards. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26, including but not limited to paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a competitive portfolio of insurance benefits including life, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance to eligible employees. You may also have the opportunity to participate in Rivian's 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program if you meet certain eligibility requirements. Full-time employee coverage is effective on their first day of employment. Part-time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment. More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com.