Director, Paid Search
$154.2k - $192.75kFull-time
Cars Commerce
Role Description
The Director of Paid Search is the end-to-end owner of Cars.com's consumer SEM program (Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and emerging AI search surfaces), responsible for strategy, budget/KPI ownership, execution quality, and team leadership. It exists because SEM is an 8+ figure, business critical acquisition channel that needs a single accountable owner to drive volume and efficiency while navigating the shift to AI-driven search.
- Own the consumer SEM program end-to-end.
- Set strategy, execution standards, and the performance roadmap for an 8+ figure annual SEM budget.
- Define channel goals, forecasts, budgets, and KPI frameworks in partnership with Marketing leadership, Finance, and Analytics.
- Oversee campaign architecture, bidding strategy, keyword coverage, audiences, feeds, ad copy and creative testing, and landing page optimization daily.
- Drive feed-based automation, API integrations, Smart Bidding, signal-based strategies, scripting, and emerging AI-agent workflows.
- Partner with Product, Engineering, Design, and Lifecycle to improve landing pages, conversion rates, and onboarding.
- Anticipate how AI is reshaping discovery and ensure Cars.com maintains strong visibility across traditional and AI-driven search surfaces.
- Define and maintain the SEM measurement framework.
- Set quality-assurance standards for ad copy, destination URLs, tracking parameters, and budget controls.
- Own agency and platform relationships (Google, Microsoft).
- Develop a team of SEM specialists, setting clear ownership and consistent operating rhythms.
Qualifications
- 10+ years in performance/growth marketing with deep, hands-on paid search expertise.
- Expert-level command of Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.
- Experience in marketplace, classifieds, e-commerce, or high-volume B2C lead-gen businesses.
- A builder-operator who has built scale through automation and AI.
- Demonstrated results growing paid search volume while improving CPL/CPA and ROAS.
- Fluent in attribution, incrementality, MMM, etc.; comfortable with large datasets and querying.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
Requirements
- Experience at a two-sided marketplace or classifieds business.
- Hands-on experience building SEM automation via the Google Ads API or scripts.
- Experience managing SEM through periods of platform change.
- Familiarity with adjacent biddable media (paid social, shopping).
Benefits
- Medical, Dental & Vision Healthcare Plans.
- New Hire Stipend for Home Office Set-Up.
- Generous PTO.
- Paid Holidays, Floating Holiday, Volunteer Day, Recharge Day.
Vacancy posted 4 days ago
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