Sr. Manager, Paid Search (SEM)

About Ovative Group:Ovative Group is an independent, full-funnel media, measurement, and creative firm transforming how brands grow. We partner with leading names like American Eagle, Best Buy, Domino’s, The Home Depot, Polaris, and UnitedHealth Group to build smarter media and measurement programs that drive real, profitable growth. We don’t just track performance—we redefine it. Powered by our proprietary intelligence platform, EMRge, and our holistic metric Enterprise Marketing Return (EMR), we help brands connect revenue, customer, and brand outcomes into one clear picture of success. Our approach to full-funnel strategy, buying, and measurement delivers results that matter—and it’s getting noticed. Our work has been recognized by Digiday, Google, USA Today, Inc. 5000, and Search Engine Land.About the Role Digital Marketing is a critical part of every consumer journey, but many companies only measure its impact on their digital outcomes. Our approach to paid search optimization at Ovative Group can’t be found anywhere else. We measure and optimize search marketing campaigns at the enterprise level, both online and offline. Our clients are household names that span multiple industries, including retail, healthcare, education, CPG, and hospitality. In this role, you will lead a portfolio of paid search programs and the people who run them. The Ovative Group Sr. Manager, Paid Search (SEM) position is an opportunity for a proven leader to take ownership of both client outcomes and channel capability at a fast-growing company that has the highest standards for talent, fun, and client success. The ideal candidate demonstrates senior-level client leadership, a track record of developing managers and analysts, great critical thinking, and a sophisticated understanding of the digital media and AI-driven search landscape. This role will play a pivotal part in shaping how Ovative measures and optimizes paid media to true enterprise impact, not solely eCommerce outcomes. Responsibilities Senior client leadership: Own the health, growth, and profitability of a portfolio of Ovative Group’s largest paid search relationships Serve as a senior point of contact for client leadership, setting program vision, objectives, and KPIs across the portfolio Influence senior client stakeholders to evolve their strategy and measurement approach to drive enterprise impact through the paid search channel Identify and pursue organic growth opportunities, partnering with account and growth teams on scoping, staffing, and proposals Step in as the escalation point on complex or at-risk programs, and coach your team through difficult client conversations Team leadership and employee development: Lead and develop a team that includes managers and individual contributors, holding accountability for their performance, growth, and retention Own staffing strategy for your portfolio — forecast capacity, shape team structure, and partner on recruiting and onboarding of new Ovative team members Coach your managers to set clear expectations, share actionable feedback, develop talent, and maintain consistent leadership practices across the team Cross-functional strategy & thought leadership: Own key SEM solution-area accountabilities for the practice — evolving Ovative’s approach to best practices, vetting and partnering with new technology companies, managing planning and execution tools, and staying ahead of emerging trends Partner with SEO, retail media, and upper-funnel teams to prioritize and drive holistic search strategy and results Develop and drive forward multi-channel digital media strategies and roadmaps aligned with client program growth goals Support higher-level, cross-functional marketing strategy projects by providing deep media expertise Represent Ovative’s paid search point of view externally through client-facing thought leadership, partner forums, and industry conversations Performance media management & oversight: Set the standard for how paid search programs are planned, executed, and QA’d across your portfolio to ensure executional excellence, including: Strategy and campaign planning, integrated with all Ovative services Forecasting, budget recommendations, and strategic pivots across your clients and team to maximize client results Continued focus on process improvement, automation, and consistent team output and performance Campaign tactics and segmentation strategy, with a customer-first mindset Bid strategy, goal alignment, and platform structure that drive enterprise business results Strategic partner management (Google, Microsoft, SA360, etc.) Test-and-learn roadmaps that drive results for our clients and move the programs forward Lead the evolution of SEM measurement toward enterprise impact by improving analysis, reporting, and insights that scale across the channel Lead AI-enabled search experimentation and holistic search strategies that improve business outcomes: Partner with internal and external SEO partners to drive holistic program growth across platforms Define and scale internal best practices that best align to client goals Test and adopt AI-driven search capabilities and emerging platforms that improve business outcomes for our clients Experience Needed Requirements 8+ years of experience directly responsible for enterprise-level paid search marketing (SEM) programs 3+ years of experience managing direct reports, including experience developing early-career talent Proven track record of success driving strong positive results through paid search marketing programs Extensive client management experience, including working with senior stakeholders Deep expertise in the following: Enterprise paid search leadership and strategy connected to business outcomes and impact Execution with paid search technologies and tools (Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Search Ads 360, etc.) External partner management (Google, Microsoft, technology partners, etc.) Coaching and developing a team of high-performing talent Sound conceptual and analytical problem-solving skills Preferred Strong digital agency experience or digital lead on the client side Previous experience in performance marketing, retail, eCommerce, etc. Experience managing other managers or leading a multi-client portfolio Hands-on experience testing and scaling AI-driven search capabilities Pay Transparency: At Ovative, we offer a transparent view into three core components of the total compensation package: Base Salary, Annual Bonus, and Benefits. For our Sr. Manager positions, including the position of Sr. Manager, Paid Search, our compensation range is from $125,000 to $175,000 on an annualized basis, with the potential for an annual bonus of up to 25% of base salary. Working at Ovative Group:We provide strong, competitive, holistic benefits that understand the importance of your life inside and out of work. At Ovative, culture isn’t a buzzword—it’s the reason we’ve been named a Top Workplace for ten years running. We lead with trust, transparency, and a commitment to doing the hard work others avoid.We offer flexibility. You'll work from our Minneapolis, Chicago, or New York office on set days each week, and an option to work remote on others. Our open floor plan reflects our open communication and flat structure—where interns collaborate with VPs, analysts partner with senior leaders, and our CEO engages with every team member. Together, we create an environment where smart, driven people can do their best work and support one another in the process. We’re equally committed to inclusion and belonging. Ovative fosters a workplace where everyone can participate and thrive—regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression or other protected class status. Our benefits and policies reflect that commitment, from inclusive medical leave coverage for same-sex spouses to equitable care and support for all families. Benefits: We strive to hire and retain the best talent by offering fair, competitive compensation, a meaningful bonus program, and excellent health coverage. When the company performs well, we all benefit. Some tangible benefits and amenities we enjoy:Access to all office spaces in MSP, NYC, and CHI  Frequent, paid travel to our Minneapolis headquarters for company events, team events, and in-person collaboration with teamsGenerous paid vacation policy  401k match program  Top-notch health insurance options, inclusive of same sex partners Family formation benefits including reimbursement options for fertility, pregnancy, and parenting needs Monthly stipend for your mobile phone and data plan  Sabbatical program  Charitable giving via our time and a financial match program  Shenanigan’s Day  Additional information can be found at Ovative's Career Page.The details of the benefits are covered by applicable plan documents for group benefits and by company policies where a plan document does not apply.Working at Ovative won’t be easy—but if you like challenging, hard work, driving results, and being surrounded by the best talent, it has the potential to be the most rewarding job you’ll ever have. If you think you can make us better, we want to hear from you! EEO & Accessibility: Ovative is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a respectful, inclusive workplace for all. Applicants receive consideration without regard to legally protected characteristics (e.g., color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity/, gender expression, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, marital/ status, familial status, military or veteran’s status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, and any other status protected under applicable law). We provide reasonable accommodations consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state law to qualified applicants and employees with disability, unless doing so would create an undue hardship.If you need assistance or accommodation at any stage of the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io. Application Details and Process:Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer on a full-time basis, without current or future need for visa sponsorship. Ovative is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa for this position. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification documentation upon hire.Open Until Filled or Otherwise Withdrawn: We encourage interested candidates to apply early. The position will remain open for at least 10 business days from the first day of posting. After this time, if the position has not been filled, the posting will remain open until the position is filled, or until the posting is otherwise closed or withdrawn for business reasons. SummaryLocation: Minneapolis; Chicago; New YorkType: Full time