Associate Director, Search

Company description With a history that dates back over 80 years, Starcom is a global communications planning and media leader. We are an agency still grounded in our founding principle that people are at centre of all we do. Each day, we apply this belief to harness the transformative power of data and technology to inspire and move people and business forward. With more than 7,000 employees in over 100 offices around the world, Starcom partners with the world's leading marketers and brands, including Bank of America, Best Buy, Kellogg Company, McDonald's, Novartis, Samsung, Visa and more. This role at Starcom will serve as a member of Publicis Groupe's strategic internal agency, Constellation. Constellation serves as an internal-facing brand formed by a collective of Publicis Groupe agencies to address our client's creative, data, strategy, media, and technology requirements. Team members collaborate across agencies while functioning as sub-divisions within their respective brands to provide dedicated support for the client. By acting as a unified interface, Constellation eliminates operational silos and presents a single service entity and primary point of contact for the client. Overview The Associate Director, Search serves as a strategic leader responsible for driving the vision, performance, and growth of paid search programs across a portfolio of clients. This role leads integrated search strategies, manages senior client relationships, oversees budget and forecasting responsibilities, and mentors a high-performing team of search professionals. The Associate Director partners closely with clients, internal media teams, analytics, and platform partners to identify growth opportunities, drive innovation through AI and automation, and deliver measurable business outcomes. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with deep paid search expertise, strong leadership skills, and a proven ability to translate complex performance data into actionable business recommendations. Responsibilities Strategic Leadership & Client Partnership Lead the development and execution of paid search strategies aligned with client business objectives and growth goals. Serve as a trusted advisor to clients, providing strategic recommendations and performance insights. Own senior-level client relationships and present business reviews, annual planning initiatives, roadmaps, and growth opportunities. Identify opportunities to drive customer acquisition, revenue growth, operational efficiencies, and overall account performance. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop integrated media solutions and holistic performance strategies. Search Strategy & Performance Management Oversee paid search programs across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, SA360, Shopping, and Performance Max. Guide teams in campaign structure development, audience strategy, bidding approaches, testing frameworks, and optimization methodologies. Ensure accounts maintain best-in-class operational standards and deliver measurable business impact. Partner with platform representatives to leverage beta programs, product enhancements, and emerging best practices. Shopping & Feed Strategy Provide strategic oversight of feed management and product data optimization initiatives. Partner with internal and client teams to enhance product feeds, data quality, taxonomy structures, and inventory management practices. Lead strategies that maximize Shopping and Performance Max performance through feed segmentation, custom labeling frameworks, and first-party data utilization. Identify opportunities to scale and automate feed management processes while improving efficiency and performance. Forecasting, Analytics & Business Growth Drive performance analysis and develop actionable recommendations to improve campaign results. Oversee budget management, forecasting, pacing, and performance projections across client portfolios. Translate complex data into compelling business narratives and strategic recommendations. Leverage advanced analytics and AI-driven tools to support decision-making and growth initiatives. Innovation & Emerging Technologies Champion the adoption of AI, automation, and emerging search technologies across client accounts and internal workflows. Lead testing initiatives focused on bidding strategies, audience solutions, measurement capabilities, and platform innovations. Identify scalable process improvements that increase efficiency and enhance campaign performance. Partner with media, analytics, and technology teams to advance search capabilities and best practices. Team Leadership & Talent Development Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Search Managers, Strategists, Analysts, and Coordinators. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning. Provide coaching, performance feedback, and career development support. Ensure operational excellence, quality assurance, and process adherence across managed accounts. Qualifications 7+ years of experience in paid search and performance marketing with progressive leadership responsibilities. Deep expertise across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, SA360, Shopping, and Performance Max. Strong understanding of Google Merchant Center, product feeds, taxonomy management, custom labels, and feed optimization strategies. Experience with feed management platforms such as Feedonomics, Productsup, DataFeedWatch, Channable, or similar solutions. Proven success leading client relationships and presenting strategic recommendations to senior stakeholders. Strong forecasting, budget management, performance analysis, and business planning experience. Experience managing and developing high-performing teams. Familiarity with AI-powered marketing solutions, automation tools, scripting, and emerging search technologies. Additional information The Power of One starts with our people! To do powerful things, we offer powerful resources.Our best-in-class wellness and benefits offerings include: Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or more Monetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and Fertility Monetary assistance and support for pet adoption Employee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balance Tuition Assistance Paid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and more Matching Gifts programs Flexible working arrangements 'Work Your World’ Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility) Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliances The benefits offerings listed are available to eligible U.S. Based employees, are reviewed on an annual basis, and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents. We also offer medical and voluntary benefits to our freelancers and temporary employees. Voluntary benefit options include supplemental medical insurance, transportation, and parking benefits, legal benefits, pet insurance, and auto and home insurance. You must be actively employed for 90 consecutive calendar days in order to be eligible for Publicis medical and voluntary benefits. Starcom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employment decisions are made without regard to actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law, genetic information, marital status, military service and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances. If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. Compensation Range Compensation Range: USD $97,375.00 - USD $139,965.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 10/1/2026. #J-18808-Ljbffr Publicis Groupe