Senior Manager, Paid Search

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<strong><br>OVERVIEW <br></strong><br>
</div><div>McGarrah Jessee is looking for a Senior Manager, Paid Search — someone who doesn’t just manage keywords and bids, but architects how search drives full-funnel retail growth in a world where discovery is being rewritten in real time. <br><br>This role sits at the intersection of performance marketing, retail strategy, data and emerging AI-driven discovery — translating business ambition into search ecosystems that capture demand, create demand and defend against it being intercepted upstream.<br><br>You’ll lead SEM for a major national retail brand, overseeing a multimillion dollar monthly investment while partnering directly with senior client leadership to connect business priorities to platform execution.<br><br>This is not a “manage the account” role. This is a shape how search works in a post-search world role.<br><br>
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<strong>WHAT YOU’LL LEAD<br></strong><br>
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<strong>SEARCH STRATEGY AND GROWTH PLANNING<br></strong><br>
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<li>Own the full-funnel role of search across the retail business — from demand capture to demand creation to demand defense.</li>
<li>Translate merchandising priorities, seasonal moments and inventory realities into search strategy.</li>
<li>Define how search shows up across key retail moments — from everyday intent to peak events to cultural spikes.</li>
<li>Architect how search integrates with broader media, retail media networks and owned channels.<br><br>
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<strong>STRATEGIC ACCOUNT LEADERSHIP<br></strong><br>
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<li>Drive the Roadmap: Own the holistic SEM strategy for a major retail account, aligning paid search efforts with the client’s seasonal calendar, merchandising priorities and inventory fluctuations.</li>
<li>Client Partnership: Act as the primary point of contact for the client’s marketing team. Translate complex campaign data into clear, business-centric narratives for VP+ level audiences.</li>
<li>Budget Stewardship: Direct the allocation of monthly budgets exceeding $1MM, ensuring agile fund movement to capture demand during peak sales events. <br><br>
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<strong>EXECUTION, INNOVATION & AI<br></strong><br>
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<li>Omnichannel Growth: Develop strategies that simultaneously drive online ROAS and local store visits, utilizing the full suite of search products (Performance Max, Shopping, Local Inventory Ads, YouTube and Demand Gen).</li>
<li>AI & Automation: Lead the agency’s adoption of scripts and AI tools to automate bidding, streamline reporting, and visualize data. You will test new workflows to optimize output and create efficiencies.</li>
<li>Data-Driven Optimization: Move beyond basic metrics. Analyze full-funnel performance (from impression to conversion) to provide actionable insights that inform not just bids, but creative and landing page decisions.<br><br>
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<strong>TEAM MANAGEMENT & COLLABORATION<br></strong><br>
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<li>Mentorship: Manage and mentor a team of SEM Managers and Specialists. Foster a culture of rigorous QA, testing and continuous professional development.</li>
<li>Cross-Channel Integration: Collaborate with the client’s internal and external partners (SEO, Affiliate, Display) to ensure a unified market presence and consistent messaging.<br><br>
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<strong>EXPERIENCE & BACKGROUND<br></strong><br>
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<li>7+ years of paid search experience, with a background in high-volume B2C campaigns.</li>
<li>2+ years of management experience with at least two direct reports.</li>
<li>Budget Scale: Proven track record of directly managing monthly ad spends of $1MM+.</li>
<li>Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business or analytics, or equivalent experience.<br><br>
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<strong>TECHNICAL MASTERY<br></strong><br>
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<li>Deep Platform Knowledge: Expert-level proficiency in Google Ads (Search, Shopping, PMax), Microsoft Ads, and SA360 (or similar enterprise tools).</li>
<li>Analytics & Reporting: Advanced proficiency in GA4 or Adobe Analytics and Excel/Google Sheets. Experience with visualization tools like Power BI, Looker Studio or Tableau is highly preferred.</li>
<li>Automation Fluency: Comfort with script adoption and using AI for reporting insights. Willingness to embrace new technology to solve old problems.<br><br>
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<strong>SOFT SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES<br></strong><br>
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<li>Retail Acumen: You understand retail math (margins, inventory turn, seasonality) and how digital marketing impacts the bottom line.</li>
<li>Clear Communicator: You can explain complex SEM concepts to non-technical stakeholders without getting lost in the jargon.</li>
<li>Detail-Oriented: You have a "zero-defect" mentality regarding campaign setup, budget pacing, and QA.<br><br>
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<strong>WHY THIS ROLE?<br></strong><br>
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<li>Impact: You will be guiding the strategy for a household brand name, where your decisions have an immediate, measurable impact on revenue.</li>
<li>Innovation: We are looking for a changemaker who wants to push the boundaries of what is possible with AI and automation in paid search.</li>
<li>Culture: Join a team that values autonomy, smart collaboration and a people-first approach to agency life.<br><br>
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<p>This is a remote position.</p>