Vice President, Paid Search

Company Description

Starcom is the world's first standalone media agency, a storied innovator that continues to lead the way for many of the world's best brands.

Starcom has long been the professional birthplace and proving ground for marketing leaders – CEOs, CMOs, sales leaders, and technology pioneers – and we continue to drive the industry with peerless talent and relentless innovation.

From the start, we've known that achieving growth for our clients requires understanding and connecting with real people where they live and work, in ways they value.

In an AI era, we remain ""Guided By Humanity,"" a phrase that describes our foundational belief that human expertise must remain in the driver's seat, supported by the best processes and technology.

With our proprietary capabilities and Publicis Media's industry-leading resources and clout, we create ideas that move people and drive transformative business outcomes for brands.

Overview

The Vice President, Paid Search is a senior performance media leader responsible for setting the vision, direction, and long‑term success of paid search across key client relationships and the broader agency. This role owns enterprise‑level paid search strategy, executive client partnerships, financial stewardship, and talent leadership, while ensuring paid search is fully integrated into holistic media solutions.

As a VP, you will serve as a strategic advisor to clients and internal leadership, guiding teams through an evolving search landscape shaped by automation, platform innovation, and increasingly complex performance expectations. This role balances strategic leadership, business growth, and organizational influence with accountability for results.

Responsibilities

Provide vision, direction, and leadership to paid search teams, ensuring alignment with agency goals and client business outcomes

Lead and inspire teams in the development and execution of high‑impact paid search strategies that deliver sustained performance and growth

Build and maintain executive‑level client relationships, serving as a trusted advisor across paid search and broader digital strategy

Define success frameworks for paid search programs, including KPIs, measurement approaches, and optimization strategies

Advocate for the value of paid search across the organization, educating clients and teams on evolving platform capabilities, automation, and industry trends

Guide teams in improving performance through advanced optimization techniques, AI‑supported bidding and forecasting tools, and sound strategic judgment

Lead senior‑level client and internal presentations that clearly communicate strategy, insights, and performance outcomes

Own financial oversight for assigned accounts, including P&L management, forecasting, and staffing plans

Drive holistic media planning and integration by partnering with leaders across analytics, programmatic, paid social, and other performance disciplines

Establish scalable processes, quality standards, and best practices to support operational excellence and growth

Partner with department and executive leadership to identify innovation opportunities, integrated solutions, and new areas of value for clients

Keep senior management informed of account health, growth opportunities, and potential risks

Develop a deep understanding of client businesses, categories, and organizational dynamics to proactively shape strategic recommendations

Navigate complex client environments and stakeholder relationships, including executive‑level conversations and cross‑functional collaboration

Support problem‑solving and conflict resolution with professionalism, diplomacy, and a solutions‑oriented mindset

Oversee advanced performance analysis and measurement approaches, including attribution, ROI analysis, forecasting, and media effectiveness

Foster a culture of collaboration, curiosity, accountability, and continuous learning across teams

Establish expectations and goals for performance marketing thought leadership at the VP level

Coach, mentor, and develop senior talent through feedback, training, and career development

Champion the documentation and evolution of best practices that improve efficiency, scalability, and team effectiveness

Qualifications

10+ years of experience in paid search, performance marketing, or digital media with increasing leadership responsibility

7+ years of experience using data and insights to drive strategic marketing and media recommendations

7+ years of people management experience, including leadership of senior managers and directors

Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate performance data into executive‑level insights

Deep understanding of paid search platforms, automation, and modern measurement frameworks

Proven ability to influence executive stakeholders and guide complex decision‑making

Exceptional leadership, communication, and relationship‑building skills

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including advanced Excel capabilities

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Additional Information

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.

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 U.S. based employees, are reviewed on an annual basis, and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [email protected].

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation Range: USD $149,340.00 - USD $214,620.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. This role may also be eligible for bonus or incentive compensation. 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 6/27/2026.