Sr. Paid Search Manager | Remote for North American Universities

Company Overview:

Our client is a fast-growing performance marketing agency specializing in mission-driven organizations across higher education and nonprofit sectors. Since launching in 2020, the agency has built a strong reputation for combining strategic thinking, creative execution, and data-driven marketing to help universities and organizations achieve measurable growth.

In this role, you will lead Paid Search strategy and execution for university and education-focused partners, driving campaigns designed to increase inquiries, applications, enrollments, and overall student engagement. As a Paid Search Manager, you’ll oversee multi-channel media efforts, mentor team members, and help shape the agency’s broader Paid Media vision.

Your Role:

As a Paid Search Manager, you will own the strategy, performance, and optimization of paid search campaigns across a portfolio of education-focused clients. This role combines strategic planning, hands-on campaign management, analytics, and partner communication to drive measurable results across the search funnel.

You’ll focus on capturing high-intent audiences who are actively searching for programs, services, organizations, or solutions, using keyword strategy, bidding, ad copy, and performance optimization to reach the right people at the right moment.

You’ll collaborate closely with Account Services, Analytics, Creative, and other Paid Media teams to continuously improve campaign performance and support partner goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead Paid Search strategy and execution primarily across Google Ads, with additional platforms as relevant.

• Develop and optimize keyword strategies based on search intent, audience behavior, and partner goals.

• Build and manage campaigns, ad groups, keywords, match types, negative keywords, bidding strategies, and budgets.

• Write and optimize search ad copy aligned with user intent, messaging, and conversion goals.

• Monitor campaign performance, budget pacing, and key metrics such as CTR, CPC, conversion rate, CPA, and ROAS where applicable.

• Analyze search queries, keyword performance, and conversion data to identify optimization opportunities.

• Develop and execute ongoing testing across keywords, bids, ad copy, landing pages, and campaign structures.

• Translate performance data into clear insights and strategic recommendations for partners and internal teams.

• Collaborate with Analytics and Account Services teams to ensure accurate conversion tracking and reporting.

• Stay current on Google Ads updates, automation, bidding technologies, and evolving search behavior.

You Bring:

• 4+ years of hands-on Paid Search experience, ideally in an agency or multi-account environment.

• Strong expertise in Google Ads, including keyword research, bidding strategies, campaign structure, search queries, and optimization.

• Proven experience managing performance-focused campaigns with meaningful budgets.

• Strong understanding of search intent and the ability to translate it into keyword and campaign strategies.

• Experience optimizing campaigns for lead generation, inquiries, applications, enrollments, or other conversion-focused goals.

• Strong analytical skills and comfort working with large amounts of campaign and performance data.

• Ability to diagnose performance changes and turn insights into clear optimization actions.

• Experience with Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console, or similar analytics/tracking platforms.

• Strong client-facing and presentation skills, with the ability to explain technical performance clearly to non-technical stakeholders.

• Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple accounts and priorities simultaneously.

• Strong written and spoken English communication skills.

Bonus Points:

• Experience working with higher education, universities, or nonprofit organizations.

• Familiarity with student recruitment and enrollment marketing.

• Experience managing campaigns across multiple search engines or additional paid media channels.

• Experience with forecasting, media planning, and budget pacing.

• Knowledge of Performance Max, Demand Gen, or emerging Google Ads products.

• Experience mentoring junior Paid Search team members.

• Familiarity with CRM data and offline conversion tracking.

What’s Offered:

• Fully remote work environment.

• Competitive compensation based on experience and scope.

• The opportunity to work on mission-driven campaigns that directly impact education and student growth.

• A collaborative, high-performance culture focused on innovation, service, and continuous improvement.

• Strong opportunities for leadership growth and strategic ownership.

Interview Process:

• Introductory Call: Initial conversation to discuss your background, Paid Media expertise, and leadership experience.

• Paid Search Interview: Deep dive into campaign strategy, optimization approach, reporting, and performance management experience.

• Team Interview: Meet cross-functional team members and discuss collaboration style and workflow management.

• Leadership Interview: Final conversation focused on long-term fit and strategic thinking.

• Offer Stage: Final compensation discussion and onboarding process.

This is an immediate hire for someone excited to lead high-impact education marketing campaigns and help mission-driven organizations grow through best-in-class Paid Search strategy.