Paid Media Director

Position Title:Paid Media Director

Position Status: Exempt

Work Hours: MonFri 8am-5pm. Hours may vary for project needs. Saturdays and secondary holidays may be a scheduled workday. Travel will be required.

Reports To: System Marketing Director

Location: Remote

Position Description

The Paid Media Director leads Bryant & Stratton Colleges paid media strategy across all digital and traditional channels ensuring investments are efficient data-driven and aligned with enrollment and brand objectives. This role provides strategic oversight accountability and continuous optimization to maximize impact and return on marketing spend.

The Paid Media Director will help shape and execute our performance marketing strategies. Youll drive growth that increases new student acquisition by optimizing our media mix testing into new media channels and running structured experimentation across ads audiences and landing experiences to improve conversion and lead quality. This individual will play a key role in advancing our paid media programs by using data and audience insights to drive smarter investment decisions.

The ideal candidate combines strong analytical skills with creative problem-solving to plan launch and continually improve campaigns across multiple paid channels. They are proficient in digital marketing ad and marketing technology platforms measurement frameworks (e.g. attribution incrementality) and the data integrations required to turn media signals into actionable insights. They are an experienced performance marketer with a successful track record of using paid media to generate qualified leads and drive measurable business outcomes.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Paid Media Strategy & Planning

• Develop and lead the paid media strategy and roadmap across paid channels including SEM social PPL programmatic traditional media and new channels as applicable.

• Partner with System Marketing Director to translate annual paid enrollment targets into actionable media strategies that achieve enrollment funnel goals for each term.

• Establish a disciplined test-and-learn roadmap to continually improve media and creative performance and ensure the College is preparing for the changing AI landscape.

• Lead media and creative testing (audiences messaging formats and landing pages) to identify what drives performance and apply learnings to future campaign and creative strategy.

• Provide guidance best practices and as-needed support for the Regional Marketing Director on local media buys funded through the local marketing budget.

• Identify and evaluate emerging media opportunities and technologies to maintain a competitive advantage in the higher education landscape.

Budget Ownership Forecasting & Pacing

• Own forecasting budget allocation invoice processing and in-term pacing across the working media budget.

• Partner with the System Marketing Director on annual planning term forecasting and scenario analyses that highlight risks tradeoffs and opportunities.

Performance Measurement & Attribution

• Continuously evaluate performance through a full-funnel lens pairing volume KPIs (leads opportunities enrollments) with cost-per KPIs (CPL CPO CPE). Use retention by source data to identify which channels deliver the strongest downstream outcomes and reallocate spend accordingly.

• Partner with Institutional Research and Analytics team IT and external partners to ensure reliable tracking and data integrity across the marketing tech stack so media investment decisions are guided by accurate data and insights.

• Partner with agency and in-house analytics team to strengthen full-funnel measurement and attribution so we can clearly see which channels drive results and optimize spend accordingly.

Agency & Vendor Management

• Serve as day-to-day contact between Bryant & Stratton College and paid media agency partners ensuring strategic alignment strong execution and measurable results.

• Support vendor selection contract/SOW development and ongoing performance evaluation to ensure best-in-class results and cost efficiency.

• Ensure all media and creative adheres to higher education compliance standards brand guidelines and platform policies.

Other duties responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Education

• Bachelors degree in Marketing Business Analytics or a related field

• Platform or analytics certifications preferred (e.g. Google Ads GA4 Meta etc.)

Qualifications

• 7 years of progressive experience in paid media management with a proven track record in performance marketing lead generation and demand generation strategies preferably in higher education or a lead-driven industry.
• Demonstrated success in scaling paid media programs including managing multi-channel campaigns (SEM social programmatic PPL and traditional media) to drive qualified leads pipeline growth and revenue outcomes.
• Expertise in ad and marketing technology platforms (e.g. Google Ads Meta Ads Manager programmatic DSPs) and measurement frameworks (e.g. multi-touch attribution incrementality testing media mix modeling).
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in data tools such as Google Analytics Qlik or similar and experience integrating data across martech stacks to inform investment decisions and optimize ROI.
• Experience managing budgets of $10M annually including forecasting pacing and scenario planning to align with business objectives.
• Proven ability in agency and vendor management including contract negotiation performance evaluation and ensuring compliance with industry regulations.
• Hands-on expertise across SEM paid social PPL/lead aggregators and programmatic/DSP; ability to deploy campaigns across traditional channels.

• Contribute to a culture of experimentation learning and rapid iteration
• Stay informed on industry trends competitive benchmarks and best practices in performance marketing

Key Competencies

• Performance leadership and accountability
• Analytical rigor and structured problem-solving
• Test-and-learn mindset (experimentation discipline)
• Effective communication (clear decision-oriented storytelling)
• Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management
• Technical fluency in ad tech tracking and data integration concepts
• Creative judgment informed by performance insights
• Operational excellence: process documentation governance

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

Position requires standing or sitting in a stationary position as well as the occasional need to lift carry push and/or move objects up to 10 pounds.

Position also requires the use of computer technology/equipment.

Position requires the ability to receive information in person and over the telephone.

Position requires the ability to convey detailed and important instructions or ideas accurately.

Background Check or Licensing Requirements:

This position requires a background check.

Starting Salary Range: $140000 - 150000 per year

Please note that the compensation information is a good faith estimate of the base pay for this position. The selected candidates actual base pay for this role will take into account a wide range of non-discriminatory factors including but not limited to skill sets experience and training licensure and certifications and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate may not have been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. At Bryant & Stratton College it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. Information about the total compensation package for this position will be provided during the interview process.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin age disability or protected veteran status or any other legally protected basis in accordance with applicable law. Bryant & Stratton College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Required Experience:

Director