Associate Director, Paid Media

Northern

14h•$80,000 - $110,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Northern is growing, and we're looking to add an experienced Associate Director, Paid Media to join our expanding paid media team. In this role, you'll take complete ownership of strategy and end-to-end execution for our key client accounts, leading high-performing, cross-channel paid advertising campaigns that deliver measurable business results. As a senior member of the team, you'll pair deep technical expertise with strategic vision, naturally leading every stage of the campaign lifecycle, from initial research and media planning through hands-on implementation, proactive optimization, and insightful reporting. Our Connected Workplace Program allows you to work remotely, in a hybrid model, or fully in-office. Preference is given to Ontario-based employees due to the requirement for occasional in-person client and team meetings.

Requirements

7+ years of hands-on experience managing paid digital advertising (search, social, display, video, and multi-channel campaigns)
Proven track record leading client accounts and managing cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment
Deep expertise in major advertising platforms: Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Snap, and LinkedIn
Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into strategic insights and actionable recommendations
Excellent client management and communication skills, with ability to influence stakeholders at all levels
Demonstrated success mentoring and developing junior team members
Experience managing budgets and optimizing spend allocation across multiple platforms
Proficiency with marketing automation, analytics tools, and reporting platforms

Responsibilities

Lead paid media strategy and execution across Google, Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Snap, and LinkedIn, owning campaign planning, setup, optimization, and reporting end-to-end
Develop data-driven campaigns aligned with client goals and KPIs, leveraging research, audience targeting, and performance insights to drive measurable results
Monitor and optimize campaign performance, making strategic adjustments, troubleshooting issues, and proactively identifying improvement opportunities
Own media pacing and budget management, ensuring campaigns remain on track with planned spend and performance targets
Act as the senior client partner and primary escalation point, leading strategic conversations, quarterly business reviews, and resolving complex issues
Create and present detailed performance reports, clearly communicating results, trends, and actionable recommendations to clients and stakeholders
Provide strategic direction during client calls and touchpoints, ensuring alignment between campaign execution and business objectives
Connect paid media strategy to broader marketing initiatives, partnering with creative, email, SEO, and UX teams to ensure campaigns reinforce overall business and brand goals
Oversee campaign quality and performance, optimizing ad copy, landing pages, creative assets, and campaign structures in collaboration with internal teams
Support business growth initiatives, contributing to audits, proposals, and identifying opportunities for platform expansion and campaign scaling within existing accounts
Own capacity and workload planning, ensuring account coverage matches account complexity and team bandwidth
Mentor and develop junior team members, reviewing work, providing constructive feedback, and sharing best practices to strengthen team expertise
Stay current on digital marketing trends and platform updates, sharing insights with the team and applying emerging tactics to drive performance