Associate Director, Paid Social

Code3

4d • $113,000 - $134,500 • Remote

About The Position

The Associate Director, Paid Social independently leads paid social strategy, performance, and client relationships across a portfolio of accounts while developing and mentoring a high-performing team. As the senior paid social lead for assigned accounts, this person applies deep performance marketing and/or CPG brand strategy expertise to translate business challenges into actionable, full-funnel strategies that drive measurable growth.

The role calls for a proactive, confident leader who can guide client conversations, diagnose performance challenges, build and optimize campaigns, and make decisions autonomously. It combines big-picture strategic thinking with hands-on platform expertise. The Associate Director also develops senior strategists and media buyers, raises the quality of strategic thinking and execution, and fosters accountability, curiosity, and knowledge sharing. They partner with Paid Social Directors while independently owning accounts, communicating risks and opportunities, and escalating complex challenges when appropriate. Hands-on experience building, auditing, and optimizing paid social campaigns is required.

Requirements

• 6+ years of paid social experience, including agency experience independently leading strategy, performance, and client relationships across multiple accounts.
• Strong background working with eCommerce and/or CPG brands.
• Proven ability to develop and execute full-funnel, performance-driven paid social strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Expertise in customer acquisition, creative effectiveness, audience strategy, testing, optimization, and measurement.
• Advanced hands-on expertise across major paid social platforms, particularly Meta and TikTok.
• Ability to independently build and optimize campaigns, audit account structures, troubleshoot technical issues, and develop actionable performance-improvement strategies.
• Proven experience managing and mentoring paid social teams, developing senior talent, setting expectations, and driving accountability.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills, including experience independently leading client relationships, delivering strategic recommendations, and navigating challenging conversations.
• Strong understanding of creative strategy, testing methodologies, attribution, and performance measurement, and ability to connect media performance to broader business objectives.
• Advanced Excel skills, including required pivot-table skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with eCommerce KPIs such as ROAS, CAC, and LTV, and/or CPG measurement approaches such as brand lift, sales lift, and incrementality.
• Working knowledge of Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, and emerging paid social platforms.
• Experience with eCommerce analytics and attribution platforms such as GA4, Northbeam, or Triple Whale.
• Relevant platform certifications.

Responsibilities

• Independently lead paid social strategy, performance, and client relationships across a portfolio of accounts, overseeing full-funnel media planning, creative strategy, testing, measurement, and ongoing optimization.
• Serve as the senior paid social expert and trusted strategic advisor for assigned clients, leading strategic conversations, navigating performance challenges, and delivering proactive, data-backed recommendations.
• Independently audit accounts, build campaigns, troubleshoot technical issues, diagnose performance trends, and implement optimizations as needed.
• Lead, mentor, and develop senior strategists and media buyers by establishing expectations, providing actionable feedback, and fostering accountability, strategic thinking, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure operational excellence across campaign activation, quality assurance, pacing, budget management, reporting, and client communication; identify and resolve risks proactively.
• Collaborate with Paid Social Directors and cross-functional teams to advance creative innovation, testing strategies, and measurement best practices.
• Contribute insights and knowledge sharing across the broader paid social practice.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Retirement program.
• Parental leave and return-to-work program.
• Flexible Time Off.
• Sabbatical opportunities.
• Paid holidays.
• Quarterly Company Recharge Days.
• December holiday closure.
• Learning and development opportunities.
• Bonus based on company and client success; eligibility and details are discussed during recruitment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed