Director, Media

AARP • Washington, DC

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Media leads the development, execution, and optimization of AARP’s paid and organic search media strategies to drive measurable outcomes aligned with marketing and business objectives. This role translates enterprise media direction into actionable search plans, manages agency and vendor partners, and oversees day‑to‑day team performance across paid search, SEO, and related channels. Works closely with marketing, analytics, and content partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business Administration, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in digital media, search marketing, paid search, SEO, or integrated marketing, including leadership experience managing complex media programs.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing, executing, and optimizing paid search and organic search (SEO) strategies that drive measurable business and marketing outcomes.
• Strong experience analyzing campaign performance, audience insights, and marketing dashboards to identify optimization opportunities and improve return on media investment.
• Proven ability to manage agency and vendor relationships, ensuring effective execution, adherence to best practices, and achievement of performance objectives.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, including marketing, content, analytics, and technology stakeholders, to align media strategies with organizational priorities.
• Strong knowledge of search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO), audience targeting, campaign measurement, and digital media performance optimization.
• Excellent leadership, project management, and operational skills, with experience establishing workflows, quality standards, and scalable processes that improve efficiency and campaign effectiveness.
• Regular and reliable job attendance
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Exhibit respect and understanding of others to maintain professional relationships
• Independent judgement in evaluation options to make sound decisions

Nice To Haves

• advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Manages the planning, activation, and ongoing optimization of paid search and SEO initiatives, ensuring campaigns are aligned with objectives, audience insights, and performance targets established at the enterprise level.
• Analyzes campaign performance, dashboards, and audience data to identify insights, inform strategic adjustments, and improve return on media investment across paid and organic search channels.
• Oversees agency and vendor relationships to ensure effective execution, adherence to best practices, and timely delivery of results, serving as the primary point of accountability for search media performance.
• Partners with marketing, content, analytics, and technology teams ensuring media strategies are aligned with campaign priorities, audience engagement goals, and content experiences across channels.
• Establishes and monitors workflows, processes, and quality standards for paid and organic search media execution, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability across campaigns and teams.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 100% company-funded pension plan
• health, dental, and vision plans
• life insurance
• paid time off to include company and individual holidays, vacation, sick, caregiving, and parental leave
• performance-based and peer-based recognition
• tuition reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director