Paid Media Director (Social)

Later•Los Angeles, CA

6h•$160,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Later is seeking a Director, Paid Media Services to oversee their paid media offering, ensuring it is competitive, differentiated, and delivers high-impact results for clients. This role involves defining strategic direction for paid media across key channels, enhancing market presence, and building systems and capabilities for high-level execution. The Director will be instrumental in driving new business, expanding client relationships, and establishing the paid media offering as best-in-class. Later is described as the world’s most intelligent influencer marketing company, utilizing AI-powered platforms, proprietary data, and expert guidance to help brands create effective campaigns. They focus on removing guesswork from influencer marketing, enabling brands to select the right creators, execute managed campaigns, and achieve growth in awareness, engagement, and revenue. Later serves enterprise brands like Nike, Wayfair, Unilever, and Southwest Airlines, bridging creativity and performance.

Requirements

Experience in defining and evolving Paid Media strategy.
Experience in shaping go-to-market positioning and packaging of services.
Experience in new business development, including supporting proposals and crafting media strategies.
Experience identifying and developing new channel opportunities.
Experience establishing strategic frameworks for channel mix, budget allocation, and performance optimization.
Experience leading client calls to explain campaign strategy and results.
Experience setting strategic direction for campaign planning, activation, and optimization.
Experience defining and standardizing advanced measurement frameworks.
Experience driving integration of emerging and high-growth channels like YouTube, CTV, and Retail Media.
Experience leading innovation in tracking infrastructure.
Experience partnering with data teams for tool development.
Experience partnering cross-functionally with Client Services, Sales, Creative, and Strategy teams.
Experience acting as a senior escalation point for strategic challenges.
Experience collaborating with leadership on resourcing and team structure.
Experience setting performance standards and KPIs.
Experience coaching and developing managers.
Experience fostering a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement.
Experience leading initiatives for operational scalability.

Nice To Haves

Experience with influencer marketing.
Experience with AI-powered platforms.
Experience with billions of social interactions, impressions, and influencer-driven purchases.
Experience with Nike, Wayfair, Unilever, and Southwest Airlines.
Experience with YouTube (full-funnel video strategy, creator + paid integration).
Experience with CTV (measurement, audience strategy, and performance validation).
Experience with Retail media (e.g., Walmart Connect) and commerce-driven media strategies.
Experience with Mavely & Affiliate offerings.
Experience with benchmarking and client-facing dashboards.

Responsibilities

Define and evolve the Paid Media strategy across Enterprise & Mid Market campaigns, ensuring strategy and execution deliver exceptional performance and an elevated client experience.
Partner with VP, Paid Media to shape go-to-market positioning and packaging of paid media services.
Play a key role in new business development, supporting proposals, crafting media strategies, and contributing to pitch narratives.
Identify and develop new channel opportunities (e.g., YouTube, CTV, Retail Media like Walmart Connect) to expand the offering and drive incremental revenue.
Establish strategic frameworks for channel mix, budget allocation, and performance optimization across clients.
Lead client calls to explain and position campaign strategy, testing frameworks, and results for high importance SBR meetings.
Set the strategic direction for campaign planning, activation, and optimization, ensuring alignment to best practices and performance standards, and providing leadership to Senior Paid Media Managers.
Define and standardize advanced measurement frameworks, including attribution models, incrementality testing, and in-platform vs. cross-channel measurement approaches.
Drive deeper integration of emerging and high-growth channels, including YouTube (full-funnel video strategy, creator + paid integration), CTV (measurement, audience strategy, and performance validation), and retail media (e.g., Walmart Connect) and commerce-driven media strategies.
Lead innovation in tracking infrastructure, including pixel strategy, server-side tracking, and tighter integration of Mavely & Affiliate offerings.
Partner with data teams to support new tool development, including benchmarking and client-facing dashboards.
Partner cross-functionally with Client Services, Sales, Creative, and Strategy teams to deliver integrated media solutions.
Act as a senior escalation point for complex strategic challenges, particularly around performance, measurement, and channel mix.
Collaborate with leadership on resourcing, team structure, and capability gaps.
Set clear performance standards and KPIs across the Paid Media team, driving accountability and consistency.
Coach and develop managers into strong strategic leaders.
Foster a culture of experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement.
Lead initiatives that improve operational scalability, including process standardization, documentation, and knowledge sharing.