Paid Media Director (Freelance)

Highwire•Chicago, CA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Highwire is seeking a Director, Paid Media for a contract engagement providing strategic leadership across integrated paid media programs for B2B clients. Direct agency experience with B2B technology and/or healthcare clients is required. The Director will translate client business priorities into data-driven media strategies that connect brand awareness, audience engagement, pipeline development, and lead generation. The role provides senior strategic counsel to clients and internal teams, oversees multi-channel campaigns, and integrates paid media with communications, marketing, and demand-generation programs. It includes responsibility for campaign measurement and optimization, client leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and mentoring and knowledge transfer. The contract engagement is focused on delivering immediate strategic value, improving campaign performance, and advancing client priorities. Highwire is a strategic marketing communications agency serving industries including B2B technology, healthcare, cybersecurity, energy, and professional and financial services. The company describes its culture as inclusive, collaborative, and people-first, with core values of Team Empowerment, Growth Mindset, Inclusion Always, and Fierce Distinction. The role offers remote or hybrid work depending on location. Candidates within commuting distance of the New York, NY or San Francisco, CA offices follow a hybrid schedule with three in-office days per week. Fully remote roles are available to candidates residing in the listed eligible states and Washington, D.C. at the time of hire.

Requirements

At least 8 years of experience in digital marketing, paid media, or performance marketing, including expertise developing and leading integrated paid media strategies.
Agency experience working with B2B technology and/or healthcare clients; direct experience supporting at least one of these industries is required.
Proven ability to lead complex, multi-channel paid media programs and translate business objectives into actionable media strategies.
Strong expertise across paid search, paid social, programmatic display and video, native advertising, sponsored content, retargeting, and ABM platforms.
Experience developing full-funnel media programs supporting brand awareness, engagement, demand generation, and lead generation.
Strong analytical skills and ability to connect media performance to business outcomes through measurement, testing, and optimization.
Demonstrated experience advising clients, presenting strategic recommendations, and influencing senior stakeholders.
Experience mentoring team members and providing strategic oversight across multiple client programs.
Strong project management skills and ability to prioritize competing demands and deliver results in a fast-paced agency environment.
Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-management skills.
Ability to quickly assess existing programs, identify opportunities, and deliver value within a defined contract engagement.
Strategic, solutions-oriented mindset with an interest in media innovation, continuous improvement, and measurable client impact.
At the time of hire, reside in an eligible location: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, or Washington, D.C.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead integrated paid media strategies aligned with client business objectives, marketing priorities, and communications programs.
Oversee paid search, paid social, programmatic display and video, native advertising, sponsored publisher content, retargeting, and account-based marketing programs.
Guide media planning, audience segmentation, budget allocation, forecasting, and investment recommendations.
Identify emerging platforms, technologies, targeting capabilities, and media opportunities.
Establish best practices for campaign planning, execution, measurement, optimization, and reporting, and provide strategic oversight of campaign delivery.
Integrate paid media into broader marketing and communications strategies supporting brand awareness, engagement, demand generation, and pipeline growth.
Advise clients and internal teams on full-funnel media strategies connecting audience insights, content, messaging, and conversion objectives.
Partner with account leadership and communications, content, digital, and marketing teams to deliver cohesive integrated programs.
Develop strategies to amplify content, reach priority audiences, support ABM initiatives, and accelerate lead generation.
Improve the connection between media performance and downstream outcomes, including lead quality, conversion rates, and pipeline contribution.
Establish campaign measurement frameworks, performance benchmarks, and KPIs aligned with client objectives.
Oversee performance analysis using paid media platforms, Google Analytics, and platform-specific reporting systems.
Translate campaign data into actionable insights, strategic recommendations, and client-facing performance narratives.
Guide testing and experimentation and identify opportunities to improve targeting, creative effectiveness, conversion pathways, and budget allocation.
Lead performance reviews and communicate campaign effectiveness, learnings, and optimization recommendations to client stakeholders.
Serve as a senior strategic partner to clients and lead strategic planning discussions, presentations, and performance reviews.
Partner with account leadership to align media programs with client objectives, account strategies, and business priorities.
Build collaborative relationships across client and internal teams; proactively identify challenges, recommend solutions, and deliver strategic priorities during the contract engagement.
Provide strategic direction, mentorship, and day-to-day guidance to paid media team members as needed.
Support team development in media planning, analytics, client communication, and performance optimization.
Establish processes and recommendations that strengthen campaign execution and operational efficiency.
Share industry insights, platform developments, and emerging best practices, and document strategies and workflows for continuity and knowledge transfer.
Ensure programs comply with applicable data privacy regulations, platform policies, advertising standards, and client requirements.
Apply responsible audience-targeting and consent-based data practices, securely handle personally identifiable information, and advise teams on evolving privacy requirements.