Director, SEM & Paid Marketing

US News & World Report ,L.P.•Washington, DC

20d•$160,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

U.S. News & World Report is seeking a hands-on, data-driven SEM & Paid Marketing leader to support our high-growth verticals, with a focus on Consumer Finance and Insurance. This role is responsible for the end-to-end strategy, execution, automation and optimization of our paid marketing engine, with a primary focus on Search Engine Marketing (SEM). You will be tasked with driving high-intent audience growth and lead generation in our primary verticals, including mortgages, credit cards, banking, and auto/home/medicare insurance. This is a senior leadership position requiring a blend of technical platform expertise, hands-on experience with robust automation, analytical rigor, and proven ability to manage significant media budgets and meet targets. The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of digital marketing, marketing automation, lead capture, media analytics and optimization, the ability to lead cross-functional teams, and a deep knowledge of the latest digital media trends and best practices.

Requirements

At least 8-10 years of performance marketing experience, with at least 4 years in a senior marketing role at a major lead-generator or consumer financial services marketplace.
Deep, hands-on experience in SEM (Google Ads/SA360) and sophisticated data attribution and campaign automation to support optimal performance.
Proven track record with performance marketing in consumer finance and/or insurance, with a deep understanding of the competitive landscape, lead-generation dynamics and regulatory compliance.
Expert-level ability to interpret complex data sets, perform A/B testing at scale, and deliver actionable insights to colleagues and executive leadership.
Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Economics, Statistics, or a related field; MBA and/or MS preferred.

Nice To Haves

Data science and/or data engineering experience is a plus.
Experience excelling in a cross functional environment.
Proven ability to effect change.
Experience with full funnel optimization from Advertising click-through to Funnel conversion to Partner lead purchase and downfunnel Lifecycle.
Experience managing and developing both junior and senior performance marketing team members.
Familiarity with SEO/SEM interplay and how paid search can support organic authority.
Passion for the U.S. News mission of providing trusted advice to consumers making critical life decisions.

Responsibilities

Quarterback ongoing optimization of our paid marketing efforts, including marketing automation and consumer experiences to drive best-in-class performance.
Develop and execute an integrated paid media strategy that aligns with long-term business goals and aggressive growth targets.
Working with functional teams, plan and execute data-driven automation to optimize and personalize our paid marketing efforts to increase direct purchases and more effective lead generation.
Plan and execute data-driven optimization and growth in sell-through and monetization.
You will lead efforts across a cross-functional team encompassing SEM & Paid Marketing, Data Science, UX & CRO, Partner Management, Analytics and Operations.
Improve execution speed by streamlining processes, implementing automation, and integrating technologies to enhance the agility and operations of the broader marketing team.
Develop category-specific SEM growth plans for consumer financial products and insurance sectors, bringing competitive performance strategies and identifying ways for the company to leverage its brand strengths and differentiate.
Implement and manage advanced attribution models to understand the full-funnel impact of performance spend; collaborate with data science teams to refine LTV/CAC calculations.
Partner with Data Science to refine attribution models, implement incrementality testing, and utilize deep-funnel data to inform bidding strategies.