Google Ads Specialist

Star Tribune Branding•Minneapolis, MN

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Minnesota Star Tribune is an innovative modern media organization building on an extraordinary 158-year legacy. With seven Pulitzer Prizes and numerous other accolades, we stand as a beacon of journalistic excellence in Minnesota. We are the heart and voice of the North. Our mission is to build a better Minnesota by connecting us with the people, ideas, and stories that strengthen our communities. We’re seeking dynamic leaders who are passionate about journalism and democracy to help shape this future. If you are excited about reinventing one of our state’s most trusted institutions and leading us into a new era of growth and excellence, we want to hear from you. The Google Ads Specialist in Minneapolis MN leads the strategy, execution, and optimization of paid digital advertising campaigns across Google Search (SEM), Google Display Network (GDN), YouTube, and select paid social platforms including Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok. This role is responsible for managing campaign budgets, analyzing performance data, and optimizing initiatives to achieve defined KPIs and business objectives. The ideal candidate combines strong performance marketing expertise with hands-on digital media buying experience and a deep understanding of cross-platform attribution, audience targeting, and conversion optimization. Working closely with internal teams, the Paid Media Specialist provides actionable insights and strategic recommendations to drive measurable growth and maximize return on ad spend.

Requirements

Minimum of 2 years of experience managing Google Ads (Search & Display).
Experience managing paid social campaigns.
Strong understanding of performance marketing and customer acquisition.
Experience with DSPs, RTB platforms, or display buying environments.
Familiarity with Google Campaign Manager, Google Ad Manager, and tracking platforms.
Experience with tag management systems (GTM preferred).
Strong analytical skills and comfort working with large datasets.
Experience with A/B and multivariate testing.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
Must be currently legally authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status, 0-1, TM, CPT, OPT, etc.). We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Nice To Haves

Google Ads Certification preferred.
Google Analytics Certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Build, launch, manage, and optimize paid media campaigns across Google Search, Display, remarketing, and select Paid Social platforms.
Serve as the subject matter expert for Google Ads strategy, execution, and performance optimization.
Conduct keyword research, audience segmentation, and targeting optimization to improve campaign effectiveness and ROI.
Develop and test ad copy, creative assets, extensions, placements, and bidding strategies aligned to campaign objectives.
Monitor and optimize campaign performance metrics including CPC, CTR, CVR, CPA, Quality Score, pacing, and budget allocation.
Oversee display, retargeting, and programmatic campaign delivery, trafficking, and tracking within Google platforms and DSP environments.
Ensure accurate tracking, tagging, attribution, and reporting implementation using tools such as Google Tag Manager, Google Campaign Manager, and Google Ad Manager.
Analyze and synthesize cross-channel performance data to deliver actionable insights, forecasts, campaign recaps, and strategic recommendations.
Collaborate with account, creative, strategy, and sales teams to align campaigns, messaging, and performance goals with client objectives.
Research industry trends and best practices while contributing to process improvements, workflow documentation, and ongoing digital optimization initiatives.