Paid Media Lead

Ciena Government Solutions • Baltimore, MD

5d

About The Position

As the global leader in high-speed connectivity, Ciena is committed to a people-first approach. Our teams enjoy a culture focused on prioritizing a flexible work environment that empowers individual growth, well-being, and belonging. We’re a technology company that leads with our humanity—driving our business priorities alongside meaningful social, community, and societal impact. The Paid Media Lead is a role within Digital Marketing at Ciena, responsible for defining and executing the end-to-end strategy for programmatic display and paid placements in key trade publications, with video activation across channels such as YouTube where appropriate. This role owns planning, activation, optimization, measurement, and budget allocation, supporting global programs across regions. You’ll operate as both strategist and hands-on practitioner, translating marketing objectives into scalable, high-performing media programs. This role brings discipline and accountability to how we invest in both programmatic and premium trade media. You’ll shape where and how we show up in the market—and make sure those investments actually perform. How you will make an impact: · Own the programmatic display strategy across awareness, consideration, and demand programs, including video activation across channels such as YouTube and Connected TV · Plan, launch, and manage campaigns across Demand Side Platforms (e.g., DV360, Google Adwords, YouTube), including audience strategy, inventory selection and media mix decisions · Define and execute media buy strategy for priority trade publications, including site selection, sponsorships, high-impact placements, and contextual alignment · Own the paid media budget, including planning, allocation, forecasting, pacing, and performance-based reallocation · Develop and continuously refine targeting strategies (first- and third-party data, contextual, intent, ABM, retargeting) across display, trade media, and video environments · Support and guide display and video media strategy across regions, ensuring consistency in approach while allowing for local nuance · Define and execute media buy strategy for priority trade publications, as well as video placements across YouTube and Connected TV · Lead negotiations with publishers, platforms, and vendors to maximize value, audience quality, and performance within budget constraints · Leverage ZoomInfo Marketing to support audience strategy, account-based targeting, and activation across programmatic · Drive ongoing optimization across bids, budgets, pacing, creative rotation, frequency, and reach · Partner closely with analytics, web, and content teams to ensure strong measurement, attribution, landing-page performance and lead conversion. · Translate performance data into clear insights and recommendations for stakeholders—what’s working, what’s not, and what to do next · Manage agency, vendor and publisher/platform relationships, holding them accountable to transparency, budget discipline, and results · Stay ahead of industry shifts (privacy, cookies, identity, AI-driven optimization) and proactively evolve the programmatic approach · Apply strong project management skills to prioritize and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment, ensuring deadlines and business goals are met. · Maintain meticulous attention to detail while managing shifting priorities and ensuring the quality of deliverables.

Requirements

• 5–8+ years of paid media experience with direct ownership of paid media budget
• Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or related field.
• Strong command of DSPs, audience strategies, and measurement frameworks
• Strong knowledge and expertise of advertising platforms (Google Adwords, Zoominfo Marketing, etc)
• Working knowledge of YouTube buying and measurement
• Experience in keyword and contextual targeting and audience targeting techniques, with the ability to derive actionable insights from complex datasets.
• Experience with publisher-direct and trade publication media buys
• Strong financial and analytical mindset
• Comfortable operating at both strategic and executional levels
• Clear communicator who can push back on ineffective or low-value media buys
• Experience in B2B, enterprise, or long buying-cycle environments preferred
• Ability to effectively communicate, engage, and work well with internal clients
• Proven aptitude in a high velocity environment
• Ability to reprioritize multiple projects as deadlines and objectives change
• Ideal candidate can understand and translate technical concepts accurately to a non-technical audience
• Works proactively and always thinks ahead
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to “think outside of the box”

Responsibilities

• Own the programmatic display strategy across awareness, consideration, and demand programs, including video activation across channels such as YouTube and Connected TV
• Plan, launch, and manage campaigns across Demand Side Platforms (e.g., DV360, Google Adwords, YouTube), including audience strategy, inventory selection and media mix decisions
• Define and execute media buy strategy for priority trade publications, including site selection, sponsorships, high-impact placements, and contextual alignment
• Own the paid media budget, including planning, allocation, forecasting, pacing, and performance-based reallocation
• Develop and continuously refine targeting strategies (first- and third-party data, contextual, intent, ABM, retargeting) across display, trade media, and video environments
• Support and guide display and video media strategy across regions, ensuring consistency in approach while allowing for local nuance
• Define and execute media buy strategy for priority trade publications, as well as video placements across YouTube and Connected TV
• Lead negotiations with publishers, platforms, and vendors to maximize value, audience quality, and performance within budget constraints
• Leverage ZoomInfo Marketing to support audience strategy, account-based targeting, and activation across programmatic
• Drive ongoing optimization across bids, budgets, pacing, creative rotation, frequency, and reach
• Partner closely with analytics, web, and content teams to ensure strong measurement, attribution, landing-page performance and lead conversion.
• Translate performance data into clear insights and recommendations for stakeholders—what’s working, what’s not, and what to do next
• Manage agency, vendor and publisher/platform relationships, holding them accountable to transparency, budget discipline, and results
• Stay ahead of industry shifts (privacy, cookies, identity, AI-driven optimization) and proactively evolve the programmatic approach
• Apply strong project management skills to prioritize and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment, ensuring deadlines and business goals are met.
• Maintain meticulous attention to detail while managing shifting priorities and ensuring the quality of deliverables.

Benefits

• Ciena offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, participation in 401(K) (USA) & DCPP (Canada) with company matching, Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), company-paid holidays, paid sick leave, and vacation time.
• We also comply with all applicable laws regarding Paid Family Leave and other leaves of absence.

What This Job Offers

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