Paid Search Director

Fingerpaint Marketing•Cedar Knolls, NJ

About The Position

Reset your expectations of what a healthcare agency can be. Fingerpaint was founded on a simple, powerful idea: Put people first. By replacing egos with a "Never Paint by Number" philosophy, we empower our teams to create truly original work while delivering integrated marketing and life sciences solutions for patients and providers alike. Fiercely independent, we blend empathy, creativity, and data to solve the industry’s most complex challenges, empowering bold thinkers to craft with the courage and purpose needed to break the mold. Objectives of this Role: As a Director, Paid Search at Fingerpaint, you will serve as a strategic and operational leader within the paid search discipline across a portfolio of pharmaceutical clients. You will set the strategic vision for your assigned accounts, drive innovation in how we manage and optimize search campaigns, and ensure our capabilities remain at the forefront of the industry. You will lead and develop a high-performing team of four direct reports, overseeing strategy and activation for your assigned brands. You will also partner with organic search and generative engine optimization counterparts to ensure a holistic, collaborative approach to search strategy. You will also be responsible for forecasting, scoping, and staffing paid search projects to ensure proper management, optimizations, and support is available for your assigned brands. You will serve as the senior point of contact for client relationships, represent paid search in new business opportunities, and lead thought leadership efforts.

Requirements

6-8 years of hands-on experience managing paid search accounts, with progressive leadership and management responsibilities; agency experience strongly preferred
Deep expertise in paid search campaign strategy, management, analysis, and optimization across Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, YouTube, and Search Ads 360
Demonstrated ability to translate complex data and campaign performance into clear, actionable strategic recommendations
Strong proficiency with analytics and data visualization platforms (Google Analytics, Tableau, Looker Studio, or Google Data Studio)
Experience working with AI tools, such as Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT, to improve day to day efficiencies within your and your team’s workloads
Excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills
Proficient in MS Office, particularly Excel (V-Lookups, Pivot Tables, financial modeling) and PowerPoint

Nice To Haves

In addition to experience in pharmaceutical industry, non-pharma experience is welcome
Experience contributing to and leading new business pitches and proposals is a plus
Experience with or exposure to organic SEO is a plus
Experience with generative engine optimization (GEO) and working within LLMs is a plus
Experience with advanced claims-based analytics (e.g., Crossix DIFA) is a plus

Responsibilities

Set the strategic direction for paid search campaigns across Google, Microsoft (Bing), YouTube, and other biddable search-based platforms, ensuring alignment with client business goals, strategic imperatives, and broader media objectives
Present complex paid search strategies, performance insights, and optimization recommendations to external stakeholders in a clear, confident, and digestible manner
Oversee and strategically contribute to targeting, keyword research, ad copy development, landing page assignments, and KPIs/measurement objectives with consideration for campaign outcomes beyond the click, such as deep content engagement and Rx conversion
Proactively identify emerging opportunities in the paid search landscape, including automation, AI-powered bidding, and new platform capabilities, and translate them into actionable client strategies
Serve as the senior point of contact for assigned brands, partnering closely with clients and internal team leads across other departments to integrate paid search within the broader omnichannel media plan
Foster a high-performing team culture rooted in accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and operational excellence
Set clear expectations and goals for team members, providing regular feedback, mentorship, and career development guidance
Ensure quality assurance across all team deliverables, including campaign builds, keyword research, bid management, financial actualizations, and client reporting
Prioritize and delegate tasks across the team in the areas of account creation, QA, optimization, pacing, bid management, targeting, and reporting
Oversee scope development, staffing forecasts, and utilization planning in coordination with media, account, and project management teams
Lead thought leadership efforts by authoring and reviewing search-related POVs, case studies, and insights based on industry updates, trends, and campaign performance findings
Serve as a paid search subject matter expert in new business pitches and proposals, articulating Fingerpaint’s capabilities and point of view to prospective clients
Contribute to the development and refinement of agency-wide paid search processes, best practices, and capability offerings
Stay informed about the latest trends, technologies, and regulations in the search marketplace through research, industry events, and conferences