SEM Associate Director, Paid Search Activation

Citi • New York, NY

2d • $129,840 - $194,760 • Hybrid

About The Position

Citi is looking for a Paid Search Associate Director to lead enterprise-scale paid search execution within the U.S. Consumer Cards Paid Media team — one of the largest and most performance-driven digital marketing operations in financial services. In this role, you will own the end-to-end delivery of paid search campaigns across multiple lines of business, translating strategy into scalable, compliant, and high-performing execution. You will manage a hands-on delivery team and play a central role in advancing automation and AI-driven search capabilities across Citi's paid search program.

Requirements

• 6–10 years of experience in paid search execution, including direct leadership of campaign delivery teams in complex, high-volume environments.
• Hands-on expertise in Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and SA360, with advanced proficiency in Google automated bidding strategies including tCPA, tROAS, budget-based bidding, multi-target portfolio strategies, and shared budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to manage paid search programs at scale, including large budgets and simultaneous campaigns across multiple business lines.
• Working knowledge of automation and AI-driven search capabilities and their practical impact on campaign execution workflows.
• Solid grounding in digital analytics, attribution models, A/B testing, and performance optimization methodologies.
• Experience operating within regulated environments, with exposure to risk, compliance, and governance frameworks.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent university qualification.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with tagging, tracking implementation, and scalable execution solutions developed in partnership with Data and Engineering teams.
• Experience troubleshooting campaign, platform, and tracking issues across major search platforms to maintain consistent delivery.
• Background in consumer marketing or financial services, with an understanding of how paid search fits within broader through-the-line campaign strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end paid search campaign execution across multiple lines of business, overseeing delivery from initial build through launch and ongoing in-flight management to ensure consistent, high-quality output.
• Manage and develop a campaign delivery team responsible for trafficking, quality assurance, budget pacing, and performance reporting, setting clear execution standards across all accounts.
• Design and continuously refine standardized workflows, playbooks, and operating procedures that improve campaign delivery efficiency, scalability, and consistency at enterprise scale.
• Coordinate with Risk, Legal, and Compliance teams to ensure all paid search activities meet regulatory requirements and internal advertising standards, minimizing operational and compliance risk.
• Operationalize AI-powered and automated search capabilities — including automated bidding strategies such as tCPA, tROAS, and portfolio bidding — within campaign execution workflows to improve performance and reduce manual effort.
• Partner with Analytics teams to build reporting frameworks and dashboards that track campaign performance against key metrics including ROAS, CPA, and conversion rates, enabling reliable attribution and informed decision-making.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across Marketing, Technology, Product, Risk, Legal, and Finance to align execution priorities, communicate performance updates, and manage platform and vendor relationships with Google, Microsoft, and SA360.

Benefits

• Competitive financial wellbeing and benefits package, including support for long-term financial planning.
• Wellbeing support and work-life balance resources designed to help you perform at your best.
• medical, dental & vision coverage
• 401(k)
• life, accident, and disability insurance
• wellness programs
• paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

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