SEM Associate Director, Paid Search Activation

Citi • New York, NY

10d

About The Position

The U.S. Consumer Cards organization delivers a wide array of credit card services to individual consumers, small businesses, and for our co-branded and retail partners. Our core offerings are focused on credit cards, providing a comprehensive suite of products designed to meet various client payment and lending needs. To deliver on our brand promise, we operate as a truly client-centric organization, driving a high tech, high touch experience for the full Citi relationship, particularly in the U.S. To do so, we have aligned our structure with our strategy, to ensure we win in the U.S., our largest market, and drive greater client-centricity across product, segment and geography. Media is a critical area of focus and growth for Citi U.S. Consumer Cards. The U.S. Consumer Cards Media team is comprised of product and channel marketers who are responsible for driving growth while transforming our digital marketing capabilities to shift the quality and mix of digitally sourced accounts. This includes profitably acquiring new accounts, managing key acquisitions channels, bringing new and refreshed products to market, partnering on through-the-line campaigns, testing new tactics, and driving marketing innovation. We are seeking a highly experienced SEM Associate Director to join our Paid Search Activation team. This individual will oversee the operational framework of our paid search program. This role will lead SEM enterprise-level campaign execution at scale, owning processes, governance, and delivery standards across all accounts and business lines. This role will lead and manage the hands-on keyboard delivery team, partner with SEM strategy leads and serve as the primary lead for SEM operational transformation and innovation.

Requirements

• 6-10 years of progressive experience in SEM/paid search execution, including extensive experience in a leadership or senior role.
• Proven ability to drive operational efficiency in high-budget, highly regulated industries.
• Demonstrated experience managing significant execution teams and large-scale paid media budgets.
• Proven track record of driving substantial performance improvements (e.g., ROAS, conversion rates).
• Mastery of Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, SA360, Adobe Analytics, Looker Studio, GA4, GTM, and related workflow tools.
• Deep expertise in SEM platforms and advanced bid strategies.
• Strong understanding of digital analytics, attribution modeling, A/B testing, and data visualization.
• Exceptional strategic thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Extensive experience with risk management, compliance frameworks, and navigating regulatory landscapes, especially within financial services.
• Outstanding communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively at all organizational levels.
• Exceptional organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects.
• Self-starter, partner-focused, and capable of maintaining a strategic vision while coordinating multiple projects.
• Resourceful, pragmatic, and forward-thinking, with superior attention to detail.
• Strong negotiator, comfortable in matrixed environments, and highly accountable.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on keyboard agency experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development and championing of the overarching SEM strategy, aligning with business objectives and marketing goals.
• Assist the SEM Operations Lead in defining best practices for campaign planning and execution.
• Lead the implementation and continuous refinement of robust operational processes for SEM campaign management, including workflow automation and QA.
• Drive efficiency and scalability across SEM operations, overseeing billing and pacing controls.
• Oversee and contribute to the hands-on keyboard setup and execution of all SEM campaigns.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to the execution team for building, trafficking, QA, budget management, and reporting.
• Monitor and optimize a significant paid search portfolio against core campaign KPIs.
• Identify, analyze, and help pilot innovative technologies and strategies to enhance ROAS and unlock growth.
• Serve as a key subject matter expert for SEM technology platforms (e.g., Google Ads, SA360).
• Drive the adoption of advanced features, collaborating with data/engineering teams on scalable solutions for tagging and monitoring.
• Champion a culture of data-driven insights by partnering with analytics teams to develop comprehensive reporting frameworks and dashboards.
• Utilize these tools to inform strategic decisions and optimize campaign effectiveness.
• Work closely with Risk & Controls teams and the SEM Operations Lead to ensure all SEM activities adhere to stringent internal policies and regulatory requirements.
• Assist in building and enforcing a standardized QA framework.
• Help establish and enforce Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for campaign launches and invoice reconciliation to mitigate operational risk.
• Contribute to creating playbooks and identify opportunities for workflow automation and AI solutions.
• Ensure flawless trafficking of ad copy, creative rotations, sitelinks, and end-to-end tracking. This function is crucial for accurate campaign delivery and optimizing ad relevance.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as campaign launch accuracy and error rate reduction. Provide guidance to the team to achieve these metrics, driving continuous improvement in operational efficiency.
• Foster strong relationships with leaders across Marketing, Technology, Product, Legal, and Finance teams. Effectively communicate SEM strategy and operational needs to stakeholders, ensuring alignment.
• Manage relationships with Google, Microsoft, SA360, and other technology vendors. Negotiate contracts and influence product roadmaps, ensuring optimal service delivery.
• Provide significant guidance, mentorship, and thought leadership to other SEM team members. Elevate collective expertise and capabilities within the team.
• Appropriately assess risk when business decisions are made, demonstrating particular consideration for the firm's reputation and safeguarding Citigroup, its clients and assets, by driving compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, adhering to Policy, applying sound ethical judgment regarding personal behavior, conduct and business practices, and escalating, managing and reporting control issues with transparency.

Benefits

• In addition to salary, Citi’s offerings may also include, for eligible employees, discretionary and formulaic incentive and retention awards.
• Citi offers competitive employee benefits, including: medical, dental & vision coverage; 401(k); life, accident, and disability insurance; and wellness programs.
• Citi also offers paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays.
• For additional information regarding Citi employee benefits, please visit citibenefits.com.
• Available offerings may vary by jurisdiction, job level, and date of hire.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees