Senior Associate, Paid Media Strategy, DIG, Ruder Finn

Ruder Finn•Chicago, IL

86d•$55,000 - $68,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Ruder Finn is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Senior Associate, Paid Media Strategy to join their growing Digital (DIG) practice. This role will support the planning, setup, and execution of paid social & paid search campaigns across a range of performance-driven client programs, working across healthcare and consumer brands. The position involves a hands-on role in campaign execution, performance monitoring, and reporting, with exposure to broader paid media strategy and cross-channel collaboration. This is an ideal opportunity for someone early in their career eager to deepen their expertise in paid social, paid search, analytics, and digital strategy in a fast-paced agency environment.

Requirements

1-2 years of experience in paid social & paid search
Hands-on experience with Meta Ads Manager required
Working knowledge of GA4 and UTMs a plus
Strong analytical mindset with proficiency in Microsoft Excel
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Word, Outlook)
Comfortable managing multiple tasks across accounts in fast-paced environment
Curious and eager to learn with strong problem-solving skills
Great energy, and curiosity to do and learn new things to support agency growth and offerings
Detail-oriented, organized, and dedicated
Bachelor's degree in marketing, digital/integrated marketing, advertising or related field

Nice To Haves

familiarity with other social ad managers a plus

Responsibilities

Support the set up and launch of paid social campaigns across platforms such as Meta, with exposure to other platforms such as LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and more.
Monitor daily campaign performance and flag trends, insights, and optimization opportunities to internal teams.
Support testing initiatives (new campaign types, audience strategies, etc.) to improve overall performance.
Support building UTM tracking links for integrated campaigns.
Support the set up and launch of paid search campaigns, and YouTube/Demand Gen when relevant, assisting with pre launch activities such as keyword research, ad copy, audience targeting, and campaign structure.
Monitor campaign performance and search query reports, flagging trends, insights and optimization opportunities with a focus on driving measurable business outcomes.
Manage pacing and budgets to ensure campaigns deliver efficiently against monthly, quarterly, and annual investment targets.
Compile and analyze campaign performance data for reporting, using platform analytics and Google Analytics (GA4).
Support reporting deliverables, data pulls, and reporting insights.
Maintains awareness of industry trends and impact to client & assigned accounts.
Assist in conducting competitive and category-specific research.
Contribute to campaign planning discussions.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams/team members to support integrated campaign execution.
Participate in client meetings and internal status calls, with opportunities to grow client-facing skills.