Senior Growth Media Manager

Backbone Media•Carbondale, CO

3d•$75,000 - $90,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Growth Media Manager is a specialist role within our Growth Media team with a particular focus on ecommerce and DTC clients. The Senior Growth Media Manager will develop, implement, measure and optimize cross-channel paid media strategies across paid social, paid search, retail media, programmatic and emerging channels. They’ll own the media strategies that support clients’ overarching business goals, build forecasts and scenario plans, and measure results against them using incrementality testing and media mix modeling rather than last-click reporting. Ideally, all this will result in profitable acquisition, retention and loyalty of customers, ultimately driving ecommerce revenue growth for Backbone’s clients. The ideal Senior Growth Media Manager candidate is a critical thinker who is proactive and decisive, brings an analytical mindset and a proven track record in growth media for ecommerce and DTC brands, and treats AI-driven buying tools as something to steer rather than something to trust blindly. Signal keeps degrading, platforms keep consolidating and automation keeps absorbing the manual work — staying ahead of that shift is pivotal to the success of this position. As a Senior Manager, this role will be responsible for mentoring and training team members but will not have direct management responsibilities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
4-7 years of relevant experience in growth media, performance marketing or paid media
Hands-on experience with at least one ecommerce measurement platform — Triple Whale, Prescient AI, Northbeam, Rockerbox, Haus, Measured, or similar.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with peers, clients, and strategic partners
Quantitative and analytical mindset, with the ability to perform complex analyses and translate into actionable strategies
Comprehensive knowledge of digital media and growth marketing strategies for direct-to-consumer businesses
Comprehensive knowledge of growth marketing measurement and key metrics, including CAC, MER, ROAS, iROAS, contribution margin and LTV:CAC
Comprehensive knowledge of attribution, incrementality testing and media mix modeling, including how to reconcile platform-reported results with MMM and lift studies
Strong understanding of zero-based performance budgeting using the metrics above
Experience with data visualization and storytelling
Proficient in digital media platforms, metrics, capabilities, ad formats and operations, including AI-driven campaign types
Comfort working with first-party data — server-side tracking, conversions APIs, and Shopify or CDP data flows
Proactive use of AI tools along with excellent judgement regarding AI delegation
Certifications for Google Ads, Google Analytics (GA4) and Meta Blueprint
Demonstrated ability to prioritize requests, multi-task and meet tight deadlines
Comprehensive working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint)

Nice To Haves

Programmatic and CTV experience with The Trade Desk or Google DV360
Experience with Amazon Ads and Amazon DSP, or other retail media networks such as Walmart Connect, Instacart or Target Roundel
Experience with affiliate, creator and influencer paid amplification
Knowledgeable in SEM and SEO, including how AI search surfaces are changing organic discovery
Experience managing and/or optimizing a Shopify storefront, including CRO and post-click testing
Basic understanding of public relations, community management and lifecycle or retention marketing
Understanding of Backbone’s core values
A love of the outdoors
A sense of humor

Responsibilities

Lead strategic media recommendations with supporting rationale
Show command over management of client relationships
Develop, present and execute full-funnel, cross-channel media strategies and plans that hit ecommerce performance targets
Apply expertise to collaborate with channel teams across paid social and paid search
Own cross-channel budget allocation and forecasting, using media mix modeling and incrementality read-outs to move spend toward what earns it
Partner with analytics team to run incrementality tests — geo-lift, holdout and platform conversion-lift studies — and translate the results into media decisions
Partner with client creative teams or Backbone creative on testing frameworks — hypothesis, volume, iteration — and deliver clear reads on what won and why
Manage buy stewardship, analyze campaigns and recommend tactical changes to maximize campaign performance
Collaborate with digital operations to ensure measurement infrastructure is in place, including server-side tracking, conversions APIs and clean data feeds into the attribution stack
Confidently collaborate with internal teams across channels, analytics, trafficking, and finance
Manage day-to-day plan changes and maintenance of media plans
Successfully manages, tracks and balances client budgets and cash on hand
Respond to client requests, compiling appropriate data and analysis
Analyzes research to develop strategies and tactics
Oversee and train junior staff