Senior SEM Specialist

Golden Hippo • Woodland Hills, CA

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior SEM Specialist owns and grows paid search and Google network performance for Golden Hippo’s direct response brands. The role leads brand search campaigns across Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising and scales direct response acquisition across YouTube, Display, Demand Gen, Performance Max, and Shopping. It owns the full campaign lifecycle—from setup and tracking through testing and optimization—with a focus on profitable customer acquisition and revenue growth.

The specialist protects and grows branded search, manages Merchant Center accounts and Shopping feeds, and oversees conversion tracking and measurement. The role also designs structured tests, manages bids and budgets, collaborates with CRO and landing page teams, analyzes performance, and proactively identifies growth opportunities. The position is hybrid in Woodland Hills, California, and offers a base salary range of $85,386.82–$99,284, plus potential annual and monthly KPI bonuses.

Requirements

• 5+ years of hands-on paid search experience managing Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising (Bing) accounts.
• Expert-level knowledge of Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.
• Deep understanding of direct response marketing principles and performance KPIs.
• Proven experience running direct response YouTube campaigns.
• Hands-on experience across Display, Video, Demand Gen, and Performance Max.
• Hands-on experience implementing and troubleshooting pixel and CAPI tracking, Google Tag Manager, and UTM tracking.
• Track record of owning campaigns from setup through optimization and scaling spend profitably.
• Strong ownership and accountability for results.
• Proactive, self-starter mindset with a bias toward action and growth.
• Working knowledge of GA4 and multi-channel attribution.
• Strong mathematical and analytical skills, including advanced Excel or Google Sheets.
• Test-and-learn mindset and solid grasp of split-test design and statistical significance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities.
• Bachelor’s degree.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field.
• Experience in direct-to-consumer e-commerce, ideally in health and wellness or beauty.
• Experience managing high-spend, multi-brand accounts.
• Familiarity with SQL or BI tools such as BigQuery or Looker Studio.
• Working knowledge of Salesforce.
• Google Ads certifications in Search, Video, or Display.
• Microsoft Advertising certification.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end brand search campaigns across Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising, including account structure, setup, launch, bidding, and ongoing optimization.
• Monitor branded search impression share, competitor and affiliate bidding, and brand query trends; manage negative keywords and search term mining.
• Plan, launch, and scale direct response YouTube campaigns to achieve efficient CPA and ROAS.
• Manage and optimize campaigns across Display, Video, Demand Gen, Performance Max, and Shopping.
• Own Google Merchant Center accounts and Shopping product feeds; maintain accurate product data, pricing, and availability, and resolve feed errors, disapprovals, and account issues.
• Own conversion tracking and measurement, including implementation and QA of pixels, Conversion API (CAPI)/server-side tracking, Enhanced Conversions, and offline conversion imports.
• Build and maintain Google Tag Manager tags, triggers, and variables, and work with development teams to troubleshoot tracking discrepancies.
• Establish and enforce UTM tracking standards and naming conventions for consistent attribution.
• Design and run structured split tests across ad copy, landing pages, bidding strategies, audiences, and creative; turn results into scalable improvements.
• Manage bidding strategies, budgets, and pacing to meet efficiency and volume goals.
• Collaborate with CRO and landing page teams to improve post-click conversion rates.
• Analyze and report on CPA, ROAS, CVR, AOV, and new customer volume, and provide leadership with clear insights and recommendations.
• Identify and recommend growth opportunities involving campaign types, keywords, audiences, and platform betas.
• Stay current on Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising changes, advertising policies, and industry best practices.

Benefits

• Employer-paid 100% of employee-only medical, dental, and vision plan premiums.
• Annual and monthly performance bonus opportunities.
• 401(k) match up to 3.5% of employee contributions.
• Company-sponsored Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
• Up to 15 days of vacation accrued during the first year.
• Six paid sick and mental health days.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Company closure dates.
• Free weekly yoga and meditation classes.
• Expanded mental health benefits.
• Mentorship program and continuous learning opportunities.
• Performance-based pay increases.
• Charity sponsorships.
• Cell and internet reimbursement.
• Free employee products.
• Annual events.

What This Job Offers

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