Vice President of Paid Media (Remote US)

Directive•Irvine, CA

1d•Remote

About The Position

The VP, Paid Media owns a ~$15M P&L spanning three pillars: Paid Media, Programmatic, and Creative. This role reports to the Managing Director, Performance, and is accountable for client outcomes, retention, and quality of work across all three pillars. The VP leads through Associate Directors who manage billable consultants executing day-to-day work. This is not a hands-on campaign role. Instead, the VP operates as a leader of leaders, ensuring quality at critical client moments while developing middle management to scale that standard. The role balances two responsibilities: direct inspection at key inflection points in client engagements, and operational leverage through Associate Directors. Success means being present where it matters most—and enabling the team everywhere else. The VP is present at critical points in the client lifecycle where quality directly impacts retention and growth. They review strategy, challenge thinking, and ensure output meets standards before reaching clients. The VP defines what “good” looks like and reinforces that standard consistently across teams. The VP scales impact by developing Associate Directors into strong operators and quality owners. The VP maintains cross-functional credibility and ensures alignment across pillars. The VP owns a ~$15M P&L with focus on Client Goal Attainment, Net Revenue Retention (NRR), Gross Profit Margin, and Monthly Recurring Revenue Retention. For priority accounts, the VP plays an active role in building relationships with senior client stakeholders, participating in key meetings, acting as an escalation point, and maintaining a strong understanding of client business models and goals. The VP is also responsible for strengthening the leadership layer by developing Associate Directors into effective leaders and quality drivers, maintaining visibility into strategist performance and growth, partnering with People Operations on hiring and development, and building a pipeline of future leadership talent.

Requirements

10+ years of paid media leadership experience, with demonstrated ownership of multi-channel paid practices at scale.
Experience managing middle managers (Associate Directors, Group Directors, or equivalent) with teams of billable consultants under them.
P&L ownership experience, including responsibility for gross margin and commercial outcomes.
Fluency across multiple paid channels (search, social, programmatic) with sufficient depth to inspect strategy and execution credibly.
Demonstrated experience developing middle managers into senior leaders.

Nice To Haves

Agency or consulting background with exposure to B2B, B2C, or performance-driven client portfolios.
Experience integrating Creative into Paid Media practices, or leading cross-functional teams including Creative talent.
Experience managing programmatic at scale, including DSP partnerships and first-party data strategy.
Track record of building inspection and quality control systems in organizations that previously relied on individual heroics.

Responsibilities

Inspect Work at the Moments That Matter
Review key client handoffs to ensure clarity on business goals and scope
Validate alignment on success metrics and expectations for priority clients
Inspect early strategy and planning across Paid Media, Programmatic, and Creative
Validate North Star Metrics for priority engagements
Spot-check patterns and coach on communication quality
Review output for clarity and linkage to business outcomes
Pressure-test QBR decks; attend priority or at-risk accounts
Ensure strategy evolves based on data, not inertia during 6-Month Strategy Reviews
Support or co-lead ABRs for key accounts
Partner on renewal strategy for priority clients
Define what “good” looks like and reinforce that standard consistently across teams
Drive Leverage Through Associate Directors
Establish clear operating cadences (reviews, escalations, ownership)
Coach AsDs on how to evaluate work and give actionable feedback
Calibrate quality standards across teams
Hold AsDs accountable for client health and delivery quality—not just output
Lead Across Paid Media, Programmatic & Creative
Operate with working fluency across all three areas
Ensure Paid Media, Programmatic, and Creative function as an integrated system
Apply appropriate quality standards by discipline
Contribute to broader Performance leadership discussions
Manage pricing, staffing, and resourcing decisions
Monitor client health and proactively addressing risks
Support expansion opportunities across accounts
Track operational indicators that drive financial outcomes
Build relationships with senior client stakeholders
Participate in key meetings (QBRs, ABRs, renewals)
Act as escalation point when needed
Maintain strong understanding of client business models and goals
Develop Associate Directors into effective leaders and quality drivers
Maintain visibility into strategist performance and growth
Partner with People Operations on hiring and development
Build a pipeline of future leadership talent

Benefits

Compensation for this role includes a competitive base salary + strong bonus package
Medical, dental, vision plans, disability, and life insurance coverage for you and your family that fit your lifestyle
Including a 100% employer-paid plan for you and a 50% employer contribution for your dependents (US, CAD, MX)
Access to certified therapists through Spring Health, membership to Headspace
Physical therapy through Omada, thousands of Aaptiv virtual workouts, complimentary One Medical membership for primary and virtual care
Unlimited PTO (2-week minimum)
Paid Company Holidays
Your Birthday Off
End of Year Recharge (Closed December 24 - January 1)
Paid Parental Leave
Traditional and Roth 401(k) with a 3% company match
Annual bonus based on tenure, which scales in total amount over time
Annual Company-wide Retreat