PHD is a global communications planning and media buying agency network delivering smart strategic thinking and creative innovation for the world's leading brands. Brilliant media thinking is in our DNA. A culture of thought-leadership, creativity and innovation has seen us grow from a challenger agency in the UK, to a global leader with over 6,000 employees in over 100 offices worldwide. We combine the latest industry insight with the best creative minds to produce planning innovation and create award-winning work for some of the world's largest advertisers. Finding a better way is our ethos and sums up how we approach everything – from a new client brief to the way we work.

Who we're looking for:

We are seeking a Paid Search & Social Associate Director who is both a strategic thinker and a hands-on leader. This individual will own the Social/Search function for a high-profile Financial account, driving performance, shaping strategy, and leading a team through a key period of transition and growth. The ideal candidate is comfortable operating at scale, influencing senior stakeholders, and taking full accountability for outcomes while elevating team standards and capability. The ideal candidate is a vocal, engaged leader who brings a strong point of view, exercises good judgment, and confidently navigates ambiguity and escalation when needed.

The Opportunity

This is a high-impact leadership role on one of the world's most recognized financial brands. You will have the opportunity to own foundational performance channels, shape how Search and Social evolves, and play a key role in advancing full-funnel strategy, innovation, and measurement. This role offers immediate visibility, ownership, and the ability to make a meaningful mark on both the account and broader practice.

Your responsibilities will include

Team Leadership

Lead and mentor Social/Search team members, setting clear expectations and performance standards

Manage team resourcing and ensure efficient use of talent across workstreams

Support onboarding, training, and development of team members

Establish and reinforce best practices, processes, and frameworks

Foster a collaborative, accountable, and solutions-oriented team culture

Grow Business Own Search and Social performance and identify opportunities to drive incremental growth

Develop strategies aligned to client business goals across awareness, consideration, and conversion, with a focus on bottom-funnel tactics

Identify and test new partners, products, and approaches

Contribute to broader practice development and innovation initiatives

Practice Development: Help evolve Social/Search capabilities, frameworks, and strategic offerings

Contribute to knowledge sharing, training, and adoption of best practices across teams

Stay ahead of industry trends and proactively introduce new ideas

Partner with analytics, strategy, and other media teams to strengthen integration

Our expectations of you: Deep expertise in paid search and paid social performance marketing

Ability to translate data into clear insights and business impact

Strong client leadership and communication skills

Proven ability to own strategy and execution in complex environments

Proactive mindset with a focus on growth, innovation, and continuous improvement

Having a passion for advertising and establishing yourself as a thought leader within the office

Staying up to date on industry trends and partner updates

Proactively bringing new opportunities to the team

Proactively bring new ideas for the account for broader business impact

Day-to-day lead on client communications

What you'll need to succeed: Bachelor's degree or relevant post-secondary education, training, or equivalent experience

5+ years business experience including hands on keyboard building and/or managing accounts in the paid social/search marketing and/or interactive advertising space (Google Ads, SA360, Microsoft Ads, Meta, LinkedIn)

Leadership or mentoring experience

Performance marketing experience

Be a proactive self-starter

Possess general knowledge of direct and brand marketing principles and strategies

Have polished presentation, communication, and analytical skills

Have strong organizational skills, being able to manage multiple projects at once

Why This Role

This is a rare opportunity to step into a true leadership role on a global account at a moment of change. You will have immediate ownership, influence, and visibility, with the ability to shape strategy, mentor a team, and leave a meaningful mark on how performance media is delivered. This role offers both scale and impact, making it a strong next step for candidates looking to accelerate their growth.

This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, other job-related qualifications/skills, and geographic location (to account for comparative cost of living). The Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. For this role, benefits include: health insurance, vision insurance, dental insurance, 401(k), Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, vacation days, sick days, personal days, paid parental leave, paid medical leave, and STD/LTD insurance benefits.

Compensation Range

$70,000-$120,000 USD

This role is hybrid, requiring three (3) days per week in the office. The remaining two (2) days may be worked remotely. Specific in-office days will be discussed during the interview process, with flexibility to align with team needs. Please note that the number or required in-office days may be adjusted over time, potentially increasing the number of required in-office days based on business needs.

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