Media Director - Cross Channel, Digital Paid Media

The Media Director – Cross Channel, Digital Paid Media role leads the strategy, planning, execution, and performance optimization of paid digital marketing campaigns across search, social, display, video, programmatic, and emerging media channels across various clients. This role oversees client and vendor relationships, manages significant media budgets, drives customer acquisition and engagement initiatives, and collaborates with cross-functional stakeholders to achieve business objectives. This role is remote and is supported by a team with varying skills including media managers, ad operations managers, and analysts. This position may require occasional travel for industry events and client meetings. Flexibility in working hours is expected, particularly during major campaign launches. Strategic Leadership Develop and implement comprehensive paid digital media strategies aligned with organizational goals. Identify growth opportunities across customer acquisition, retention, and brand awareness initiatives. Provide thought leadership on emerging digital marketing trends, technologies, and platforms. Establish media measurement frameworks and performance benchmarks. Campaign Management Oversee paid media campaigns across platforms such as: Paid Search: Google Ads, Microsoft Ads Paid Social: Meta, LinkedIn Ads Programmatic display via DSP Video channels (streaming & CTV/OTT) via DSP Digital audio Ensure campaigns meet KPIs related to ROAS, CPA, CAC, conversion rates, lifetime value and revenue growth. Lead testing initiatives including audience segmentation, creative optimization, and bidding strategies. Budget & Financial Management Manage monthly, quarterly, and annual media budgets, often ranging from several million to tens of millions of dollars. Monitor media spend efficiency and forecast campaign performance. Present budget recommendations and investment strategies to executive leadership. Analytics & Reporting Analyze campaign performance using analytic tools like Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics, in-platform reporting, data visualization platforms and attribution platforms Develop executive-level and detailed performance reports for weekly, monthly, and quarterly business reviews. Translate complex data into actionable business recommendations. Team Leadership Lead, mentor, and develop digital media managers, analysts, and specialists. Manage agency partnerships and external vendors. Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement. Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with marketing, analytics, account management, creative, CRM, and sales teams. Collaborate with compliance, legal, and risk management teams when required, especially in regulated industries such as financial services, healthcare, or insurance. Qualifications Required Bachelor's degree in marketing, Business, Communications, or related field. 8–12+ years of digital marketing experience. 5+ years managing paid media teams and budgets. Deep expertise in: Paid Search (SEM) Paid Social Programmatic Advertising Display and Video Advertising Attribution and Measurement Deep expertise in all Google properties, Meta, Live Ramp and Microsoft Ads. Experience managing custom audiences within media platforms. Strong analytical and financial expertise. Experience presenting to senior executives. Experience leading a team in various time zones. Experience in financial services, banking, insurance, healthcare, or other regulated industries. Preferred MBA or master's degree. Experience with other types of marketing (i.e. owned, earned) and its impact on paid media channels. Experience with The Trade Desk DSP. Professional certifications such as: Google Ads Certifications Meta Blueprint Certification The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $120,000 - $200,000 per year. For more information on benefits and what we offer please visit us at https://www.exlservice.com/us-careers-and-benefits The posted range is the hiring range for this role — a subset of the broader range available to employees over time — and reflects base salary across our national hiring scale. Final offers are based on several factors, including the candidate's skills and experience, internal pay equity, work location, market conditions for the role, and the specific scope and responsibilities of the position. The top of the range is reserved for candidates who notably exceed the requirements; the lower end applies to those with less experience or fewer preferred qualifications. For positions based in higher-cost zones (e.g., California, New York, New Jersey), actual compensation may exceed the posted range; your recruiter will share specifics during the process.