Paid Search Account Director

Paid Search Account Director JOIN OUR JOURNEY Medialab is the UK’s leading independent media agency, and one of the fastest growing in the industry. We’re a media agency that’s made differently: purpose-led, data-driven, founder-run and proudly independent. Our entrepreneurial spirit means success is recognised and rewarded. There are no limits to what you can achieve here, which our employees agree with, evidenced by being a Campaign Best Place to Work for six consecutive years and one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025. As well as this, we’re Campaign’s Independent Agency of the Year 2024 and Media Week’s Independent Agency of the Year 2025. We are IPA Effectiveness accredited, an IPA People-First agency, and All In Champions, with industry-leading work recognised by double-gold at the 2024 IPA Effectiveness Awards for our work with Laithwaites and a 2025 Effie for our work with Alzheimer’s Society. Our independence means we can focus 100% on doing the right thing to secure success for our clients and our brilliant people. We work with a wide variety of clients including Hovis, IG, Sharps Bedrooms, SunLife, Standard Life, Ancestry, Laithwaites Wine, Save the Children, Guide Dogs, Alzheimer’s Society, RNLI and Clearscore. OUR VALUES Commit to Doing the Right Thing (Act with integrity and accountability) Help People Flourish (Invest in people) Dig Deeper to Understand Better (Data driven curiosity) OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU Working at Medialab comes with lots of perks including all the usual things you would expect, such as a competitive salary package, pension, season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, weekly social events and big summer / end of year parties. On top of that, we offer extra benefits, which make life at Medialab even more rewarding: Time to Unwind – We offer generous holiday entitlement that increases with long service, plus Christmas closure and a birthday day off. Alongside this, we offer flexible benefits including a holiday buy scheme, flexi-hours, a work abroad scheme, cultural bank holiday swaps, and Friday Summer hours. Hybrid Working – Balance between home and office (3 days in office). We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements from the commencement of employment. Career Growth – A meritocratic approach to progression with quarterly reviews, CPD Platinum accredited training, mentoring and leadership support. Health & Wellbeing – Private medical insurance, health cash plan, gym discounts, wellbeing apps Mental Health First Aiders and unlimited free professional counselling. Supporting Families – Enhanced parental leave, flexible working and life assurance. Giving Back – Paid charity days and sustainability initiatives. Perks & Rewards – Retail discounts, long-service trips and an unforgettable team culture. YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE We are hiring for a Paid Search Account Director to play a leadership role across our Digital team. This senior role requires an expert understanding of Paid Search platforms, with a primary focus on Google Ads, Microsoft Ads and Search Ads 360, as well as proven experience in overseeing cross-channel strategies including Performance Max, Demand Gen and YouTube. HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT Lead strategic client partnerships, acting as the senior day-to-day contact and navigating roadmap discussions to drive long-term value. Direct Paid Search campaign planning, ensuring performance alignment to KPIs and shaping the media response to briefs. Shape a high-performing team, managing and coaching Account Managers and Executives to develop their strategic thinking and media craft. Drive commercial growth, identifying new agency opportunities and supporting Business Directors on forecasting and margin tracking. Champion data rigour, holding the team accountable for timely, accurate delivery and elevating reporting into strategic storytelling. WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM A proven ability to lead digital strategy across Search, ensuring alignment to client business goals. Deep experience in account architecture, testing frameworks, and measurement planning to enhance delivery rigour, including extensive use of Search Ads 360. Demonstrable knowledge of Analytics, SEO, Social and Programmatic is a bonus. Experience in direct line management, delivering regular structured feedback, and planning team resourcing. Ability to promote automation and efficiency, including the smart use of AI tools and advanced planning platforms. Ability to communicate with influence using calm, consistent messaging to build trust with senior stakeholders. Department Digital Specialist Team Role Search/PPC Locations London Remote status Hybrid