Darkroom is the leading next-generation growth marketing firm engineering the brands of tomorrow. Founded in 2017, we set out to redefine what a modern agency could be, by replacing the inertia of legacy advertising behemoths with a model built for speed, intelligence, and measurable impact.

At our core, Darkroom is a human services company powered by Shadow, a universal AI commerce layer that integrates executive-level strategy with proprietary agentic technology. This fusion enables our teams to deliver outsized returns by enhancing creative output, operational efficiency, and revenue generation across every stage of the customer journey.

Our track record speaks for itself: billions in attributable revenue driven across e-commerce marketplaces, media networks, DTC ecosystems, and social commerce platforms. Every engagement feeds into our proprietary data infrastructure, enabling a continuous feedback loop that accelerates growth, improves margins, and compounds results across our client portfolio.

What began as a boutique design studio has evolved into one of the fastest-growing private companies in America (Inc. 5000) and among the most effective performance media agencies of the 2020s (Varos). Our founders were recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for advancing the intersection of technology, marketing, and advertising, cementing Darkroom’s role as a defining player in the future of media innovation.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are hiring for our Paid Media team, looking for an Associate Director, Paid Social — a senior performance leader who combines deep platform expertise with strategic vision, team leadership, and executive-level client management. This is not a tactical execution role; it demands the ability to architect full-funnel paid social strategies, lead a team of practitioners, and drive measurable revenue outcomes across a portfolio of high-growth brands.

The ideal candidate is a recognized expert in Meta direct response advertising with a proven track record of scaling ad accounts well beyond $1M USD per month, building and mentoring high-performing teams, and serving as a trusted strategic advisor to senior client stakeholders. You think in systems, not campaigns — and you hold yourself accountable to the business outcomes that matter.

You’ll report to the Managing Director of the department and serve as a senior leader within the Paid Media practice, owning the strategy, performance, and growth of a portfolio of key accounts. You’ll collaborate closely with Creative, Analytics, Brand, and Client Strategy teams, and will be responsible for developing the next generation of paid social talent at Darkroom.

This is a fast-paced, high-accountability environment designed for marketers who are ambitious, curious, and ready to grow. You’ll gain hands-on experience in a broad range of platforms and verticals, while developing the skills needed to lead performance strategies end-to-end.

Darkroom is a career incubator for ambitious talent looking to operate at the intersection of business, design, and innovation.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

– Own and drive the overarching paid social strategy across a portfolio of high-growth U.S. brands, ensuring alignment between media investment, creative output, and business objectives.

– Serve as the executive point of contact for senior client stakeholders — presenting quarterly business reviews, growth roadmaps, and performance forecasts to CMOs and marketing leadership.

– Partner with the Managing Director to define team OKRs, capacity planning, and service delivery standards across the Paid Social practice.

– Champion Darkroom’s paid social point of view, staying ahead of platform changes, algorithmic shifts, and emerging formats to inform both client strategy and internal best practices.

– Lead the development of annual and quarterly paid media plans, including budget allocation, channel mix, audience strategy, and creative roadmaps.

– Oversee campaign architecture, optimization frameworks, and testing methodologies across 8–15 paid media accounts with aggregate monthly spends ranging from $500K–$5M+.

– Drive best-in-class performance across Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Axon, and CTV, with deep mastery of direct response principles and short-form video creative strategy.

– Establish and enforce rigorous KPI frameworks — CPA, CAC, iROAS, nCAC, MER, aMER, CTR, TSR, and Hold Rate — ensuring data-driven decision-making at every level.

– Architect and pressure-test attribution models in partnership with Analytics, ensuring clients have a clear and accurate view of cross-channel performance.

– Proactively identify growth opportunities through competitive intelligence, audience expansion, and creative iteration — translating insights into actionable channel strategies.

– Serve as the senior creative strategist on accounts, guiding clients and internal creative teams on hook construction, format selection, messaging hierarchy, and creative te