VICE PRESIDENT OF PAID MEDIA

OVERVIEW

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 Job

Inspect Work at the Moments That Matter

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.

Key moments of VP accountability:

– Sales-to-Ops Handoff: Review key client handoffs to ensure clarity on business goals and scope

– Kickoff: Validate alignment on success metrics and expectations for priority clients

– Project Phase: Inspect early strategy and planning across Paid Media, Programmatic, and Creative

– NSM Setting: Validate North Star Metrics for priority engagements

– Weekly Updates: Spot-check patterns and coach on communication quality

– Monthly Updates: Review output for clarity and linkage to business outcomes

– QBRs: Pressure-test decks; attend priority or at-risk accounts

– 6-Month Strategy Reviews: Ensure strategy evolves based on data, not inertia

– ABRs: Support or co-lead for key accounts

– Renewals: Partner on renewal strategy for priority clients

The VP defines what “good” looks like and reinforces that standard consistently across teams.

Drive Leverage Through Associate Directors

The VP scales impact by developing Associate Directors into strong operators and quality owners.

– 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

The VP maintains cross-functional credibility and ensures alignment across pillars.

– 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

Commercial Ownership & P&L

The VP owns a ~$15M P&L with focus on:

– Client Goal Attainment

– Net Revenue Retention (NRR)

– Gross Profit Margin

– Monthly Recurring Revenue Retention

Responsibilities include:

– Managing pricing, staffing, and resourcing decisions

– Monitoring client health and proactively addressing risks

– Supporting expansion opportunities across accounts

– Tracking operational indicators that drive financial outcomes

Client Relationship Ownership

For priority accounts, the VP plays an active role:

– 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

Talent Development

The VP is responsible for strengthening the leadership layer:

– 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

Key Performance Indicators

Commercial KPIs

– Client Goal Attainment

– Net Revenue Retention (NRR)

– Gross Profit Margin

– Monthly Recurring Revenue Retention

Operational Indicators

– Inspection Coverage Rate

– AsD Quality Calibration

– Strategy-to-Execution Alignment

– Client Escalation Resolution Time

– Pilot-to-Contract Conversion

Qualifications

Required

– 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.

Preferred

– Agency or consulting background with exposure to B2B, B2C, or performance-driven client portfolios.

– Experience integrating Creative