Paid Media Lead #3539544

New Yesterday

Job Title: Paid Media Lead (Progression to Head of Paid Media)
Location: Essex (Hybrid, 3 days office | Free parking | 35 mins from Liverpool Street)
Salary: £50,000 £60,000 + 10-15% Bonus
If youre working in paid media right now and you know youve outgrown your role, this could be exactly what youve been looking for.
Maybe youre the person whos always fixing messy accounts when youd rather be building strategy. Maybe reporting feels more like box-ticking than insight. Or maybe youre ready to lead, but your current agency has no clear path up.
This is a rare opportunity to step into a growing digital agency where Paid Media is already delivering strong results, but the next stage is taking it from working well to best in class. Cleaner account structures. Better testing frameworks. Reporting that tells a story. A team thats coached and developed properly. And a department built on systems, not last-minute firefighting.
In short, you wont just be running campaigns, youll be building something that scales.
The Story
This agency has built a strong reputation for being practical, commercial, and focused on performance. They work across SEO, Paid Media, paid social, web and CRM, and theyre growing fast.
They dont do fluff. They dont do ego. They dont do smoke and mirrors.
Clients stay because the work is good, the communication is clear, and results are always linked back to commercial outcomes.
Paid Media is already a key part of the agency, but now they want to build a department thats structured properly, scalable, and consistent, without relying on one person being a hero.
Thats where you come in.
Why Youll Want This Role
This isnt a role where youre boxed in and micromanaged.
Youll have real ownership. Youll be trusted to lead. Youll be listened to when you want to improve how things are done.
Youll shape the way Paid Media is delivered, reported and sold, and youll be joining at the exact moment where you can make a genuine impact.
And if youve been looking for a clear route into a Head of Paid Media role, without waiting years for someone above you to leave, this is it.
This role is built for progression.
What Youll Be Doing
Paid Media Strategy & Delivery
Owning performance across Google Ads (Search, Shopping, Performance Max, Display, YouTube where relevant)
Planning, building and optimising campaigns end-to-end
Running audits and turning them into clear action plans (quick wins plus longer-term improvements)
Improving account structure, testing frameworks and account hygiene across the board
Supporting paid social where needed (typically Meta, and sometimes LinkedIn depending on the client)
Reporting, Insight & Measurement
Building and maintaining reporting dashboards (Looker Studio)
Turning performance into insight clients actually understand (not just charts)
Working closely with SEO and web teams to improve tracking and measurement (GA4, GTM, conversion tracking)
Spotting funnel weaknesses and opportunities for CRO improvements
Helping improve landing page performance through better analysis and testing
Clients & Commercial Growth
Leading Paid Media onboarding for new clients and setting expectations properly from day one
Joining key client calls and confidently steering performance conversations
Identifying growth opportunities within accounts (new campaign types, landing pages, new markets, smarter budget allocation)
Supporting forecasting, budgeting and building retainers that make sense commercially
Helping clients understand whats working, whats not, and what happens next
Team & Department Building
Coaching and upskilling the current Paid Media team, raising standards over time
Creating and improving internal processes, QA checks, templates and playbooks
Helping shape hiring plans as the department grows
Bringing ideas to improve how Paid Media is sold and delivered without over-complicating it
What Theyre Looking For In You
Youre commercially minded and care about outcomes, not just platform activity.
You take ownership, follow through, and dont need chasing.
Youre confident speaking to clients, including when performance dips, because you can explain whats happening and what the plan is.
You enjoy building things properly. You care about process, structure and standards. You like mentoring others and raising the level of the whole team.
You dont want to be a firefighter forever.
You want to lead.
Experience They Need You To Have
Must Have
Paid Media experience (agency side preferred)
Strong Google Ads experience across Search, Shopping and Performance Max
Confident with GA4 and comfortable working with GTM (or closely alongside someone who is)
Experience building reporting dashboards in Looker Studio (or similar)
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Nice to Have
Microsoft Ads experience
Meta ads experience (and ideally some LinkedIn exposure)
Feed and Merchant Centre experience
Experience working alongside SEO and web teams to improve landing page performance
HubSpot experience (useful, not essential)
What Youll Get
Compensation
£50-60k depending on experience
10-15% performance-based bonus
Flexibility & Work-Life Balance
Flexible working hours (8:30-5:00 or 9:00-5:30)
Summer working hours
Hybrid working: 3 days office, 2 days WFH (with flexibility when needed)
Office closed over Christmas (in addition to annual leave)
1 extra holiday per year of service (capped at 5 additional days)
A free day off for your birthday
Wellbeing & Development
Free access to Headspace
Business therapy support available
Ongoing training and development budget
Rapid progression opportunities as the department grows
Culture
Annual summer and Christmas socials
No fluff, no ego agency culture
Small enough to have real impact, big enough to work on quality accounts
The Bottom Line
If youre ready for a Paid Media role where you can genuinely lead, raise standards, and build a department the right way, this is a standout opportunity.
Youll get autonomy, progression, and the chance to make a real impact, with clear compensation and a genuine path to Head of Paid Media.

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Location:
Billericay
Salary:
£60,000
Job Type:
FullTime
Category:
Management

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