Paid Media Executive

The role

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience running paid campaigns end-to-end, with the ability to independently build, optimise, troubleshoot and improve campaign performance across Meta, Google, YouTube, LinkedIn and other digital platforms.

You will play a pivotal role in ensuring tracking accuracy, KPI monitoring, maintaining healthy dashboards, improving reporting quality and supporting cross-department coordination to keep campaigns moving through the workflow.

Success in this role requires curiosity, analytical thinking, flawless attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem-solving. You’ll work closely with the marketing, sales, production and editorial teams, helping to maintain timely delivery of client campaigns, operational discipline and strong measurement hygiene.

CMS fluency (for web edits and updates) will be an important part of the role.

We’re looking for someone who can significantly improve how we run paid media campaigns, grow our brands, and lend to solidifying our digital infrastructure. This role brings structure, takes ownership and ensures campaigns are executed with precision — freeing the senior team to focus on strategy.

You’ll be confident working independently day to day, with input and direction from the digital marketing manager when needed. Your input will be required for campaign briefings and kick-off.

Key responsibilities

• Build, launch and optimise paid media campaigns across platforms including Meta and Google.
• Work with our external media agency to ensure that campaigns hit KPIs.
• Manage bidding strategies, budget allocation and pacing to hit performance targets.
• Monitor live campaigns, react swiftly to performance shifts and recommend data-driven adjustments.
• Stay up to date with the latest platform best practices, tools and innovations.
• Provide tactical solutions through optimisation and clear recommendations, aligned to campaign goals.
• Be flexible and quick to adapt as priorities shift across the business and campaigns evolve.

Reporting & insight

• Own mid-campaign and end-of-campaign reporting, ensuring insights are client-ready and actionable.
• Move beyond data extraction to provide interpretation, diagnosis and recommendations.
• Identify what drove or hindered performance and outline next steps.
• Confidently present results in client-facing reporting and recommendations meetings, translating performance data in a clear, easy to understand way.
• Use trends in the data to inform content and channel recommendations, where relevant to improving performance.

Measurement & tracking integrity

• Maintain clean and reliable tracking, including UTMs, events and platform integrations.
• Keep dashboards accurate, updated and meaningful every week.
• Conduct regular QA to ensure analytics environments are correctly configured and trustworthy.
• Are comfortable using reporting tools, spreadsheets and presentation software to keep performance visibility sharp and consistent.

Campaign operations

• Coordinate cross-department information flow with sales, production and editorial.
• Ensure campaign timelines stay on track, budgets are aligned and stakeholders remain informed.
• Flag risks early, take ownership when delivery stalls and drive resolutions.
• Strong timekeeping and organisational skills to ensure deadlines are met across multiple campaigns at once.
• Excellent communication to build trust with stakeholders and maintain momentum across the workflow.

CMS fluency

• Support website updates (copy changes, link updates, light edits) to keep campaigns and content moving.
• Share responsibility for site management tasks alongside senior marketing leads.

Additional responsibilities

• Support subscription marketing growth and contribute to improvements in 2026 and beyond.
• Take ownership of ad-hoc campaigns across the business.
• Audit newsletter campaign performance and assist in developing improved approaches.
• Audit subscription campaign performance and assist in developing improved approaches.
• Provide guidance and support across the business on paid media best practice, and help upskill colleagues on tools and platform basics where required.

What the role does not require

• Marketing strategy ownership (although operational insights are welcome).
• Copywriting (nice-to-have only).
• CRM-led campaign management.

Requirements

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify patterns and translate findings into actions.
• A natural curiosity around performance: why something worked/didn’t work, what changed and what should be done next.
• Excellent attention to detail with a rigorous approach to measurement and quality assurance.
• Experience with tracking set-ups, UTMs, dashboard maintenance and analytics tools (e.g., GA4).
• Comfortable working across multiple teams and maintaining momentum across complex workflows.
• Ability to manage budgets, timelines and competing priorities with confidence.
• Familiarity with CMS platforms and ability to perform quick, accurate updates.
• Up to date with best practices in digital media buying and measurement.
• A proactive, accountable and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Client-facing experience, or confidence working directly with stakeholders to present results and recommendations.
• Experience working with ad tech and platform tools (Meta Business Manager, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, Google Ads, YouTube).

What we offer

• A dynamic and creative work environment.
• Opportunities for professional development and skills growth.
• The chance to work with a prestigious and globally recognised brand portfolio.
• Hybrid working (three days in the office / two days WFH).
• Medicash healthcare plan, including discounted gym membership and mental health support.
• One charity day per year.
• One-week office closure over Christmas.
• Regular training sessions and development opportunities.

About us

APL Media Limited is a fast-growing, medium-sized content agency and publisher based in Kentish Town, London, with more than 25 years of experience in travel and lifestyle content for consumer and trade audiences. We’re home to a friendly, talented and long-established team of over 125 people.

Our titles include:

• National Geographic Traveller (UK)
• National Geographic Traveller (UK) – The Collection
• Living360
• Newspaper inserts for the London Standard, The Guardian and The Telegraph
• Postcards (trade)
• ASTA Worldwide Destination Guide (trade)
• Travel Media Awards