Paid Search Manager in City of London

At Assembly, our mission is to find the change that fuels growth. We apply this principle to the work we do with our clients and to how we engage with our people. We’re a modern global agency bringing together media, data, technology and talent to make brands perform. Our business is purpose driven. In March 2022, we were named Ad Age’s first ever Purpose-Led Agency of the Year, recognised for our mission to leave the world better than we found it. This year we became B Corp certified, the result of a two-year journey. We’re proud to have created a culture where diversity of thought, experience, and background are valued, within an environment that fosters continuous learning, adaptability, and a shared passion for meaningful impact.

When you join Assembly, you become part of an award-winning global community of digitally led experts, home to 1,500 talented people across 25 offices globally. Together we create unique data, technology and media solutions that enable faster and smarter problem solving within an inspired, collaborative workplace. Assembly is poised for its next chapter of growth. We’re a meritocratic, high-performance business with a progressive outlook and a growth mindset in all that we do. To realise our potential we need some new skills and thinking.

The core DNA of Assembly lies in digital performance marketing. New and existing clients are asking us to extend this expertise across all media, connecting traditional channels with digital methods of execution, measurement and automation. We were born the right way to do this – we’re building out from a leading digital and technology capability and adding the rest, rather than trying to reverse engineer a legacy business into a more modern version of itself.

At Assembly we ask our people to embody three core values:

• Show Up: actively contribute to a space of personal and collective growth
• Make Change: embrace obstacles as opportunities, taking intentional steps to drive positive change
• Win Well: approach success with integrity, responsibility, and a commitment to collaboration, understanding that the journey is as important as the destination.

We look forward to meeting you and to discussing how we can grow together.

Overview

About Search at Assembly

We are defining a new standard for the search industry. Through innovative operating models, proprietary technology, and amazing talent, our formula enables us to get the most from AI-powered search campaigns for our clients. Our team of 70 specialists (across Europe and India) ensures that we are at the forefront of what’s possible. We are growing and building a team of diverse paid search professionals for the future—people who challenge the status quo and strive for continuous excellence in everything they do.

The Role

As a Paid Search Manager, you will work closely with your team to manage the performance of paid search campaigns for your clients. You’ll act as a specialist in executing AI-powered search practices, applying these across your portfolio to drive strong results.

With your strong platform knowledge, you’ll confidently navigate client and partner relationships, ensuring your team consistently delivers against key areas—operations, innovation, media planning, performance optimisation, and insightful reporting and analysis. You will be the guiding force for a team of Senior and Account Executives, overseeing their work while actively supporting their development. You’ll be a key point of contact for both your team and your clients. Working alongside your Team Lead, you’ll help shape strategy and ensure your team delivers performance that meets and exceeds client business objectives.

How success is measured

Success in this role comes from maintaining high standards across both performance and people. This includes:

• Ensuring no account errors and maintaining consistent account monitoring
• Driving improved performance and business growth for clients
• Delivering projects on time and communicating effectively throughout
• Building strong client relationships and receiving positive feedback
• Supporting the growth and development of junior team members, helping them achieve their objectives

Ultimately, your ability to deliver strong results while developing those around you will be key to your success in this role.

Responsibilities

Client Management

• Manage workflows effectively to meet SLAs, delivering high-quality work on time
• Turn client briefs into strong paid search responses, contributing to strategy and securing sign-off
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with clients, media owners, and tech partners
• Confidently lead sections of client meetings and presentations
• Use data and insights to continuously refine strategy and drive performance
• Take full ownership of outputs (yours and your team’s), consistently delivering on expectations
• Bring energy, initiative, and a solutions-focused mindset to client work

Team Leadership & Processes

• Lead, motivate, and support your team to deliver best-in-class paid search campaigns
• Review team output, ensuring quality control and providing constructive feedback
• Leverage available technology to drive performance and efficiency
• Monitor accounts daily to maintain accuracy, manage risk, and prevent issues before they arise
• Oversee budget management across platforms such as Google Ads and Microsoft Ads
• Support the development of junior team members through ongoing feedback and coaching
• Champion inclusive, agile ways of working across distributed teams
• Ensure full adherence to agency processes, including financial and operational workflows

Agency Collaboration

• Actively contribute to the wider search team through meetings, training, and knowledge sharing
• Use data to uncover insights that fuel client growth and campaign optimisation
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver integrated projects
• Support the training and upskilling of team members

Required Skills

• Consistently delivers high-quality work on time, without over-promising
• Proactive, data-driven self-starter with a passion for digital marketing
• Strong paid search expertise with up-to-date certifications
• Highly organised, with excellent project management and multitasking skills
• Exceptional attention to detail and operational accuracy
• Confident in deriving actionable insights, focusing on causation over correlation
• Strong ownership of reporting and forecasting, with focus on accuracy and financial accountability
• Proven experience managing large, multi-market search accounts and budgets
• Clear, confident communicator with the ability to present performance to clients
• Advanced knowledge of paid search platforms and tools (e.g. GA, GMP, SA360, Adobe)
• Proactive problem-solver, able to identify and prevent issues early

Equal Opportunities

Assembly is an advocate for equal opportunity in the workplace. We are committed to ensuring equal opportunities regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability and gender identity. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.