Senior Digital Marketing Executive in York

Company Overview

Forward & Thinking Ltd is a dynamic advertising agency dedicated to delivering impactful, multi-channel media campaigns that engage audiences and generate results. Our team values honesty, care and a commitment to excellence, striving to deliver the best outcomes for both our clients and our employees. We are part of the SAAS Global EOT Group, meaning employees can benefit from year-end bonuses after just one year of employment.

About the Role

We are seeking a performance-driven Senior Paid Media Executive with 2-3 years of hands-on experience to plan, execute, optimise and report on paid media campaigns across multiple platforms. This role is ideal for someone who is both analytically strong and technically capable, with experience in conversion tracking and tag management, and who is confident communicating directly with clients in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Campaign Planning & Execution
  • Work from briefs to plan online paid media campaigns across paid search, social, video and display.
  • Allocate and manage budgets effectively to achieve performance targets.
  • Conduct audience, keyword and competitor research.
  • Build, UTM-tag and launch campaigns using provided assets, supporting copy development where required.
• Optimisation & Performance Management
  • Monitor and optimise campaigns to improve KPIs.
  • Conduct A/B testing to iterate and enhance performance.
  • Identify performance trends and provide actionable recommendations.
  • Troubleshoot performance issues and implement solutions promptly.
• Tracking & Technical Implementation
  • Set up and manage conversion tracking across platforms.
  • Implement and maintain tags, triggers and variables within Google Tag Manager (GTM).
  • Ensure accurate tracking of key events (e.g. purchases, leads, sign-ups).
  • Debug and quality-assure tracking using appropriate tools.
  • Collaborate with developers where necessary to support more complex implementations.
• Reporting & Data Analysis
  • Build and maintain performance dashboards.
  • Analyse campaign data and deliver clear, insight-driven reports.
  • Translate data into meaningful insights and strategic recommendations.
  • Ensure data accuracy and consistency across platforms.
• Client Communication
  • Act as a day-to-day point of contact for account managers and clients.
  • Attend client calls and meetings.
  • Present performance updates, insights and recommendations clearly and confidently.
  • Manage expectations and explain performance fluctuations where necessary.
  • Build strong, trusted relationships with both internal teams and clients.

Skills & Experience Required

• 2-3 years experience in paid media or performance marketing, with hands-on experience managing accounts on platforms such as Google Ads and Meta Ads.
• Confident using Microsoft Office and Google Workspace to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
• Strong understanding of campaign structures, bidding strategies and optimisation techniques.
• Experience with GA4 and Google Tag Manager, including tags, triggers and variables.
• Experience setting up and troubleshooting conversion tracking.
• Strong analytical skills and confidence working with data.
• Experience building dashboards and reports (e.g. Looker Studio, Excel or similar tools).
• Excellent communication and client-facing skills.

Desirable Experience

• Experience with LinkedIn Ads, TikTok Ads, Snapchat Ads or other platforms.
• Familiarity with attribution models and cross-channel measurement.

Personal Attributes

• Proactive and solution-oriented mindset.
• High attention to detail.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple campaigns and clients simultaneously.
• Comfortable working to deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Clear and effective communicator.

What Success Looks Like

• Campaigns consistently meet or exceed performance targets.
• Accurate and reliable tracking across all accounts.
• Clear, insightful reporting that informs client decisions.
• Strong client relationships and positive feedback.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday (increasing to 28 days after 3 years service).
• Employee Ownership Trust year-end profit bonus (after 1 years service).
• Birthday off.
• 3pm finish on Fridays.
• Bupa Employee Assistance Programme for you and your family, available 24/7.
• £250 employee referral bonus.
• Employee of the Quarter award.
• YuLife discounts, offering 24/7 access to over 4,000 perks and benefits, plus mindfulness, meditation, easy-to-follow HIIT and fitness videos, and free online GP appointments for you and your family.
• Entry into a quarterly prize draw to win a long weekend in Portugal, plus three additional days holiday (after 1 years service).
• Regular team events.