Senior Director, Search

Known is what happens when a data science firm and a creative agency stop arguing and start collaborating. We were built from scratch with PhD data scientists and award-winning creatives working on the same briefs, from day one. That structure earned us an Ad Age #3 A-List ranking, back-to-back Data & Insights Agency of the Year wins, plus Emmys, Cannes Lions, Clios, and Effies across clients in finance, tech, entertainment, consumer goods, and real estate. We're distributed across the U.S. and unapologetically ambitious.

If you're tired of choosing between doing smart work and doing creative work, you'll fit right in here.

About the Role

Known's Media Science team uses advanced analytics, machine learning, statistics, and algorithms to plan and optimize advertising dollars. We partner with our clients to translate their business goals into meaningful metrics, and buy media across all channels to drive those target outcomes.

What You’ll Do

• Own performance and client relationships across your portfolio, meeting targets and delivering clear, data-grounded narratives.
• Set the overall strategy for paid search and generative AI search (including Performance Max, AI-powered Smart Bidding, and emerging gen AI ad surfaces), across multiple clients.
• Define and enforce best practices across the team, including testing frameworks, QA standards, and knowledge-sharing processes.
• Manage, develop, and hire direct reports; own the professional development of the full search team under you.
• Act as executive escalation point for client issues, coordinating resolution across disciplines.
• Translate client business objectives into search strategies, and connect search activity to broader channel plans.
• Oversee day-to-day management of advertising spend across paid search.
• Advise clients and internal teams on how machine learning, automation, and generative AI tools can improve search performance.
• Build and present media plans, performance reports, and strategic recommendations to client leadership.
• Build and grow search practice with an eye to the future, which may include changes in Search and AI landscape, evolution of overall paid media landscape, and other cross channel knowledge sharing.

Who You Are and What You Have

• A degree from a well-regarded college or university.
• 8+ years of hands-on experience managing paid search strategy and execution in a digital agency or comparable environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing gen AI-powered search campaigns, including Performance Max, Responsive Search Ads, Smart Bidding and emerging generative ad formats across Google and Microsoft.
• Working knowledge of SEO, including technical SEO, content strategy, and the intersection of organic and paid search.
• Experience managing and growing a team of at least 4-6 people.
• Track record managing clients directly at a senior level.
• Experience in translating goals to KPIs.
• Ability to think creatively and question conventional platform or channel approaches when the situation calls for it.

Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge

• Strong grasp of the math behind media buying: statistics, attribution models, and measurement frameworks, while also understanding and implementing the magic of translating insights into action.
• Ability to evaluate and direct work across paid search and gen AI search in a single coherent strategy.
• In-platform fluency with Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising, including AI-powered campaign types.
• Experience with search audience strategies, keyword architecture, and budget scaling across verticals.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical clients.
• Experience working with data scientists or technical teams on measurement and optimization problems is a plus.

Competencies

• Translates business problems into specific, solvable media questions and delivers high-quality work against them.
• Delegates effectively to a team with varying levels of experience.
• Holds a high bar for accuracy in reporting and analytics, for their own work and others'.
• Collaborative by default; builds trust across media, analytics, and client teams.

Some of Our Perks

• Unlimited paid time off.
• 401k with company matching and no vesting period.
• Annual bonuses.
• Generous medical plan.
• Paid parental leave.

One Last Thing to Ask Yourself

All this might sound great, but you're probably still wondering, “Would I be a good fit for Known?” or “Would Known be a good fit for me?” Our culture is propped up by four values that we aspire to every day: We are one team. We see the good. We never stop learning. There's always a better way. At Known we are setting out to build something more than just a company. We are building a legacy filled with exceptionally talented people with a kaleidoscope of backgrounds, experiences, and origin stories who feel encouraged and empowered to bring their whole selves to work, and to partner with us in molding and shaping our culture through our values.

Known is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against employees or qualified job applicants on the basis of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or locally protected class.

The base salary for this position is $170K-$185K. This range is posted in compliance with state and municipal Pay Transparency laws. In addition to base compensation, this role is eligible to receive additional Known benefits.