Senior Manager, SEM & Media

Are you passionate about shaping the future of tourism and helping communities thrive? At Development Counsellors International (DCI), a multiple-time winner of Outside Magazine’s “Best Places to Work,” we specialize in place marketing that drives growth, creates jobs, and inspires people to explore new destinations. We’re looking for a dynamic SEM & Media Senior Manager to join our talented team in Charlotte. Are you ready to make a difference? 

We're looking for a data-driven, detail-oriented senior manager (with a strong sense of creativity and innovative problem-solving on the side) to join our digital team. The ideal candidate should have knowledge of paid advertising, media buying, and tourism/hospitality/lifestyle marketing and be entrepreneurial and comfortable with a fast-changing environment. The ideal candidate should already have the technical skills we seek but be ready to learn and accelerate our status quo-busting philosophy. 

As a Senior Manager, you will play a lead role in managing and executing multiple paid media campaigns for several clients targeting leisure travelers as well as corporate executives and skilled workers. Key responsibilities include client management, managing and optimizing paid social, search and display campaigns; reconciling advertising budgets; strategizing and managing media buys with online publications; reporting and basic analytics analysis; executing award-winning work under the pressures of the ever-changing demands of agency and client life. 

You will report directly to the Senior Director of SEM & Media and will work alongside client and/or digital strategists as well as manage client account teams. In addition, you will collaborate with DCI’s other service teams, like social, branding, PR and more. 

As a firm that specializes in attracting visitors, businesses and a talented workforce to communities around the world, we’re looking for someone who has a passion for places and a keen understanding of what motivates a tourist to pick a destination. The SEM & Media Senior Manager will have at least 5-6 years of experience, with experience in the tourism/travel marketing industry. 

Responsibilities:  

• Lead multiple SEM & media campaigns for tourism and economic development clients.
• Provide strategic guidance on campaign planning and execution.
• Analyze campaign performance and deliver actionable insights.
• Develop and manage paid advertising programs across platforms (Google Ads, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). including building audiences, uploading ads, adjusting bids and keywords, and building UTMs. 
• Optimize media buy strategies and budgets for maximum ROI.
• Collaborate with internal teams (social, PR, branding) to deliver integrated solutions.
• Maintain strong client relationships and identify opportunities for growth.

Skills: 

• Advanced proficiency with paid ad platforms (Google Ads Suite, Facebook Business Manager, DSP platforms, TikTok).
• Strong experience with media buying and managing multiple campaigns simultaneously.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools like Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, and Looker Studio.
• Exceptional client management and communication skills.
• Highly organized with attention to detail, especially in fast-paced environments.
• Intermediate knowledge of tourism and travel marketing (economic development experience is a plus).

Qualifications: 

• 5 years of paid media experience and  
• 1 years of tourism/hospitality/lifestyle marketing
• 2 years of agency experience is preferred. You’ll be working on multiple accounts simultaneously, requiring an organized individual comfortable in a constantly changing environment. 
• Bachelors degree 

Benefits:

• Competitive base salary
• Unique “open book” management system with performance-based incentive program
• Medical/dental/vision coverage  
• 401-K match    
• Flexible paid time off    
• Paid holidays  
• Parental leave