Associate Director, Paid Search and Social

Chicago Booth's Marketing & Communications team is looking to hire an Associate Director for there Paid Search and Social. This position is a results-driven, creative individual responsible for developing, executing, and optimizing paid digital advertising campaigns to elevate Chicago Booth's brand presence and drive prospective student engagement. This role requires a strong understanding of both paid search and paid social strategies, with a focus on lead generation. The ideal candidate will be data-driven, collaborative, and proficient in managing campaigns across various platforms.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Refine and optimize paid advertising campaigns to maximize lead quality, conversion rates, and efficient allocation of ad spend.
2. Develop and implement a comprehensive paid social media strategy to enhance brand awareness and generate high-quality leads across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
3. Oversee an external paid search agency to guide the execution of a global PPC strategy focused on increasing qualified leads and driving targeted traffic.
4. Create, monitor, and optimize ad performance and landing pages using A/B testing, audience segmentation, and performance analytics.
5. Analyze campaign data, generate insightful reports, and provide actionable recommendations to measure effectiveness, adjust strategies, and maximize ROI.
6. Collaborate closely with content, creative, and brand teams to develop compelling ad creatives and messaging to optimize ads for an enhanced user experience and improved conversions.
7. Collaborate with content, creative, data analytics, brand, and admissions teams to develop compelling ad creatives, targeting strategies, and optimized ad messaging.
8. Work with web development teams to optimize website conversion paths and enhance user experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

1. Bachelor’s degree required.
2. A minimum of three years of proven experience in digital advertising and PPC campaign management.
3. Demonstrated success in managing social media advertising platforms and executing effective campaigns.
4. Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Google Analytics, Search Ads 360, and other reporting tools. Experience with Adobe Analytics a plus.
5. Experience with A/B testing, audience segmentation, and conversion rate optimization.
6. Ability to develop, execute, and manage multi-channel marketing campaigns.
7. In-depth understanding of bid strategies, quality score, ad copywriting best practices, and landing page optimization.
8. A solid understanding of the creative needs for various paid social tactics and the ability to direct the creative team on best practices for each channel.
9. Ability to work independently with little supervision; possess a self-motivated disposition; identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes, all while achieving key objectives resulting in desired outcomes required.
10. Experience with CRM platforms, Slate preferred.

The Compensation Range is between $65,000 - $85,000 (depending on knowledge, skills, and experience)

“The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.