Associate Vice President, Paid Search - EDU

What you'll do

• Define and evolve Paid Search strategy for Higher Education clients aligned to enrollment cycles, program mix, and institutional goals
• Translate industry trends into scalable, actionable frameworks
• Establish points of view on bidding strategies, funnel optimization, and audience targeting specific to education
• Serve as executive sponsor across key Higher Education client relationships, guiding long-term strategy and investment decisions
• Oversee performance across portfolio ensuring delivery against KPIs such as CPL, enrollment volume, and efficiency targets
• Identify and unlock growth opportunities including new channels, budget expansion, and testing roadmaps
• Lead quarterly business reviews and executive presentations focused on business outcomes and forward-looking strategy
• Lead, mentor, and develop a Search team ensuring strong performance management and career growth
• Define team structure, resourcing models, and capacity planning to support current and future business needs
• Elevate team capabilities in platform innovation
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Ensure best-in-class execution across campaigns including account structure, budget pacing, and optimization strategies
• Implement standardized frameworks for testing, reporting, and performance analysis across accounts
• Partner with analytics to refine attribution approaches and measurement strategies
• Drive consistency and rigor in translating insights into action and client impact
• Partner with analytics and operations teams to improve reporting, automation, and scalability
• Monitor industry trends, platform changes, and competitive landscape
• Deliver clear, data-driven performance reports and insights to clients
• Recommend testing strategies, budget allocation shifts, and bid strategy adjustments based on performance trends
• Ensure accuracy, consistency, and timeliness of reporting

Requirements

• 12+ years of relevant paid search experience
• Deep expertise in lead generation and performance marketing, ideally within Higher Education or similar verticals
• Proven ability to manage and grow multimillion-dollar budgets across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads
• Strong track record of driving measurable business outcomes and client growth
• Exceptional client communication and executive presence
• Experience building and scaling teams, including talent development and organizational design
• Advanced analytical mindset, with the ability to translate complex data into clear strategic direction

Tech stack

Benefits