Associate Director, Paid Social

London, hybrid

DEPT® is a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, our 4,000+ specialists deliver growth invention services across Brand & Media, Experience, Commerce, CRM, and Technology & Data. We’re 50|50 tech and marketing, partner-led, and first to move. Clients include Google, Lufthansa, Meta, eBay, and OpenAI. We have been certified B Corp and Climate Neutral since 2021.

JOB PURPOSE

As Associate Director, Paid Social, you will serve as the strategic mastermind and operational anchor for our largest, enterprise-level account in London. You are a seasoned performance media leader who balances high-level strategic vision with deep technical expertise in performance social, measurement structures and paid social processes.

In this role, you will lead a dedicated team of Senior Managers and Managers, translating complex data and consumer journeys into high-yield, full-funnel paid social strategies. You will sit at the intersection of performance excellence, client leadership, and cross-channel growth - ensuring our client’s ‘family of apps’ stay ahead in a rapidly evolving, automated social landscape.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Strategic Leadership & Channel Growth

Drive Full-Funnel Strategy: Own the overarching paid social roadmap for a global client, aligning social budgets and tactics with overarching business priorities.
Master Platform Mechanics: Direct performance strategy across Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, and YouTube. Champion platform automation (e.g., Meta Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns / ASC+) while maintaining strategic controls over best practices and creative messaging.
Measurement & Incrementality: Lead advanced measurement frameworks in partnership with data teams, implementing multiple complex single-cell, multi-cell, child and nested studies.
Integrated Growth & Upsell: Collaborate with internal US counterparts to identify holistic growth levers, drive strategic upsells - to ensure that we are delivering a cohesive multi-channel strategy globally.

Client Governance & Senior Stakeholder Management

Trusted Strategic Advisor: Serve as the primary senior strategist for executive-level client stakeholders, translating complex performance data and algorithm shifts into clear, compelling narratives.
Escalation Authority: Act as the ultimate escalation point across your client portfolio, proactively mitigating performance dips, resolving channel conflicts, and navigating complex operational challenges.
Budget Oversight & Forecasting: Maintain total accountability for multi-million-pound media budgets, accurate forecasting, quarterly pacing, and commercial delivery.

People Leadership, Delivery & Innovation

Build & Mentor Talent: Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of paid social managers and buyers. Drive retention, establish clear career development paths, and coach line managers on effective delegation and team leadership.
Enforce & Evolve Standards: Implement robust QA frameworks, workflow processes (e.g., Asana, internal platform auditing), and campaign governance to ensure flawless execution and zero-error delivery.
Test & Learn Culture: Build and scale a rigorous testing framework across the practice, leveraging platform innovation, previous learnings and testing priorities outlined in the strategic roadmap.

WHAT YOU BRING

7+ years of hands-on paid social planning & activation experience, with at least 3 years managing client relationships and leading direct reports/team structures of 10+ people.
Expert-level knowledge of Meta Ads Manager (biggest priority), TikTok Ads Manager, Pinterest, Snapchat, and platform automation capabilities.
Proven track record of setting, defending, and hitting strict KPIs. Fluent in advanced measurement, Excel, and analytics frameworks.
A strong understanding of how Paid Social integrates with Search, Programmatic, CRO, and organic channels to drive holistic client growth.