Lead and scale the paid search practice: own strategy and outcomes for complex accounts, mentor and grow a high-performing team, manage department P&L, drive revenue and retention, maintain SOPs/QA, and lead pitches and client escalations across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads.
Run your department like it's your own company.
GR0 is looking for a Director of Paid Search to own the performance, health, and growth of our paid search practice. This isn't a seat-warmer role. You'll lead strategy for our most complex accounts, mentor a high-performing team, own a P&L, and play offense on revenue, all while keeping clients happy and campaigns humming across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads.
If you think like an operator, lead through influence, and get energized by both the spreadsheet and the strategy deck, keep reading.
What you'll do:
- Own client outcomes. You're the senior voice across the team's portfolio, leading strategic discussions, overseeing complex campaigns and budgets for exceptional ROI, and stepping in directly on high-value accounts and escalations. You'll spot at-risk clients before churn ever comes up and build the recovery plan yourself.
- Drive the strategy. Develop tailored paid search programs, optimize relentlessly across platforms, and bring new tools, trends, and ideas to the table before the market catches on.
- Grow the business. Lead pitches as the subject-matter expert, deliver audits for prospects, hunt for upsells inside existing accounts, and negotiate contracts that work for the client and the agency.
- Build the team. Run weekly 1:1s that actually coach, lead performance and career conversations, own hiring and onboarding, and surface retention risks early. Your people should be getting promoted from within.
- Own the numbers. Manage your department P&L (revenue, headcount, tooling, margin), review it monthly with Finance, and know exactly which accounts are profitable and which aren't.
- Raise the bar operationally. Maintain SOPs and QA, plan capacity ahead of crunch, and bring data and recommendations (not just updates) to the leadership table.
What you'll be measured on:
- <5% monthly client churn and at least a 10% quarterly lift in paid search performance metrics
- 95% team retention and at least one training initiative every month
What you bring:
- 5+ years hands-on in paid search / SEM, with 2+ years managing people
- Deep SEM expertise across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, with advanced, data-driven optimization chops
- Agency experience is required. You thrive in fast-paced, multi-client environments
- A track record of client retention, revenue growth, and escalation recovery
- Financial acumen: you've managed a team P&L and influenced profitability
- Proven leadership of high-performing teams, including remote or offshore contributors
- Sharp communication and persuasion skills: equally comfortable in a C-suite pitch and a 1:1 coaching session
- A caring, team-first leadership style that pairs high standards with psychological safety
- Experience with D2C brands and performance-driven marketing
- An entrepreneurial streak: you've launched new initiatives inside a structured org
- Success managing offshore talent across time zones
Hiring Process:
- Stage 1 — Recruiter Screen After submitting your application, our People & Culture team will review and reach out to selected candidates. During this 30-minute call, we'll get to know your career journey, professional motivators, and what excites you about GR0 — while giving you a full picture of who we are and what we're building.
- Stage 2 — Panel Interview You'll meet with members of our leadership team for a deeper dive into your background and experience. Expect to walk through your technical skills, people management approach, and how you think about strategy, and of course, share why you're excited about this opportunity at GR0.
- Stage 3 — Co-Founders Connect The final conversation is always our favorite. You'll get to connect directly with our CEO & Co-Founder, Kevin Miller, and our Chief Growth Officer & Co-Founder, Jon Zacharias. This is your chance to ask big questions, share your vision, and see if the feeling is mutual.
- Stage 4 — Offer If a #GR0mance has brewed — we'll extend a competitive offer and hope you'll join the team!
What's in it for you?
- Shared Financial Success - GR0 believes strongly in equal pay for equal work, and transparency in compensation is one vehicle to achieve that. The annual compensation for this role is market competitive, ranging from $130,000-$140,000 salary, commensurate with experience.
- Health and Family Benefits - GR0 offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage options for GR0ers and their families.
- Wi-Fi Reimbursement - All employees receive a monthly reimbursement to help cover internet expenses while working.
- Unlimited PTO - We know that rest is vital to your well-being and career success, so we give you the flexibility and trust to take it when you need it.
- Paid Holidays - Take time to celebrate and rejuvenate with 13 fully paid holidays throughout the year.
- Community Impact - GR0 is committed to supporting the communities where we work and live by partnering with local charitable organizations to give back in various ways.
Please note: GR0 is currently able to hire in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Candidates must be based in one of these states to be considered for this role.
About Us
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, GR0 is an award-winning digital marketing agency focused exclusively on igniting organic growth for direct-to-consumer and business-to-business startups and established brands. GR0 empowers these brands to build powerful online brands using a highly technical, best-in-class approach that delivers value and experience to consumers and engagement and sales for brands.
GR0’s notable awards and achievements include:
- Glassdoor’s “Top CEOs” (2021)
- Clutch’s “Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies” (2022)
- Comparably’s “Best Places to Work in Los Angeles” (2021, 2022)
- Comparably’s “Best Company for Career Growth” (2021)
- Built In’s Moxie Women in Tech Awards (2021, 2022)
- Great Place to Work (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- DotComm Awards (2023, 2024)
- Power Partner's (2024)
- Okendo Partner Award for Top Marketing Agency, North America (2026)
At GR0, we put our people above all else. We promote an environment that celebrates diversity, fosters openness, and encourages conversations around what makes us different to further learn from one another. GR0 is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
GR0 Los Angeles, California, USA Office
12511 Beatrice Street, Los Angeles, CA, United States, 90066
Similar Jobs
Fitness • Healthtech • Retail • Pharmaceutical
Lead enterprise paid search, AI discovery and performance strategy to drive measurable retail, pharmacy and health services outcomes. Own SEM/AI ad programs, analytics-driven measurement, test design, stakeholder influence, cross-functional execution, and growth of retailer media platform capabilities.
Top Skills:
AdobeAgentixChatgptCmxGoogle AdsGoogle GeminiLiasLiverampOpenaiPlasSemSeoYoutube
AdTech • Agency • Digital Media • eCommerce • Marketing Tech • Social Media • Analytics
Lead paid search strategy and client relationships across a portfolio; drive growth, cross‑channel integration, automation adoption (PMax/value bidding), experimentation, measurement (GA4/MMM), financial forecasting, and team leadership including managers and succession planning.
Top Skills:
AdthenaAuction InsightsBliss PointGa4Google AdsGoogle Merchant CenterIncrementalityMicrosoft AdsMmmPerformance MaxSa360Scripts/Workflow AutomationSkaiSpyfuValue-Based Bidding
Agency • Digital Media • eCommerce • Professional Services • Social Media • Design • SEO
Lead paid search strategy and teams for agency clients, oversee campaign planning, optimization, budget management, performance analysis, A/B testing, client reporting, and mentor SEM specialists to drive traffic, conversions, and ROI.
Top Skills:
Bing AdsGoogle Ads
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Los Angeles is a global leader in entertainment, so it’s no surprise that many of the biggest players in streaming, digital media and game development call the city home. But the city boasts plenty of non-entertainment innovation as well, with tech companies spanning verticals like AI, fintech, e-commerce and biotech. With major universities like Caltech, UCLA, USC and the nearby UC Irvine, the city has a steady supply of top-flight tech and engineering talent — not counting the graduates flocking to Los Angeles from across the world to enjoy its beaches, culture and year-round temperate climate.
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
