Senior Paid Media Specialist

Description

ABOUT US

At TTC, we are Enriching lives by connecting people and places.  For over 100 years, we’ve been bringing the world closer together by crafting journeys that create lasting memories, lifelong friendships and meaningful cultural connections. Across more than 70 countries and our award-winning brands, we design and deliver travel experiences that go beyond sightseeing - they change perspectives. Behind every unforgettable journey is a passionate team making it happen. That’s where you come in. 

OUR VALUES

Everything we do is guided by our five shared commitments:  

• Value Every Voice - We put people first.  
• Act with Integrity - We do what’s right. 
• Explore Beyond Boundaries - We’re driven by curiosity.  
• Own the Outcome - We take responsibility for our decisions.  
• Succeed Together - We’ve got each other’s backs. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking a highly strategic and detail-oriented Senior Paid Media Specialist to support the VP of Paid Media in overseeing and elevating our paid media operations in partnership with our external agency.

This role will act as a critical extension of the VP, ensuring agency execution aligns with strategy, budgets are accurately managed, and performance is proactively monitored. The Senior Paid Media Specialist will help bring structure, accountability, and informed recommendations to drive paid media excellence across the organization.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Agency Partnership & Oversight

• Support the VP of Paid Media in managing the day-to-day relationship with our external paid media agency.
• Ensure agency execution aligns with agreed strategies, media plans, and business priorities.
• Monitor campaign implementation to confirm accuracy across platforms, budgets, tracking, and reporting.
• Proactively identify risks, gaps, or inefficiencies and provide structured recommendations for resolution.
• Help hold agency partners accountable to timelines, deliverables, and performance standards.

Strategic & Executional Support

• Contribute informed perspectives on media plans, channel strategies, testing roadmaps, and optimization approaches.
• Participate in agency calls as a subject matter expert, ensuring full understanding of both tactical and strategic discussions.
• Partner with the VP to distill complex media conversations into clear, actionable summaries for senior stakeholders.
• Support the development of strategic recommendations based on performance trends and investment opportunities.

Performance Monitoring & Insight Development

• Conduct ongoing reviews of campaign performance to ensure alignment with KPIs and forecasts.
• Surface emerging challenges early and collaborate with the VP on solution-oriented responses.
• Assist in preparing executive-level updates highlighting insights, risks, and strategic implications.

Financial Stewardship

• Support full financial oversight of paid media investment.
• Track budgets, pacing, invoicing, reconciliations, and platform spend accuracy.
• Partner with finance and agency teams to ensure transparency and accuracy in billing and forecasting.
• Maintain clear visibility into total media investment and return across platforms and partners.  

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with internal marketing, analytics, and finance teams to ensure alignment.
• Act as a central point of coordination across stakeholders when the VP is not present.
• Ensure paid media execution reflects broader brand and business objectives 

Requirements

ROLE SUCCESS CRITERIA

• The VP of Paid Media has a trusted partner who ensures agency execution is aligned and well-governed.
• Paid media investments are accurately tracked, paced, and reconciled.
• Performance risks are identified early and addressed proactively.
• Senior stakeholders receive clear, structured updates.
• Paid media operations run smoothly, with strong visibility and accountability across partners

YOUR EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

Essential Experience & Skills

• 5+ years of hands-on paid media experience across key digital platforms (Google, Meta, programmatic, etc.)
• Experience working within an agency or with external media agencies in a governance or oversight capacity.
• Strong understanding of media planning, forecasting and optimization principles.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze performance data and translate findings into clear strategic insights.  
• Experience managing budgets and financial tracking related to paid media.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to simplify complex discussions for broader stakeholders.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and process management capabilities.
• Proficient in Microsoft product (outlook, TEAMs).

Desirable Experience 

• Monday.com experience preferred.
• Ability to work within and design esthetically pleasing PowerPoints preferred.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Communication & Influence: Clearly communicates ideas, builds rapport, and influences others to achieve effective outcomes. 
• Collaboration: Works effectively across teams, building strong relationships to deliver shared goals. 
• Quality & Attention to Detail: Ensures accuracy, consistency, and high standards in all work, minimizing risk and rework.
• Adaptability:  Responds effectively to change, adjusting priorities and approach to meet evolving needs.  

TRAVEL & OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Travel required, approximately once a quarter. 
• Location: Costa Mesa, CA (hybrid) 

The Travel Corporation is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against race, color, creed, sex, gender, religion, marital status, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws or ordinances. The Travel Corporation is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We not only encourage and support diversity in the workplace, we celebrate it! If you feel you have the skills and experience to thrive in a supportive and inclusive environment, we want to hear from you!