Search & Performance Senior Manager; Hybrid

Search & Performance Senior Manager (Hybrid - 2 to 3 days onsite per week)

The Search & Performance Senior Manager owns Weedmaps' highest‑intent acquisition platforms end‑to‑end, leading strategy, execution, and optimization across Google Ads in full (Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen, You Tube, and Display) and Microsoft/Bing. As a senior individual contributor and platform owner, this person is directly accountable for scaling efficient new‑shopper acquisition through intent‑driven, auction‑based buying in a heavily regulated vertical, partnering closely with Creative, Lifecycle, Product, and Data to turn paid investment into measurable marketplace growth.

This is a hands‑in‑the‑platform leadership role for an operator who can both set channel strategy and execute it at depth.

• Own paid search and intent‑based performance strategy and execution across Google Ads (Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen, You Tube, Display) and Microsoft/Bing, accountable for budget pacing, bidding strategy, and performance against new‑shopper and efficiency targets.
• Drive efficient growth in First‑Time Shoppers and Global Unique Shoppers, with a specific mandate to lower cost‑per‑first‑time shopper on high‑CPA channels (e.g., Search, Bing) while scaling volume.
• Manage Google Ads holistically as a single cross‑surface platform, leveraging automated bidding, audience signals, first‑party conversion data, and campaign structure to maximize incremental acquisition.
• Partner with the performance-creative function and Creative team to brief, test, and iterate search, video, and display assets, translating performance signals into the next round of creative concepts.
• Design and run a continuous experimentation roadmap (A/B and incrementality testing) across audiences, creative, bidding, and landing pages to compound learnings over time.
• Collaborate with the Lifecycle team to ensure acquired users are tracked through to engagement and retention, optimizing toward shopper quality and downstream value, not just front‑end volume.
• Maintain rigorous channel hygiene and compliance, navigating platform policies and the cannabis regulatory landscape (state‑level legal matrix) to keep accounts in good standing.
• Partner with Finance and the Senior Director on growth projections, budget scenarios, and monthly/quarterly planning, laddering plans up from state‑level market priorities (P1/P2 markets).
• Work with Media Operations on tracking standardization (Branch/UTM), conversion measurement, and reporting to ensure clean, decision‑grade performance data.
• Evaluate, test, and onboard new platforms, partners, and ad tech as opportunities and platform risk dictate; building resilience against channel volatility.
• Present channel performance, insights, and recommendations to marketing leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders, including the new state‑level operating cadence.
• Document strategies, optimizations, and processes in shared SOPs to support team‑wide continuity and knowledge transfer.

• 5‑8 years of hands‑on paid media experience with deep expertise in paid search (Google Ads) and intent‑based, auction‑driven buying, with extensive working knowledge of all campaign types.
• Demonstrated track record of owning significant paid budgets and scaling user acquisition efficiently against clear CPA/ROAS and volume targets.
• Strong analytical foundation: fluent in metrics such as CPA, CPC, CTR, ROAS, and downstream quality/retention signals, with the ability to turn data into action.
• Proven experimentation mindset with a record of designing and executing A/B and incrementality tests.
• Experience partnering with creative teams on performance creative across search, video, and display assets.
• Track record of cross‑functional collaboration with Product, Creative, Lifecycle/CRM, Data, and Finance.
• Excellent organization, prioritization, and communication skills, with the ability to operate independently in a fast‑paced, ambiguous environment.

• BA/BS preferred.
• Familiarity with attribution/measurement tooling, MMPs (e.g., Branch), and GA4.
• Experience with Google Ads Data Manager, server‑side conversion…