Director, Performance Marketing; Hands

Open position in Portsmouth, NH, St Louis, MO, Kansas City, MO, Minneapolis, MN, Columbia MO;
Hybrid work schedule; 2 days in the office, 3 days working from home

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, now or in the future. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis without requiring employer sponsorship.

We are seeking a SVP, Performance Marketing to lead and scale a high‑impact performance team within our agency, Swell Media, part of the broader integrated media holding companies True Independent Holdings, and Meet The People.

This role is built for a challenger‑minded performance digital leader, someone who thrives in fast‑moving, high‑accountability environments and knows how to turn media into a true revenue engine.

You will own a portfolio of ecommerce and lead generation clients, driving measurable growth through full‑funnel strategy, advanced platform execution, and a relentless focus on efficiency (ROAS, CPA, LTV). Internally, you will lead, mentor, and scale teams. Externally, you will serve as a trusted partner to senior client stakeholders, shaping both strategy and business outcomes.

• Own performance outcomes across a portfolio of ecommerce and lead generation clients, with direct accountability to revenue, CAC/CPA, and ROAS targets
• Build senior‑level client relationships, positioning the agency as a strategic growth partner, not just an executional vendor
• Lead new business pitches, RFP responses, and organic account growth, with a focus on expanding performance‑driven services
• Identify and unlock growth opportunities across the broader holding company’s capabilities (brand, creative, analytics, CRM)

• Architect and oversee full‑funnel, audience‑led strategies tailored to ecommerce (feed‑driven media, conversion rate optimization, LTV optimization, retention signals) and lead generation (funnel optimization, lead quality, offline conversion tracking, sales alignment)
• Ensure seamless integration between upper‑funnel investment and lower‑funnel efficiency, driving scalable, sustainable growth
• Push beyond platform defaults, developing differentiated approaches to audience strategy, creative, and bidding
• Serve as the ultimate technical escalation point for the agency, conducting rigorous audits on high‑stakes accounts to identify and resolve performance plateaus
• Develop proprietary testing frameworks that push beyond standard A/B testing into sophisticated incrementality and lift studies

• Oversee execution across all core performance channels: primary – paid search, paid social; secondary – programmatic, affiliate, CTV, and emerging platforms
• Maintain deep expertise across key platforms:
  Google Ads (Search, You Tube, Performance Max, Shopping, Merchant Center), Meta, Tik Tok, Linked In, and programmatic ecosystems
• Lead advanced capabilities across feed optimization and automation (critical for ecommerce scale), creative testing frameworks and iteration velocity, signal development, audience modeling, and incrementality

• Own the measurement framework and marketing technology ecosystem, including GA4, Google Tag Manager, CRM integrations (e.g., Hub Spot), attribution models, incrementality testing, and offline conversion tracking
• Reporting and visualization (e.g., Looker Studio)
• Build closed‑loop measurement systems that connect media investment to revenue, pipeline, and customer value
• Drive a culture of testing, experimentation, and continuous optimization

• Build, lead, and mentor high‑performing, performance‑driven teams across levels
• Instill a challenger mindset, pushing teams to question platform best practices, test aggressively, and innovate beyond standard approaches
• Act as a player‑coach, balancing strategic leadership with hands‑on expertise where it matters
• Develop scalable frameworks, playbooks, and training to elevate team performance and consistency

• Ov…