Associate Director, Paid Social

About the Role

We are hiring for our Paid Media team, looking for an Associate Director, Paid Social — a senior performance leader who combines deep platform expertise with strategic vision, team leadership, and executive-level client management. This is not a tactical execution role; it demands the ability to architect full-funnel paid social strategies, lead a team of practitioners, and drive measurable revenue outcomes across a portfolio of high-growth brands.

The ideal candidate is a recognized expert in Meta direct response advertising with a proven track record of scaling ad accounts well beyond $1M USD per month, building and mentoring high-performing teams, and serving as a trusted strategic advisor to senior client stakeholders. You think in systems, not campaigns — and you hold yourself accountable to the business outcomes that matter.

You'll report to the Managing Director of the department and serve as a senior leader within the Paid Media practice, owning the strategy, performance, and growth of a portfolio of key accounts. You'll collaborate closely with Creative, Analytics, Brand, and Client Strategy teams, and will be responsible for developing the next generation of paid social talent at Darkroom.

This is a fast-paced, high-accountability environment designed for marketers who are ambitious, curious, and ready to grow. You’ll gain hands-on experience in a broad range of platforms and verticals, while developing the skills needed to lead performance strategies end-to-end.

Darkroom is a career incubator for ambitious talent looking to operate at the intersection of business, design, and innovation.

What you'll do

• Own and drive the overarching paid social strategy across a portfolio of high-growth U.S. brands, ensuring alignment between media investment, creative output, and business objectives.
• Serve as the executive point of contact for senior client stakeholders — presenting quarterly business reviews, growth roadmaps, and performance forecasts to CMOs and marketing leadership.
• Partner with the Managing Director to define team OKRs, capacity planning, and service delivery standards across the Paid Social practice.
• Champion Darkroom's paid social point of view, staying ahead of platform changes, algorithmic shifts, and emerging formats to inform both client strategy and internal best practices.
• Lead the development of annual and quarterly paid media plans, including budget allocation, channel mix, audience strategy, and creative roadmaps.
• Oversee campaign architecture, optimization frameworks, and testing methodologies across 8–15 paid media accounts with aggregate monthly spends ranging from $500K–$5M+.
• Drive best-in-class performance across Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Axon, and CTV, with deep mastery of direct response principles and short-form video creative strategy.
• Establish and enforce rigorous KPI frameworks — CPA, CAC, iROAS, nCAC, MER, aMER, CTR, TSR, and Hold Rate — ensuring data-driven decision-making at every level.
• Architect and pressure-test attribution models in partnership with Analytics, ensuring clients have a clear and accurate view of cross-channel performance.
• Proactively identify growth opportunities through competitive intelligence, audience expansion, and creative iteration — translating insights into actionable channel strategies.
• Serve as the senior creative strategist on accounts, guiding clients and internal creative teams on hook construction, format selection, messaging hierarchy, and creative testing frameworks.
• Develop scalable creative testing systems that connect production investment directly to performance outcomes.
• Advise clients on creative budget allocation across UGC, motion, static, and short-form video to maximize return at each funnel stage.
• Manage, coach, and develop a team of Paid Social Managers and Specialists, setting clear performance expectations and fostering a culture of accountability and craft.
• Conduct structured performance reviews and build individualized growth plans for direct reports.
• Establish internal quality standards for campaign builds, reporting, and client deliverables — and ensure consistent adherence across the team.
• Act as an escalation point for complex performance challenges and client issues, providing senior-level guidance and resolution.

What you'll need to be successful

• 10+ years of paid media advertising experience, with at least 7+ years specializing in Paid Social and Meta in particular.
• 7+ years managing paid social advertising for high-growth consumer brands with aggregate monthly spends of $1M+ across a portfolio.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing a team of 3+ paid media practitioners in a fast-paced agency or in-house environment.
• Proven track record of scaling Meta ad accounts beyond $1M USD/month while maintaining or improving efficiency metrics.
• Executive-level client management skills — ability to build trust with CMOs and senior marketing leaders, present strategic recommendations with confidence, and navigate complex stakeholder dynamics.
• Expert-level command of Meta Ads Manager and deep familiarity with TikTok Ads, Pinterest, and emerging social commerce platforms.
• Mastery of e-commerce performance metrics (CPA, CAC, iROAS, nCAC, MER, aMER, CTR, TSR, Hold Rate) and the ability to translate these into clear client-facing narratives.
• Expertise in full-funnel creative strategy — from concept briefing to performance analysis — with a sharp eye for what converts.
• Strong background in data-derived decision-making, budget forecasting, and spend projection modeling.
• Comfort engaging with e-commerce P&Ls and financial performance metrics at the business level.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; able to distill complex data into compelling insights for both internal teams and senior client stakeholders.

What It's Like to Work at DarkroomDarkroom is not a typical agency. We are looking for A players who want to build something great. We move fast, think deeply, and expect every team member to bring insight and rigor to everything they touch. We hold a high bar for performance, creativity, and ownership — but we also support each other relentlessly. No egos, no red tape — just world-class talent building something remarkable.

We believe in autonomy with accountability, truth over comfort, and outcomes over optics.

• Unlimited PTO + US holidays: Rebooting is part of the work. Take the time you need to stay sharp.
• Remote-First Culture: Many roles are fully remote. Employees based in or near our New York or Lisbon HQs are expected to work hybrid with weekly in-office time. Hub locations include the Brazil and Spain.
• Health & Wellness: Company-sponsored medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Finances, growth, and retirement: Darkroom offers a robust 401(k) program with company match and profit-sharing opportunities to help you save and grow as the company grows.
• Parental Leave: Flexible parental leave to support new parents during this important transition.
• Growth: Our interdisciplinary model gives every Darkroomer exposure far beyond their core role. Grow your skills, expand your influence, and stay at the forefront of the industry.

Compensation:The base salary range for this role is $120,000 per year. This range represents the anticipated minimum and maximum for this position and applies to candidates based in New York, including New York City, in compliance with the New York State Pay Transparency Law and the New York City Salary Transparency Law. Actual compensation within this range will be determined based on experience, skills, and qualifications. This role is also eligible for performance-based compensation. A summary of benefits is listed above.

Equal Opportunity StatementDarkroom is an equal opportunity workplace—we are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national orientation, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.