Business Overview
KINESSO is a technology-driven performance marketing agency that provides actionable growth for both our agency partners and clients. We turn 'action' into 'outcome' for our clients, leveraging our unique capabilities in optimization, analytics, AI, and experimentation. KINESSO has brought together the collective power of what was formerly Matterkind, Reprise, P3, and Kinesso under one collective entity that will serve as the most powerful delivery engine in the industry. We have extensive offerings spanning across performance marketing and data and technology. Fueled by a deep understanding of consumer behavior, we offer an end-to-end engine of planning and optimization while also delivering on data-driven strategy for social platforms, actionable growth in e-commerce, and creating curated marketplaces specific to each client's function and needs. The company has more than 6,000 employees operating in more than 60 countries. Learn more at www.KINESSO.com.
Position Overview
The Associate Director, Paid Social is a strong strategic contributor with ability to provide social thought leadership, strategic and data-driven recommendations and manage a team of social buyers across a complex client with multiple lines of business or multiple clients. The Associate Director, Paid Social will strengthen and broadening client relationships by applying paid social expertise to the client’s business to drive results and ensure the client is up to date with the social industry. In this position, you will drive the social process across teams and clients, ensuring all paid social recommendations and strategy is closely integrated with other disciplines and the social team is working together in support of the business. The Associate Director should have a mastery of the paid social industry and how this channel integrates and influences other channels.
Responsibilities
- Understands client goals and business needs and acts as a strategic partner to provide insightful, innovative, and data-driven paid social recommendations; Provides strategic recommendation for media budget allocation and managing partner endeavors, negotiation deals or ensuring agency rates are applied.
- Oversees all elements of social campaigns to ensure executional excellence, implementation of best practices, and channel innovation.
- Provide guidance on new Paid Social opportunities as the subject matter expert for all assigned clients, translating industry jargon and concepts for clients and internal stakeholders to understand and champion.
- Evolves team process and aligns and ensures the paid social strategy and team is working with other channel disciplines in support of the assigned clients; Key participant in strategic media planning and execution.
- Plays an active role in conflict resolution. Identifies, manages, and resolves problems before they escalate.
- Budget and Financial: Ultimately responsible to ensure billing and budget accuracy troubleshooting issues and escalating if needed.
- Serve as a resource for Managers, Senior Associates and Associates for advice and counsel as well as career development, training and motivating the team
- Oversee Asana for task management and team collaboration
- Responsible for QA of initial campaign build outs (ensure tracking, budgets, audiences, creatives, and timing are correct)
- Oversee client budgets to ensure plans do not exceed Media Authorizations; Responsible for reporting budget plans and commissions to internal finance teams
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- Directly manages Managers as well as Sr. Associates and Associates, depending on team structure.
- Ensures Managers new to managing employees are providing actionable feedback and help set goals and identify growth opportunities for the team.
- Provides mentorship, client management guidance and ensures a positive working environment across the team.
- Shares best practices and shortcuts learned through industry experience.
- Delegate and manage workload to ensure fairness and growth opportunities. Helps other members of the team and lets junior members’ shine.
- Share input for promotions, oversee performance improvement plans/on track plans, keep department leads updated with wins and watchouts.
Required Skills and Experience
- Substantial experience in account management, planning, and/or performance media experience
- Very strong experience in developing robust, creative, and innovative paid social / native advertising / content marketing programs – in excess of $1mm annually
- Strong understanding of cross channel planning, demonstrating strong coordination of digital and offline media efforts.
- Extensive experience writing and presenting relevant information
- Understanding of marketing and communications process, and ability to execute streamlined processes across clients, media partners, and other agencies.
- Demonstrated ability to grow junior talent and help develop team skills / careers
- Knowledge of all social platforms a must. This includes understanding of buying & reporting within platforms at this level for QA and training for teams
Desired Skills and Experience
- Agency experience preferred
Wage and Benefits
We offer a Total Rewards package that includes medical and dental coverage, 401(k) plans, flex spending, life insurance, disability, employee discount program, employee stock purchase program and paid family benefits to support you and your family.
The salary range for this position is posted below. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position, market considerations, budgetary considerations, tenure and standing with the Company (applicable to current employees), as well as the employee’s/applicant’s skill set, level of experience, and qualifications.
Employment Transparency
It is our policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. The job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and other job functions are subject to modification. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
For applicants to jobs in the United States: In compliance with the current Americans with Disabilities Act and state and local laws, if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position, please email [email protected].
Skills Required
- Substantial experience in account management, planning, and/or performance media experience
- Experience in developing innovative paid social/native advertising programs - over $1mm annually
- Strong understanding of cross channel planning and media coordination
- Experience writing and presenting relevant information
- Ability to grow junior talent and develop team skills/careers
- Knowledge of all social platforms and understanding of buying & reporting
IPG Mediabrands Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about IPG Mediabrands and has not been reviewed or approved by IPG Mediabrands.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off options such as discretionary/unlimited PTO, company-wide Appreciation Weeks, and Wellness Days are positioned as key parts of the package. Feedback suggests these programs meaningfully support flexibility and recovery.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with a clearly stated company match, vesting schedule, and access to an ESPP signal strong long-term savings support. Feedback suggests the savings plan is a notable strength within total rewards.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid family benefits and substantial parental leave are highlighted across materials. Feedback suggests caregivers can access meaningful paid time away, with specifics varying by agency and location.
IPG Mediabrands Insights
What We Do
IPG Mediabrands is the media and marketing solutions division of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). IPG Mediabrands manages over $47 billion in marketing investment globally on behalf of its clients across its full-service agency networks UM, Initiative and Mediahub and through its award-winning specialized business units Healix, KINESSO, MAGNA, Mediabrands Content Studio, Orion Holdings, Rapport, and the IPG Media Lab. IPG Mediabrands clients include many of the world’s most recognizable and iconic brands from a broad portfolio of industry sectors including automotive, personal finance, consumer product goods (CPG), pharma, health and wellness, entertainment, financial services, energy, toys and gaming, direct to consumer and e-commerce, retail, hospitality, food and beverage, fashion and beauty. The company employs more than 18,000 diverse marketing communication professionals in more than 130 countries. Learn more at www.ipgmediabrands.com







