Associate Director, Paid Media

About Us: Ground News https://ground.news/ is a news comparison platform that makes it easy to compare sources, read between the lines of media bias, and break free from algorithms. We provide our subscribers the tools to navigate the information ecosystem with clarity and independence, rather than retreat into echo chambers or outsource their judgment. In a world where political polarization and media distrust are at an all-time high, Ground News offers people a better way to stay informed and see every side of the story. Our mobile app, web app, and browser extension are home to a community of mindful readers who use our news comparison platform to engage critically with the news. Unlike most news companies, our values do not align with any specific political ideology. Unlike most tech platforms, we don't rely on algorithms to keep users on our platform to sell in-app ads. We are supported by our readers who pay for a subscription to build a more nuanced understanding of the news, the world, and themselves. Highlights: - #1 on Product Hunt https://www.producthunt.com/products/ground-news-from-the-source#ground-news-bias-checker - #2 on 2025 Apple Design Awards in the Social Impact category https://developer.apple.com/design/awards/#social - 3-time winner of US App of the Day - Winner of Mobile Apps Showdown at CES. The Opportunity: Google is a growth lever we haven't fully tapped yet. Today it's a small piece of our paid budget, and we're looking for someone who can turn it into a major one, without losing discipline on CAC or subscriber payback along the way. This is a build-from-zero mandate. You'll set the account architecture and own every Google surface (Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen, and YouTube) as the core of the role. As that engine scales, you'll also have room to define, test, and pressure-test opportunities on adjacent paid channels, applying the same rigour on measurement and payback. You'll sit in the Revenue Growth & Analytics function, partnering directly with product, engineering, and sponsorships, with a meaningful budget and very little bureaucracy standing between you and shipping. If you've scaled a subscription or DTC account from a small base to a real share of spend, and you'd like to build it again —this time for a product that's making people better-informed— we’d love to chat. What You’ll Do: - Build Google from scratch: account structure, campaign architecture, naming conventions, and testing frameworks designed to scale rather than to survive. - Own the scale path: take spend from its current low base to a major share of total paid budget, holding CAC and subscriber payback. - Own Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen, and YouTube, including budget allocation and bidding strategy. - Work with external agencies to build the YouTube creative engine: briefing, testing cadence, hook and format iteration, and a working point of view on what converts for a news product. - Own Google landing pages: build, test, and iterate on dedicated LPs. - Build the measurement foundation: conversion tracking, Enhanced Conversions, app + web attribution, incrementality testing, and reporting we actually trust. - Google is the primary lever, but not the only paid channel: experiment, test, and stand up campaigns on adjacent paid channels when the opportunity justifies the effort, with the same testing discipline and attribution rigour. - Partner cross-functionally with product, engineering, and analytics to ship what paid needs. - Report honestly and tactfully on performance, including when something isn't working. What You’ll Bring: - 5+ years managing Google Ads at a meaningful scale, ideally in subscription, DTC, or app. - Proven scaling experience: you've taken an account from small to large, not just managed one that was already built. - Hands-on YouTube experience: you've scaled video, not just enabled it inside PMax. - Strong analytical instincts: comfortable in GA4, spreadsheets, and BI tools; you can tel…