Search and Performance Senior Manager

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

Overview:

The Search and 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, YouTube, 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.

The impact you'll make:

• Own paid search and intent-based performance strategy and execution across Google Ads (Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube, 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.

What you've accomplished:

• 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.

Bonus points: 

• BA/BS preferred.
• Familiarity with attribution/measurement tooling, MMPs (e.g., Branch), and GA4.
• Experience with Google Ads Data Manager, server-side conversion feeds, or first-party data integration into search platforms.
• Comfort mentoring junior team members or operating as a player-coach as the team scales.
• Experience in a marketplace, publisher, or two-sided platform business.
• Experience managing acquisition in regulated or restricted-advertising categories is a plus but not required.

The base pay range for this position is $123,200 - $157,000 per year, and a competitive bonus

 2026 US Benefits for Full Time, Regular Employees:

• Physical Health (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• 100% employer-paid premium for employees
• Up to 80% coverage for dependents
• Company HSA contribution with the High Deductible Health Plan
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (employer will match contribution up to 3.5% of employee contribution)
• Basic Life, Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance options
• Supplemental, voluntary benefits
• Student Loan Repayment/529 Education Savings with a monthly company contribution
• FSA (Medical, Dependent, Transit and Parking)
• Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Accident Insurance
• Short- and Long-term Disability Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Identity theft protection
• Legal access to a network of attorneys
• PTO, paid sick leave, and company holidays (including a 2026 holiday shutdown)
• Paid parental leave