Performance Marketing Manager - SEM & Contextual

Performance Marketing Manager

Are you a dynamic, data-driven Performance Marketing Manager with a track record of driving growth and strong lead-gen ROI across paid search and contextual networks, seeking your next opportunity in media buying? Join a team of A-level players and work remotely to propel growth in the Insurance industry. At Excel, we help insurance brands acquire the right customers at scale.

The Performance Marketing Manager drives our mission by crafting and executing data-driven, SEM-focused campaigns across Google Ads and contextual networks such as MediaAlpha, SureHits, and Delty. This role focuses on identifying new growth opportunities to enhance campaign performance and profitability. The ideal candidate will be responsible for launching and optimizing Google Ads campaigns primarily Search, plus Performance Max, Demand Gen, and Display/YouTube with Microsoft (Bing) Ads as a secondary search engine and ongoing buying across contextual networks, all while growing account spend against margin and lead-quality targets and following best practices in campaign setup and structure.

Key responsibilities include:

• Successfully launch and optimize Google Ads campaigns across Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen, and Display/YouTube with Microsoft (Bing) Ads as a secondary search engine and contextual networks as a core channel.
• Leverage analytics and research to uncover actionable insights, drive optimizations, and continuously improve campaign performance.
• Develop and execute performance marketing strategies that improve lead quality and drive leads, clicks, and calls.
• Implement marketing strategies to increase profits, aligning with broader company goals and growth targets.
• Grow account spend while consistently meeting margin and profitability targets scaling budgets only where unit economics and lead quality hold.
• Identify trends and opportunities across ad platforms and reporting to drive measurable gains in campaign efficiency and conversions.
• Understand funnel mechanics and how changes impact growth and revenue generation.
• Conduct competitor, keyword, and search-term research to expand account coverage and provide ideas to the Media Team.
• Expand accounts through effective keyword targeting, match-type and negative-keyword strategy, and tightly themed ad group structure.
• Optimize audiences, bids, and budgets across Google Ads and contextual networks to improve lead quality and efficiency.
• Proactively test and adopt new Google Ads features including AI Max and Smart Bidding Exploration along with contextual-network tools, to stay ahead in a fast-evolving paid search landscape.
• Set and manage monthly core and experimental budget allocation.
• Achieve or exceed monthly targets and quarterly company goals.
• Actively participate in meetings, collaborating with team members to provide insightful data and creative ideas.
• Create and analyze campaign reports on ad channels and Tableau for informed campaign optimizations.
• Provide guidance and support to other team members, helping them achieve goals and stay on track with objectives.
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to achieve performance metrics and goals by improving creative iteration and lead monetization

Qualifications include:

• 3-5 Years of experience in lead generation and performance marketing.
• Proven experience in performance marketing, with a strong track record of launching and optimizing Google Ads campaigns (Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen, and Display/YouTube); experience with Microsoft (Bing) Ads and contextual networks a plus.
• Hands-on experience growing paid search account spend to budget and margin targets while maintaining lead quality.
• Working knowledge of keyword research and composition, match types, negative keywords, SKAG/STAG ad group structure, Quality Score management, audience targeting, Smart Bidding, and Performance Max asset groups.
• Excellent analytical and research skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Strong understanding of funnel mechanics and revenue generation.
• Experience with competitor and auction-insights analysis to inform keyword and bidding strategy.
• Proficiency in campaign reporting and analysis tools, including Tableau.
• Strong collaborative skills and ability to work with cross-functional teams.
• Ability to achieve or exceed targets and complete quarterly goals.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to provide insightful data and creative ideas.

Reporting relationships:

• Reports to: Chief Growth Officer
• Direct reports: None

Compensation mix:

• Fixed base salary
• Variable performance bonus
• Transactional Bonus
• $1,000 Learning Allowance/year
• Separate budget for conferences/events
• Company-sponsored benefits

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Short term disability insurance
• Long term disability insurance
• 401(k) plan
• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off
• Parental leave

Some benefits may vary depending on applicability/availability.

Perks:

• Holidays, vacation, and personal paid time-off
• Work-life flexible while committed to growth
• The entire company is remote/work from home
• Company provided computer hardware/software
• Unlimited growth and development opportunities

Next steps:

If you are interested in this opportunity, want to grow with a company that is invested in you and the future, apply now to be considered for this position! It is highly recommended you read our culture memo at excelimpact.com/culture before applying to ensure you could be a good cultural fit.