Director, Brand Media (Paid)

About the role

The Director of Brand Paid Media is a hands-on leader responsible for the end-to-end strategy, planning, execution, and optimization of traditional paid media across Linear TV, OTT/CTV, Online Video (OLV), YouTube, Audio, Print, Direct Mail, and Out-of-Home (OOH). This role balances brand-building discipline with performance-driven learning, ensuring media investments drive long-term brand equity while delivering measurable, near-term business impact.

The Director, Brand Paid Media owns media investment decisions, actively manages agency partners, and applies rigorous data analysis, testing, and optimization frameworks to continuously improve effectiveness, efficiency, and scalability.

As a player-coach, the Director will work closely with the media team to elevate execution, strengthen measurement and attribution practices, and turn insights into action. Success in this role requires strong cross-functional collaboration with Brand, Growth, Analytics, Finance, Creative, and Product partners to align media strategy with business priorities and accelerate learning across the organization.

This is a critical leadership role for an operator who thrives in complexity, is comfortable balancing brand impact with performance accountability, and can drive results as the business evolves from growth-stage execution to enterprise-scale excellence.

Success in this role is measured not only by execution quality, but by your ability to connect traditional media investment to business outcomes, learn quickly, and scale what works across an evolving enterprise with a high-growth SaaS mindset.

This position is hybrid (3 days per week in office)and is located in Austin, TX . Up to 5% travel required annually.

About the team

The Growth & Performance Marketing team is responsible for all global paid media investments, driving customer acquisition across the portfolio of brands for consumers and enterprise businesses. This is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on a high-growth company in a fast-moving, dynamic marketplace.

Auctane's portfolio of brands-including ShipStation, Stamps, Packlink, MetaPack, and others.

What will you be doing?

Primary Objectives:

• Meet or exceed first time customer targets by brand and geo
• Tight budget management (no over and underspend against plan)
• Deliver trials and subscribers targets globally and by brand and geo

Media Strategy & Planning

• Develop integrated media strategies across Auctane's portfolio of brands, incorporating traditional channels in close coordination with the Performance Marketing team
• Align media plans to business objectives, supporting both short-term revenue targets and long-term brand growth.
• Design learning agendas and test-and-learn roadmaps to continuously improve media effectiveness.

Budget & Investment Management

• Manage traditional media budget allocation spend to maximize return and brand impact.
• Partner closely with Finance on forecasting, pacing, and performance reporting.
• Ensure disciplined investment decisions grounded in data, experimentation, and business outcomes.

Measurement & Attribution

• Establish a measurement approach to ensure data is being captured for traditional channels that are difficult to measure
• Triangulate internal data systems with third party vendor/platform data to cross-validate performance reads
• Utilize best practice modeling tools like media mix modeling (MMM) and multi-touch attribution (MTA) to ensure a holistic view of channel incrmentality

Execution, Optimization & Performance

• Lead campaign activation and day-to-day performance management across Linear TV, OTT/CTV, OLV, YouTube, Audio, Print, Direct Mail, and OOH.
• Monitor results, identify insights, and optimize media investments across channels and brands.
• Forecast paid media-driven trial sign-ups and conversions by channel, working with channel and business owners to meet or exceed goals while balancing brand and performance objectives.

Team Leadership & Development

• Mentor and lead the agency and internal media team to foster a culture of accountability, data-driven experimentation, and continuous improvement.
• Act as a player-coach-hands-on where needed, while developing team capabilities and ownership.

Agency & Partner Management

• Serve as a leader and partner to media agencies and key media partners.
• Ensure strategic alignment, operational excellence, and accountability against deliverables, performance, and learning objectives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Brand, Creative, Growth, Analytics, Marketing Operations, Product, and Finance teams to deliver cohesive, high-impact campaigns.
• Translate data and insights into clear recommendations and actions for senior stakeholders.

What are we looking for?

• Bachelors' degree in Marketing, Brand Marketing, Advertising, or related area or equivalent years' experience.
• Twelve or more (12+) years' experience in a marketing role and managing others'.
• Ten or more (10+) years' experience managing a growth-focused paid media team agency and client side experience preferred
• Five or more (5+) years' experience in SaaS, subscription and/or ecommerce
• Proficiency with media planning platforms and data analysis tools.
• Excellent strategic thinking, communication, negotiation, and project management skills.
• Strong storytelling ability-able to translate complex data into clear, compelling narratives for all levels of the organization.
• Strong presentation skills and the ability to succinctly communicate and achieve executive buy in
• Creative, curious, and hands-on operator who thrives in ambiguity and is excited to help shape the next chapter of Auctane's growth.

What will make you stand out?

• Proven experience leading traditional paid media (multi-million investments) in a multi-brand, multi-geo environment, with full-funnel ownership across diverse customer segments.
• Deep expertise across traditional and emerging channels including Linear TV, OTT/CTV, Video, YouTube, Audio/Radio/Podcast, Direct Mail, and OOH; strong familiarity with digital media is a plus.
• Strong track record of balancing brand-building and performance marketing, delivering measurable business results.
• Advanced understanding of media measurement, attribution, incrementality testing, and experimentation across traditional and digital channels.
• Experience forecasting media-driven demand (e.g., trial sign-ups, conversions) and managing toward revenue goals; comfort with BI tools such as Looker.

The Tech

• Google Suite
• Looker
• Google Analytics
• Qlik

What do we offer?

• We are a hybrid company. All team members at Auctane in Austin come into the office Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
• Take the reins of your time off with our Flex Time Off policy - because work-life balance should always be in your hands!
• We offer 12 paid holidays for all of our US employees!
• 401k employer matching program - because your future deserves a friendly boost!
• We conduct annual merit reviews to recognize and reward your hard work and achievements.
• Company events, we work hard, play hard! We do our best every day, even at our regular team-building events.
• Attractive office space in the heart of central Austin, Texas (free drinks, snacks...).
• Indulge in weekly catered lunches at our office - a delicious perk to fuel your work.
• Health and Wellness: The well-being of our team is super important to us. Choose from different options that include medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Fitness center in the office with Tonal Mirrors, Pelotons, free weights, etc.
• Employee Assistance Program. We offer up to 8 free mental health sessions.
• We offer gym discounts to help you stay fit and healthy!
• We offer education reimbursement to all employees, ensuring that you can pursue your educational goals while excelling in your career with us. Invest in your future and let us support your growth every step of the way.
• Employee Referral Program! We reward employees helping us find top talent!
• An inclusive, casual and upbeat work environment. The personality and opinions of each of our team members are important and valid; we aim to offer all employees a safe environment where they can be themselves and thrive.

Additional Position Duties: (The following is a list of what all employees, except those with medical accommodation, may be regularly required to do.)

• Sit for prolonged periods of time
• Utilize wrist and hands for a prolonged period of time
• Walk short distances
• Stand for short periods
• Speaking and conversing with others
• Lift up to 25lbs without assistance up to chest height

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

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