Head of Paid Search
BRAND: Zenith
Job Function: Media Performance
Location: London, United Kingdom
Experience Level: Management
Workplace Type: Hybrid
Company description
We are the ROI agency, a position we have proudly held true to since 2005. Our more than 6,000 specialists across 95 markets offer unparalleled capabilities in Media, Data, Technology, Commerce and Content. We put effectiveness at the heart of our work to solve complex challenges, drive successful business outcomes, and grow our clients' businesses.
Over the years, we have evolved our definition of ROI, as it has changed with the ever- complicated communications landscape. ROI is no longer simply about the most efficient planning, buying and reporting of media.
Yes, ROI is about delivering Return on Investment; but it's also about going beyond to deliver a
Return on Imagination and more integrated experiences that inspire Growth. Top-line growth
for our clients' businesses, growth for our people and growth for our culture.
Powered by our best-in-class proprietary tools and data, our work spans the full spectrum of media communications, from analytics, data and technology to performance marketing, content and superior trading.
This breadth means we deliver Insight that lies at the intersection of consumer, category, and brand, attributing every budget to stronger business outcomes.
It means we deliver more creative media solutions that bring together best-in-class strategy, planning and the power of Publicis Groupe to ensure distinct and more personal brand experiences for our clients.
It means we adopt new data analytics and value optimisation techniques while building
relationships with some of the world's most exciting start-ups. We leverage over 30 years of media planning expertise to go beyond traditional media solutions and deliver a Return on Investment that is both forward-thinking and accountable to our clients.
At Zenith, we ultimately seek out a more meaningful kind of ROI. Our unique way of thinking inspires growth for some of the world's leading brands, including Coty, Electrolux, Essity, Lactalis, Luxottica, Nestlé, Nomad Foods, Reckitt, TikTok and Verizon.
Overview
About the role....
Paid Search is one of four disciplines sitting under the digital activation umbrella, alongside SEO, Paid Social and Programmatic.
The team is currently c. 80 FTEs, split between the UK, India and Colombia. Our client roster includes household name brands in FMCG, technology, fashion, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, hospitality and consumer electronics.
The Head of Paid Search reports into the Head of Digital Activation.
You will lead the day to day running of the Zenith International Paid Search Department, ensuring consistent delivery of excellent work, exceptional client service, best in class product and achievement of revenue and profitability targets.
Responsibilities
About the work....
Commercial Leadership & Revenue Growth
Revenue ownership: Ensure channel revenue targets are met and forecasted accurately
Cost management: Track, manage, and report on team structure, resourcing, and costs
Commercial growth: Identify and develop opportunities for incremental revenue through expanded services, increased scope, and additional investment
New business: Support agency new business efforts by shaping the programmatic offering, contributing to pitches, and developing innovative solutions beyond existing scopes of work
Revenue diversification: Champion profitability through the adoption and growth of bespoke in-house tools and products
Forecasting: Own regular revenue and FTE forecasting for the channel, maintaining an accurate and up-to-date view of performance
Operational Excellence & Quality Control
Brilliant basics: Ensure robust QA processes, accurate planning, and ongoing optimisation are embedded across all campaigns and regularly updated in line with platform and industry changes
Error prevention: Proactively prevent errors by enforcing QA standards across the team, with a zero-tolerance approach to avoidable mistakes
Finance excellence: Maintain absolute financial accuracy and adherence to agency processes, including PO management, query resolution, SLA compliance, bookings, audits, and invoice clearance within required timelines
Governance & access: Own access administration, Publicis ID compliance, and governance processes, including forecasting tools and internal platforms
Best-in-class output: Develop, maintain, and evolve best-practice guidelines and training materials covering planning through to optimisation
Innovation & product development: Partner with senior performance leadership to test, adopt, and scale new products, tools, and approaches that drive efficiency and quality
Client Performance, Leadership & Growth
Client satisfaction: Oversee the development and delivery of client performance roadmaps, ensuring clear goals, accountability, and outcomes
Strategic leadership: Act as the senior paid search lead across the client portfolio, influencing strategy and decision-making at a senior level
Innovation & testing: Develop and deliver quarterly channel roadmaps and test-and-learn plans to drive innovation, performance, and growth
Relationship management: Build strong, trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders and internal planning teams
Growth delivery: Ensure paid search strategy, activation, and tactics consistently drive performance, growth, and client satisfaction across all accounts
Opportunity identification: Support teams in identifying growth opportunities, improving strategy, and expanding use of platforms, first-party data and proprietary tools
Team Leadership, Resource Management & Culture
Visible leadership: Deliver consistent, responsive, and proactive leadership across the team, providing timely support to clients, planning teams, and internal stakeholders
Resource management: Allocate resources efficiently to maximise output and ensure workloads are balanced and sustainable
Hiring & retention: Build and maintain a high-performing, well-staffed team aligned to business priorities, with oversight from senior leadership
Development & progression: Set clear objectives and career pathways by level, supported by structured development plans and performance management
Training & certification: Build and deploy annual training and certification plans across platforms and vendors, ensuring full compliance across the team
Onboarding: Own and oversee onboarding processes to ensure a consistent, high-quality experience for all new starters
Succession planning: Maintain clear succession and promotion roadmaps to support long-term team stability and growth
Team engagement: Host regular team meetings to onboard new members, share knowledge, strengthen culture, and improve engagement
Department & External Profile
Media owner partnerships: Develop strong relationships with key partners and media owners, including joint business planning, training, and access to support and innovation
Profile building: Surface and celebrate great work from the team by developing case studies and sharing success internally and externally
Awards & recognition: Lead the submission of industry award entries to showcase excellence within the paid search discipline
Qualifications
What you need to succeed....
- Strong line management capabilities
- Proactive mindset and excellent problem-solving skills
- Exceptional knowledge of the paid search landscape, platform evolution and user behaviours
- Operational excellence, evidence of driving efficiency through improved operations
- Gravitas required to build relationships with senior clients and colleagues
- Experience managing a P&L for a department or business unit
- Strong organisational skills
- Diplomacy, particularly in terms of managing conflict
- A keen eye for detail
- A solid understanding of emerging technologies, in particular LLMs and AI
#LI-MP1
Additional information
Zenith International has fantastic benefits on offer to all of our employees, full details of which are shared when you join. This includes the classics like Pension, Life Assurance, Private Medical, as well as Reflection Days, Shared Parental Leave, and spans other initiatives like:
Please check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG's (Employee Action Groups).
At Zenith International , we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age, citizenship, relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic.
We are committed to providing a fair, accessible, and inclusive recruitment process. If you have any access needs - for example, related to disability, neurodivergence, or a health condition - please let us know. We'll work with you to ensure the process works for you. Sharing this information will never impact your application.
Guided by our values, we listen with empathy, uplift each other, take responsibility, and embrace change - building a culture where everyone feels seen, respected, and genuinely included.