VP Paid Media

About the Role

Kanahoma is seeking a visionary and results-driven Vice President of Paid Media to serve as the senior-most leader of our Paid Media practice. Reporting directly to the SVP of Marketing, you will fully own the Paid Media product, driving the strategic evolution of our services while managing a world-class team. This is a pivotal leadership role for a professional with a strong point of view on the future of search, cross-channel attribution, and creative strategy in an increasingly automated landscape. You will be responsible for defining how Kanahoma navigates the next five years of performance marketing, ensuring our partners achieve year-over-year enrollment growth through innovation and execution excellence.

• Strategic Product Ownership: Serve as the primary architect for Kanahoma’s Paid Media product, translating agency-level goals into actionable frameworks, playbooks, and AI-enhanced processes.
• Team Leadership & Development: Directly manage and mentor a team of Senior Directors and Directors, fostering a culture of high performance, urgency, and "solution-first" thinking.
• Performance Excellence: Ensure all partner books of business meet or exceed inquiry, application, and start goals while maintaining strict budget pacing within 5% of planned spend.
• Innovation & AI Enablement: Lead the integration of generative AI and emerging technologies into daily workflows, from automated reporting to AI-native media opportunities and creative iteration.
• Forward-Looking Thought Leadership: Develop and execute a roadmap for the future of attribution and search, maintaining a proactive stance on how platform automation and intent-based marketing are evolving.
• Testing & Optimization: Oversee a robust annual and quarterly testing roadmap, including landing page optimization (CRO), channel diversification, and creative refresh cycles.
• Client & Business Growth: Partner with the Accounts team on renewals and upsells, representing the Paid Media practice in high-stakes partner pitches and SOW developments.
• Operational Oversight: Participate in the agency’s EOS process, managing resource allocation and billability targets (80–90%) to ensure sustainable growth and margin improvement.

• Experience: 10–12+ years of progressive performance marketing experience, with at least 5 years specifically in a people management leadership role.
• Scale: Proven track record of managing an aggregate annual paid media spend of $50M+ across diverse platforms.
• Industry Expertise: Deep experience in multi-step, lead-to-sale acquisition environments such as Higher Education, Insurance, or Financial Services. Higher-ed experience in the adult/online segment is highly preferred.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Demonstrated success in building paid media solutions from the ground up, including standing up teams, channel strategies, and measurement frameworks.
• Technical Acumen: An opinionated perspective on the future of AI in marketing, including AI-driven bidding, evolving match types, and generative creative strategies.
• Leadership Skills: Experience managing teams of 5 or more across multiple levels, with a focus on professional development and recruitment.
• Agency Background: Prior leadership experience within a fast-paced agency environment is strongly preferred.

• Remote-First Culture: Work from anywhere with a team that values autonomy and high-impact output.
• Leadership Impact: Direct influence on agency strategy and the opportunity to shape the future of the Paid Media department.
• Cutting-Edge Tools: Access to and budget for the latest AI and performance marketing technologies.
• Professional Growth: A commitment to developing top-tier talent through continuous learning and performance-based advancement.

Required Skills