Paid Media Director – Maternity Cover

We’re looking for an experienced Paid Media Director (Maternity Cover) to lead the strategic direction, execution, and optimisation of our paid advertising offering. This is a senior, hands-on leadership role, responsible for driving ROI and sustainable growth for our clients across all paid channels. 

You’ll oversee Paid Search, Paid Social, Programmatic, Video, Display, and Affiliate activity, lead and develop a high-performing paid media team, and act as a trusted strategic partner to client stakeholders. 

Key Responsibilities 

Strategy & Planning 

• Own the strategic vision for paid media across all clients and channels 

• Develop integrated, performance-led paid media strategies aligned to client objectives 

• Maintain and develop close relationships with key suppliers 

• Translate business goals into scalable media plans with clear KPIs and success metrics 

• Champion a test-and-learn mindset to continuously improve performance 

Leadership & Management 

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of paid media specialists and managers 

• Set clear direction, standards, and best practices across all paid channels 

• Support professional development through coaching, feedback, and knowledge sharing 

• Work closely with senior agency leadership to align paid media with wider business goals 

Performance & Optimisation 

• Oversee day-to-day performance across Paid Search, Paid Social, Programmatic, Video, Display, and Affiliate platforms 

• Ensure accounts are optimised for efficiency, scale, and long-term growth 

• Use data and insights to inform decision-making and performance improvements 

• Maintain high standards of testing, measurement, and attribution 

Client & Stakeholder Management 

• Act as a senior, strategic point of contact for clients 

• Confidently present strategies, performance results, and recommendations to stakeholders 

• Build trusted, long-term client relationships based on results and clear communication 

• Collaborate with internal teams to deliver integrated client solutions 

• Maintain frequent and proactive client communication, especially regarding industry development 

Budget Management 

• Support team with management of significant media budgets across multiple channels 

• Ensure spend is efficient, well-forecasted, and aligned to client ROI targets 

• Lead the team and enable efficiency in monitoring pacing, profitability, and performance against agreed budgets 

Innovation & Growth 

• Stay ahead of platform developments, industry trends, and emerging opportunities 

• Identify new channels, tools, and approaches to enhance client performance 

• Contribute to agency thought leadership and the evolution of Fusion’s paid media offering 

• Support new business pitches and growth opportunities 

About You 

Experience & Skills 

• Proven experience in a senior paid media leadership role, ideally within an agency environment 

• Deep hands-on expertise across Paid Search, Paid Social, Programmatic, Video, Display and Affiliate advertising 

• Strong understanding of data handling, tracking, attribution, and analytics 

• Highly analytical with the ability to turn complex data into clear strategic insight 

• Confident managing large budgets and delivering against ambitious performance targets 

Leadership & Mindset 

• An experienced people leader who enjoys developing and empowering teams 

• Strategic thinker with a commercial, results-driven mindset 

• Excellent communicator, comfortable influencing both clients and internal stakeholders 

• Curious, proactive, and excited by innovation in the paid media space 

Why Join Fusion Unlimited? 

• Work with some of the best marketers and channel specialists in the industry 

• A senior, impactful role with real strategic ownership 

• Opportunity to lead and shape paid media across a diverse client portfolio. You’ll get to work with a fantastically eclectic client mix, from ambitious start-ups and SMEs to house-hold names  

• Collaborative, ambitious agency culture based in Leeds 

• Flexible, hybrid working environment (Tues-Thurs in office, Mon/Fri work from home) 

• Our team always comes first. We have a best-in-class Employee Assistance Programme in place for when you need a shoulder 

• Regular socials 

• A taste of Yorkshire folklore, with our HQ nestled away on the famous Otley Road