Senior Director, Search
Known
| Company | Known |
| Category | Marketing |
| Location | New York |
| Remote | On-site (inferred) |
| Employment | Not stated |
| Level | Director |
| Salary | Not stated by the employer |
| Posted | 10 Jun 2026 |
| Last verified | 5 Aug 2026 |
| Source | Employer ATS (greenhouse) |
Description
WE HAVE CREATED A WORLD WHERE ART AND SCIENCE ARE BEST FRIENDS
Known is what happens when a data science firm and a creative agency stop arguing and start collaborating. We were built from scratch with PhD data scientists and award-winning creatives working on the same briefs, from day one. That structure earned us an Ad Age #3 A-List ranking, back-to-back Data & Insights Agency of the Year wins, plus Emmys, Cannes Lions, Clios, and Effies across clients in finance, tech, entertainment, consumer goods, and real estate. We're distributed across the U.S. and unapologetically ambitious.
If you're tired of choosing between doing smart work and doing creative work, you'll fit right in here.
BUT ENOUGH ABOUT US, LET'S TALK ABOUT YOU
About the Role
Known's Media Science team uses advanced analytics, machine learning, statistics, and algorithms to plan and optimize advertising dollars. We partner with our clients to translate their business goals into meaningful metrics, and buy media across all channels to drive those target outcomes.
As a Senior Director, Search, you own search performance across a portfolio of clients. You set the strategy, develop the team, and are the executive point of contact when clients need a senior voice in the room. You will lead paid search in daily account management, cross-channel strategy, and optimization, and you will bring a clear point of view on how generative AI is reshaping search behavior and paid media execution.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
Own performance and client relationships across your portfolio, meeting targets and delivering clear, data-grounded narratives
Set the overall strategy for paid search and generative AI search (including Performance Max, AI-powered Smart Bidding, and emerging gen AI ad surfaces), across multiple clients
Define and enforce best practices across the team, including testing frameworks, QA standards, and knowledge-sharing processes
Manage, develop, and hire direct reports; own the professional development of the full search team under you
Act as executive escalation point for client issues, coordinating resolution across disciplines
Translate client business objectives into search strategies, and connect search activity to broader channel plans
Oversee day-to-day management of advertising spend across paid search
Advise clients and internal teams on how machine learning, automation, and generative AI tools can improve search performance
Build and present media plans, performance reports, and strategic recommendations to client leadership
Build and grow search practice with an eye to the future, which may include changes in Search and AI landscape, evolution of overall paid media landscape, and other cross channel knowledge sharing.
WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU HAVE
A degree from a well-regarded college or university
8+ years of hands-on experience managing paid search strategy and execution in a digital agency or comparable environment
Demonstrated experience managing gen AI-powered search campaigns, including Performance Max, Responsive Search Ads, Smart Bidding and emerging generative ad formats across Google and Microsoft
Working knowledge of SEO, including technical SEO, content strategy, and the intersection of organic and paid search
Experience managing and growing a team of at least 4-6 people
Track record managing clients directly at a senior level
Experience in translating goals to KPIs
Ability to think creatively and question conventional platform or channel approaches when the situation calls for it.
Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge
Strong grasp of the math behind media buying: statistics, attribution models, and measurement frameworks, while also understanding and implementing the magic of translating insights into action.
Ability to evaluate and direct work across paid search and gen AI search in a single coherent strategy
In-platform fluency with Google Ads and Micro