Group Director, SEM
Media.Monks
CA$221,000 - CA$270,000 / year
Need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview? Contact us.
JobMinglr uses automated technology to recommend jobs based on profile information and job preferences. Match Score does not determine eligibility for a position, prevent a user from viewing or applying to a job, or make hiring decisions on behalf of an employer.
Description
Please note that we will never request payment or bank account information at any stage of the recruitment process. As we continue to grow our teams, we urge you to be cautious of fraudulent job postings or recruitment activities that misuse our company name and information. Please protect your personal information during any recruitment process. While Monks may contact potential candidates via LinkedIn, all applications must be submitted through our official website (monks.com/careers).
About the Role
We are looking for a strong, passionate, and energetic Search leader to drive growth and strategic oversight across the paid search department with a focus on working on our largest accounts and also serving as an SME across paid search and YouTube. We are looking for someone passionate about search-driven performance marketing who has a strong background in leading multiple accounts across verticals. This individual should be a people-focused leader who enjoys hands-on, cross-functional collaboration and wants to join a fast-growing, innovative digital agency that is hyper-focused on client performance and ROI.
Responsibilities:
- Reporting to the Head of Search, this role will serve as a people leader, including SEM channel specialists (Paid Search, YouTube, Demand Gen, PMax, Shopping, and App) as well as Account Leads managing direct client partnerships, contract negotiations/renewals, client onboarding, etc.
- This role will serve as a Search thought leader prepared to respond to the changing landscape in paid search
- Responsible for revenue driven from new business, client relationships, and client growth
- Will present Paid Search performance and tactical priorities to the client and internal stakeholders; however, the main priority is to help lead a paid search team
- Partners with cross-channel leads on creating media plans, including forecasting, testing, tactical plans, and reporting
- Drives Search strategy, innovation & testing on your book of business while improving performance, developing quarterly or annual roadmaps to keep advancing accounts with the latest trends and opportunities
- Manage others from Account Managers to Directors
- Contribute to team morale and culture through engagement, team building, and mentorship
- Contribute to overall department training, POVs, award submissions, and case studies
- Work closely with Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and other vendor partners on alpha and beta opportunities, expansion opportunities, client strategy and planning, and best practices
- Responsible for operationalizing processes and helping gain adoption across team focus areas
- Assist in creating a team culture across a hybrid working model
About You
The essentials:
- 12+ years Paid Search experience
- Worked across multiple clients overseeing a minimum of $20MM in annual ad spend
- Experience communicating with senior clients' points of contact from VPs to C-Suite
- Experience handling direct management of Paid Search budgets of at least $1MM+ in monthly ad spend
- Experience directing strategy in D2C or Retail, B2B, and B2C digital advertising efforts across different verticals is a major plus
- Experience in YouTube, Performance Max, Demand Gen, and Value-Based Bidding, understanding of Offline Conversion Data, and CRM integrations with Google Ads a plus
- Advanced slide presentation making and Excel / Google sheet skills
- Experience presenting paid search strategy to marketing executives, large teams, and senior audiences
- Have 5+ years of management experience with at least 3 direct reports at Associate Director level and above
- Experience with a bid management platform is preferred, such as SA360, Skai, Marin, etc.
At Monks, we believe in fostering an environment where a diversity of perspectives can thrive. We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage qualified applicants, from all backgrounds, who are excited to contribute to our mission.
#LI-OG1 #Hybrid
This role is subject to our Return to Office (RTO) policy. If you reside within a commutable distance of one of our office locations, you will be expected to work from the office a set number of days per week. The specific details, including the number of required office days, will be in accordance with the company’s then-current RTO policy, which is subject to change from time to time.
Monks has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what Monks may pay for the position at the time of posting. Monks may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on job-related factors, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.
About Monks
Monks is the global, digital-first, data-driven, unitary operating brand of S4Capital plc, where our culture centers on how we show up for the work and for one another. That begins with the commitment to strive for mastery—taking deep pride in our craft and creating work that sets the bar. In everyday execution, we drive momentum by choosing bold action rather than waiting for certainty. Above all, our teams are stronger together, bringing diverse perspectives into a unified team that communicates with clarity, trust, and mutual respect.
This commitment to craft and innovation translates directly into widespread industry acclaim: Monks was named a Contender in The Forrester Wave™: Global Marketing Services and a leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Global Digital Marketing Agencies. It ranks among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies (2022-25) and remains the only partner featured in AdExchanger’s Programmatic Power Players list every year (2020-24). Named Adweek’s first AI Agency of the Year (2023) and The One Show’s inaugural AI Pioneer Organization (2025), Monks was also awarded Business Intelligence Group’s 2026 Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Award in the Human-Machine Interaction Team category. Additionally, Monks.Flow earned AI-based Marketing Solution of the Year at the 2026 AI Breakthrough Awards and a 2026 Global Generative AI Award in the Agentic Marketing Innovation category. Finally, Monks achieved a record-breaking number of FWAs and continues to hold the most of any partner.
We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to building a respectful and empowering work environment for all people to freely express themselves amongst colleagues who embrace diversity in all respects. Including fresh voices and unique points of view in all aspects of our business not only creates an environment where we can all grow and thrive but also increases our potential to produce work that better represents—and resonates with—the world around us.
Benefits
- stock options
About this role
Media.Monks is seeking a Group Director to lead their paid search practice in Toronto, overseeing strategy, team management, and performance across their largest client accounts. Reporting to the Head of Search, you'll manage a team of SEM specialists and Account Leads while serving as the paid search thought leader—responsible for revenue growth, client relationships, and driving innovation across Paid Search, YouTube, Demand Gen, PMax, Shopping, and App channels. This role combines hands-on strategic work with people leadership, requiring you to present performance to C-suite clients, collaborate cross-functionally on media planning, and partner with Google, Microsoft, and other vendors on emerging opportunities.
The ideal candidate brings 12+ years of paid search experience managing at least $20MM in annual ad spend, with a track record of directing strategy across D2C, Retail, B2B, and B2C verticals. You'll need 5+ years managing teams at the Associate Director level or above, strong presentation and Excel skills, and experience handling $1MM+ monthly budgets. Expertise in YouTube, Performance Max, Value-Based Bidding, and bid management platforms like SA360 is valued. This is a contract hybrid role based in Toronto, with an expected return-to-office commitment, offering a salary range of $221,000–$270,000 CAD.
This role's local market on JobMinglr
Pay for this role
$221,000 to $270,000 per year
That is the employer's posted range, and where you land in it is usually decided in one conversation. Before that conversation, run the numbers: analyze an offer for this role.
Before you apply, worth reading
How JobMinglr reads this job
Every listing here is scored against your profile before you apply: skills overlap, experience level, location and work arrangement, each weighted and explained. You see the score and the reasons, not just a list. How the matching works.