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Director, Performance Marketing (Hands-On)

Swell Media

Kansas City, MO

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JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
A/B Testing, Application Programming Interface (API), Audience Development, Auditing, Automation, Best Practices, Bidding, Brand Strategy, Budgeting, Business Growth, CRM Integration, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Channel Strategies, Coaching, Communication Skills, Customer Relations, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Ecosystems, Entertainment and Media, Forecasting, Google Search Engine, Identify Issues, Lead Generation, Leadership, LifeTime Value (LTV), LinkedIn, Looker, Marketing, Media Buying and Planning, Mentoring, Multiplatform/Cross-Platform, Operational Strategy, Performance Metrics, Request for Proposals (RFP), Revenue Planning, Sales, Salesforce.com, Scalable System Development, Scripting (Scripting Languages), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Service Level Agreement (SLA), Strategic Planning, Systems Scalability, Team Lead/Manager, Team Player, Test Plan/Schedule, Website Conversion, Work From Home, YouTube, eCommerce
LOCATION
Kansas City, MO
POSTED
3 days ago
Open position in Portsmouth, NH, St Louis, MO, Kansas City, MO, Minneapolis, MN, Columbia MO; Hybrid work schedule; 2 days in the office, 3 days working from home

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, now or in the future. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis without requiring employer sponsorship.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a SVP, Performance Marketing to lead and scale a high-impact performance team within our agency, Swell Media, part of the broader integrated media holding companies True Independent Holdings, and Meet The People.

This role is built for a challenger-minded performance digital leader, someone who thrives in fast-moving, high-accountability environments and knows how to turn media into a true revenue engine.

You will own a portfolio of ecommerce and lead generation clients, driving measurable growth through full-funnel strategy, advanced platform execution, and a relentless focus on efficiency (ROAS, CPA, LTV). Internally, you will lead, mentor, and scale teams. Externally, you will serve as a trusted partner to senior client stakeholders, shaping both strategy and business outcomes.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (Other duties may be assigned)

Client Leadership & Commercial Growth
  • Own performance outcomes across a portfolio of ecommerce and lead generation clients, with direct accountability to revenue, CAC/CPA, and ROAS targets
  • Build senior-level client relationships, positioning the agency as a strategic growth partner, not just an executional vendor
  • Lead new business pitches, RFP responses, and organic account growth, with a focus on expanding performance-driven services
  • Identify and unlock growth opportunities across the broader holding company's capabilities (brand, creative, analytics, CRM)
Performance Strategy (Ecommerce & Lead Gen Focus)
  • Architect and oversee full-funnel, audience-led strategies tailored to:
  • Ecommerce (feed-driven media, conversion rate optimization, LTV optimization, retention signals)
  • Lead Generation (funnel optimization, lead quality, offline conversion tracking, sales alignment)
  • Ensure seamless integration between upper-funnel investment and lower-funnel efficiency, driving scalable, sustainable growth
  • Push beyond platform defaults, developing differentiated approaches to audience strategy, creative, and bidding
  • Serve as the ultimate technical escalation point for the agency, conducting rigorous audits on high-stakes accounts to identify and resolve performance plateaus
  • Develop proprietary testing frameworks that push beyond standard A/B testing into sophisticated incrementality and lift studies
Channel & Platform Leadership
  • Oversee execution across all core performance channels:
  • Primary - paid search, paid social
  • Secondary - programmatic, affiliate, CTV, and emerging platforms
  • Maintain deep expertise across key platforms:
  • Google Ads (Search, YouTube, Performance Max, Shopping, Merchant Center)
  • Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, and programmatic ecosystems
  • Lead advanced capabilities across:
  • Feed optimization and automation (critical for ecommerce scale)
  • Creative testing frameworks and iteration velocity
  • Signal development, audience modeling, and incrementality
Data, Measurement & Martech
  • Own the measurement framework and marketing technology ecosystem, including:
  • GA4, Google Tag Manager, CRM integrations (e.g., HubSpot)
  • Attribution models, incrementality testing, and offline conversion tracking
  • Reporting and visualization (e.g., Looker Studio)
  • Build closed-loop measurement systems that connect media investment to revenue, pipeline, and customer value
  • Drive a culture of testing, experimentation, and continuous optimization
Team Leadership & Challenger Culture
  • Build, lead, and mentor high-performing, performance-driven teams across levels
  • Instill a challenger mindset, pushing teams to question platform best practices, test aggressively, and innovate beyond standard approaches
  • Act as a player-coach, balancing strategic leadership with hands-on expertise where it matters
  • Develop scalable frameworks, playbooks, and training to elevate team performance and consistency
Operational & Financial Leadership
  • Oversee portfolio-level performance, including budget allocation, pacing, and forecasting
  • Drive accountability to client KPIs, SLAs, and agency revenue/margin targets
  • Partner with executive leadership on resource planning, staffing, and operational efficiency
  • Build systems that enable scalable growth without sacrificing performance quality
Holding Company Integration
  • Collaborate across the broader media organization to deliver fully integrated, cross-channel strategies
  • Act as a bridge between performance marketing and brand, creative, analytics, and investment teams
  • Ensure performance media is fully aligned with brand strategy, creative direction, and broader media planning
  • Help position the agency as a modern, performance-first leader within the holding company ecosystem
Qualifications - To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • 8+ years of experience in performance marketing, with leadership roles in an agency environment
  • Proven success scaling ecommerce and/or lead generation businesses through paid media and conversion optimization
  • Deep expertise across paid media platforms, analytics, and marketing technology
  • Mastery of advanced scripts, API integrations for automated bidding, and sophisticated CRM-to-platform data loops (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, and Offline Conversion Tracking at scale)
  • Proven ability to troubleshoot complex tracking and attribution discrepancies in a post-cookie landscape
  • Femonstrated ability to manage high-growth client portfolios and drive measurable business outcomes
  • Strong track record in new business, client growth, and senior stakeholder management
  • Experience operating within or alongside integrated media organizations or holding companies preferred
  • Exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and communication skills
Total Perks Package
  • The chance to be a part of a growing company and the next success story
  • Amazing opportunities for career development
  • Recognition programs
  • Employee referral bonus
  • Hybrid work schedule; 2 days in the office, 3 days working from home
  • Fun and collaborative work environment
  • Casual dress code
  • Insurance Coverage (medical, dental, vision, life, and disability)
  • 401(k) retirement plan, with employer 4% match
  • Work/life benefits, including mental health and wellbeing support
  • Flexible Time Off Policy
  • Paid holidays, including agency soft closing Christmas Eve-New Year's Day
  • Paid leave options, including sick leave, medical leave for self and family, and parental leave


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About the Company

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Swell Media