Head of Paid Media at Earnest

Earnest’s mission is to make higher education accessible and affordable for everyone. We empower past, present, and soon-to-be students to maximize their financial futures through thoughtful guidance and impactful products.

We build tools that help people feel in control of their financial future, including:

• Private student loans - low rates, people-first service, and flexible payments.
• Student loan refinancing - break free from high interest rates or monthly payments.
• Scholarships - access to thousands of scholarships to help students pay less. 

The Head of Paid Media position will report to our Senior Director, Growth Marketing.

As the Head of Paid Media, you will:

• Be responsible for the strategy, planning, execution, and measurement of our paid media channels 
• Be responsible for managing our paid advertising campaigns, including both online and offline channels, such as TV/CTV, search, social, display, and programmatic advertising 
• Be expected to have a deep understanding of the paid media landscape and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices

Your Impact:

• Lead Earnest’s strategy, measurement, and data-driven optimization efforts across all paid media channels, including but not limited to CTV, Paid Social, SEM, Display/Video, and Influencers, and help to define Earnest’s future marketing investment as a leader within the marketing team and broader organization
• Build and deliver bottom-up growth forecasts by channel, partnering with the Senior Director of Growth Marketing, Product Leads, and the Finance team to refine scenarios based on company revenue targets
• Collaborate with other members of the Marketing and Partnerships team to synchronize monthly planning across channels and products and communicate and accomplish a growth vision
• Demonstrate effective agency management and relationships with Media AOR to manage audience development and insights, planning, execution, and measurement
• Lead day-to-day internal analytics with support from Senior Marketing Manager & Marketing Managers; effectively manage Media agency to produce Advanced Analytics models and demonstrate understanding and application of outputs (MTA, MMM, Incrementality)
• Lead and manage a high-performing team of paid media and partnerships professionals, ensuring that they are aligned with company goals and objectives, and equipped with the necessary resources to succeed

About You: 

• 8+ years experience in media planning, buying, execution, and measurement
• 5+ years of leadership experience in a marketing or growth role
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Economics, Engineering or other related field
• Experience running a wide range of media channels and managing to volume and efficiency goals, experience weighing different business goals, and understanding how to best prioritize brand vs. demand planning and execution
• Leverage data in all decisions, but also capable of relying on a wide breadth of industry expertise to make decisions when the data isn’t perfect
• Experience identifying marketing talent to help build teams
• Advanced analytical abilities and executive presentation skills

Even Better:

• Previous experience in Consumer Lending and/or  in the financial technology (FinTech) industry
• Familiarity with regulatory requirements in financial services advertising
• Proficiency in data analytics and interpretation, particularly in relation to paid media campaigns
• Experience managing large advertising budgets effectively
• Knowledge of emerging trends and best practices in digital marketing and paid media, specifically within the FinTech sector

About Us:

What makes an “Earnie” culture: 

• Drivers – Drivers are satisfied by making things happen, not coming along for the ride. They feel a strong sense of ownership for their projects and teams and demand high standards from themselves and others.
• Humility – Humble team players check their egos and consider the team’s needs above their own. They are self-aware of their strengths and opportunities for improvement.
• Growth Mindset – People with a growth mindset approach challenges and failures as learning opportunities. They seek feedback to improve, give feedback to others, and genuinely want to perform well. 

Earnies are committed to helping students live their best lives, free from the stress of student debt. If you’re as passionate as we are about our mission, read more below, and let’s build something great together! 

Earnest believes in enabling our employees to live their best lives. We offer a variety of perks and competitive benefits, including: 

• Health, Dental, & Vision benefits plus savings plans
• Work anywhere in the U.S. 
• Mac computers + work from home stipend to set up your home office
• Monthly internet and phone reimbursement
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• RSUs
• 401(k) plan to help you save for retirement plus a company match
• Robust tuition reimbursement program
• $1,000 travel perk on each Earnie-versary to anywhere in the world 
• Competitive days of annual PTO
• Annual “my day” 
• Pet insurance!
• Competitive parental leave
• Plenty of Earnest swag, optional in person team gatherings, picnics, celebrations, and plenty of fun virtual events 

At Earnest, we are committed to building an environment where our employees feel included, valued, and heard. Our belief is that a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging enables us to move forward with our mission. We are dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team and encourage anyone to apply if your experience is close to what we are looking for.  

Earnest provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status disability or genetics. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for the position in a manner consistent with the Fair Chance Ordinance.

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