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How much do director search engine marketing jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for director search engine marketing in the United States is $124,999.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $120,000.00 and $130,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a director of search engine marketing do?

A Director of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) oversees the strategy, planning, and execution of paid search marketing campaigns to increase a company's online visibility and drive website traffic. They manage teams, set goals, analyze campaign performance, and optimize budgets across platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads. This role also involves collaborating with other marketing departments, staying updated on industry trends, and ensuring SEM strategies align with broader business objectives.

What are the typical challenges faced by a director of search engine marketing when managing large-scale campaigns?

A Director of Search Engine Marketing often faces challenges such as efficiently allocating budgets across multiple channels, staying ahead of frequent algorithm updates, and ensuring alignment between paid and organic strategies. Managing a large team and coordinating with other departments like content, analytics, and product can add complexity, especially when integrating data-driven insights into campaign decisions. Additionally, measuring ROI and optimizing campaigns at scale requires a strong analytical approach and the ability to adapt quickly to shifting market trends.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director of search engine marketing, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director of Search Engine Marketing, you need advanced expertise in SEM strategy, analytics, campaign management, and a solid background in digital marketing, often supported by a degree in marketing or a related field. Proficiency with tools such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, Bing Ads, and bid management platforms, along with relevant certifications like Google Ads Certification, is typically required. Strong leadership, analytical thinking, and communication skills help drive team performance and cross-functional collaboration. These skills and qualities are essential for maximizing ROI, overseeing large-scale campaigns, and ensuring effective alignment with business objectives.

What is the difference between Director Search Engine Marketing vs Search Engine Marketing Manager?

AspectDirector Search Engine MarketingSearch Engine Marketing Manager
ResponsibilitiesOversees overall SEM strategy, manages teams, sets budgets, and aligns marketing goals with business objectives.Executes SEM campaigns, manages daily operations, and optimizes ad performance under strategic guidance.
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree, often with advanced marketing certifications or experience in leadership roles.Bachelor's degree, certifications like Google Ads or SEM-specific training.
Work EnvironmentStrategic planning, team management, cross-department collaboration.Campaign setup, monitoring, and optimization within digital marketing teams.

The main difference between a Director Search Engine Marketing and a Search Engine Marketing Manager lies in scope and leadership. The director focuses on strategic oversight and team management, while the manager handles day-to-day campaign execution. Both roles require relevant certifications and experience, but the director typically has more leadership responsibilities and a broader strategic focus.

What cities are hiring for Director Search Engine Marketing jobs?

Cities with the most Director Search Engine Marketing job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Search Engine Marketing jobs?

The most popular types of Search Engine Marketing jobs are:

What states have the most Director Search Engine Marketing jobs?

States with the most job openings for Director Search Engine Marketing jobs include:

What are popular job titles related to Director Search Engine Marketing jobs?

For Director Search Engine Marketing jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Director Search Engine Marketing job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 10% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $124,999 per year, or $60.1 per hour.

Senior Director - Search Engine Marketing and Digital Advertising (Boulder)

Boulder, CO • On-site

TransPerfect
Translation Services • 5 - 10K employees
Learn more about TransPerfectexternal

Full-time

This job post has expired 1 day ago. Applications are no longer accepted.

Key responsibilities

  • Build and lead TransPerfect's in-house SEM team as a strategic center of excellence.

  • Own end-to-end campaign lifecycle from intake and planning to launch, optimization, and reporting.

  • Monitor and optimize campaigns in real time, ensuring efficient spend and strong performance on key KPIs.

TransPerfect rating

7.0

Company rating: 7.0 out of 10

Based on 21 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

Senior Director - Search Engine Marketing and Digital AdvertisingSenior Director - Search Engine Marketing and Digital Advertising

TransPerfect, the world’s largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business, is seeking a results-driven, resourceful, and visionary Senior Director – Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Digital Advertising to lead the creation of an in-house SEM and digital advertising function within the MarComm department. Structured like an internal performance marketing agency, this team will combine existing and net new resources to deliver scalable, measurable, and efficient search and performance strategies across all divisions of the TransPefect Global Group. Your primary mission – as the leader of this team – will be to deliver high performance in the areas of brand awareness and qualified lead generation through effective strategy and execution.

This role works closely with stakeholders across leadership, corporate marketing, sales, production, and vendors, always providing best-in-class service levels – faster, smarter, and more cost-effectively than any agency could deliver, all while being held accountable at the same level that a third-party agency would be (where contract renewal depends on results and performance). Internal partnerships and teamwork are critical as this group will be responsible for supporting successful programs across all company divisions, verticals, and products.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Build and lead TransPerfect’s in-house SEM team as a strategic center of excellence.
  • Define the internal agency model, including intake process, SLAs, workflow, and campaign reporting standards.
  • Serve as senior strategist and internal thought leader on paid search and digital advertising best practices, platform trends, and measurement models.
  • Lead quarterly performance reviews and SEM opportunity briefings across business units.
  • Develop high-trust, high-transparency relationships with key executive stakeholders and vertical/divisional leaders

Campaign Development & Execution

  • Full campaign setup, brief intake, team mobilization.
  • Own end-to-end campaign lifecycle from intake and planning to launch, optimization, and reporting.
  • Translate internal marketing briefs into paid search strategies with aligned messaging, targeting, and budget pacing.
  • Manage bidding strategies, keyword planning, and targeting refinement to ensure ROI across campaigns.
  • Oversee creation and testing of ad copy, variants, extensions, and new ad formats and experimentation.

Performance Management & Optimization

  • Monitor and optimize campaigns in real time, ensuring efficient spend and strong performance on key KPIs (ROAS, CTR, CPA, conversions).
  • Deliver clear, actionable reports and insights to internal stakeholders on a monthly and quarterly basis.
  • Highlight key wins and major highlights in real-time.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align paid search efforts with broader campaign goals and messaging.
  • Launch “always-on” programs for core services or products that run independent of formal briefs.
  • Conduct quarterly SEM opportunity reviews based on search trends, competitor activity, and historical data.
  • Lead a test and learn agenda, piloting new ad types, platforms, and strategies with measurable insights shared across the team.
  • Identify content and keyword gaps to inform future campaign and SEO initiatives.

Cross-Team Partnership & Enablement

  • Act as the strategic SEM partner to internal vertical and product marketing teams.
  • Host regular internal SEM sessions to provide consultative support, brainstorm new ideas, and field quick-turn requests.
  • Educate stakeholders on SEM capabilities and foster a culture of performance-driven marketing.

Requirements:

  • 8+ years in SEM or performance marketing roles, with at least 3 years managing paid search strategy at scale.
  • Demonstrated experience building or running high-volume SEM campaigns for B2B and B2C brands.
  • Past experience building from zero, not just stepping in to existing roles and programs and optimizing – a hybrid builder/optimizer.
  • Strong understanding of Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Google Analytics, and conversion tracking tools.
  • Additional knowledge of paid channels including LinkedIn, Meta, etc.
  • Extensive knowledge of top-of-funnel digital advertising strategies, including platforms and tactics used for brand awareness, audience expansion, and demand generation (e.g. YouTube, paid social).
  • Ability to translate brand or campaign goals into effective upper-funnel media plans with clear KPIs and targeting strategies.
  • Understanding of how to apply digital advertising strategies to support new market entry initiatives—leveraging paid media to build awareness, validate audience potential, and generate early demand in new geographies or verticals.
  • Proven leadership experience in building teams that run with agency-style operations.
  • Exceptional data literacy and analytical thinking—comfortable owning dashboards and reporting frameworks.
  • Strong communicator and collaborator with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
  • Hands-on, proactive, and organized—you know how to lead, but understand that this is a player-coach role where you are required to roll up your sleeves.
  • Experience in localization, SaaS, professional services, managed services, consulting, or complex B2B global marketing environments.
  • Familiarity with managing SEM campaigns in multilingual markets.
  • Working knowledge of SEO, CRO, or paid social to support integrated performance campaigns.

Why TransPerfect?

This role is an opportunity to lead SEM transformation at one of the world’s largest providers of language and content solutions. You’ll have the autonomy and support to build something from the ground up, work across business lines, and drive measurable impact at a global scale—all while eliminating external agency reliance and leveling up our internal SEM capability. As a privately held company, TransPerfect is an ideal workplace for entrepreneurial, opportunistic, growth-minded individuals who aren’t afraid to take risks and can succeed in a non-standard environment.

Seniority level
  • Seniority levelDirector
Employment type
  • Employment typeFull-time
Job function
  • Job functionMarketing
  • IndustriesTranslation and Localization

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About TransPerfect

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

TransPerfect was founded in 1992 with a simple mission to provide the highest quality language services to leading organizations worldwide. Started as a two-person company operating out of a dorm room, TransPerfect has spent nearly three decades solving global business challenges for our clients, and has turned into one of the most successful growth stories in the business world.

Industry

Translation services

Company size

5,001 - 10,000 Employees

Headquarters location

New York, NY, US

Year founded

1992

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