Senior Growth Marketing Manager (Google Ads & Paid Media)

Ground News is a news comparison platform dedicated to helping users navigate media bias, fostering critical thinking, and breaking free from algorithmic echo chambers. Unlike traditional news or tech platforms, Ground News operates independently of political ideologies or ad-driven algorithms, relying instead on reader subscriptions to fund its mission of informed, nuanced journalism.

Highlights:

• #1 on Product Hunt
• #2 on 2025 Apple Design Awards in the Social Impact category
• 3-time winner of US App of the Day
• Winner of Mobile Apps Showdown at CES

The Opportunity:

Ground News is seeking a Senior Growth Marketing Manager to scale its Google Ads presence from a small budget to a major revenue driver, while maintaining strict control over Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and subscriber payback. This is a build-from-zero mandate, requiring expertise in Google Ads, Performance Max, Demand Gen, and YouTube campaigns, with a focus on rigorous measurement and attribution.

The role involves setting up account architecture, campaign structures, and testing frameworks to ensure scalability. You’ll partner closely with product, engineering, and sponsorships teams, with full autonomy to execute and iterate on campaigns, landing pages, and creative assets.

Ideal candidates have successfully scaled a subscription or DTC account from a small base to a significant share of spend, and are passionate about improving media literacy.

What You’ll Do:

• Build Google Ads from scratch, including account structure, campaign architecture, naming conventions, and scalable testing frameworks.
• Scale Google Ads spend from a low base to a major share of the total paid budget while maintaining CAC and subscriber payback metrics.
• Own Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen, and YouTube campaigns, including budget allocation and bidding strategies.
• Collaborate with external agencies to develop and iterate on YouTube creative assets, including briefing, testing, and format optimization.
• Design, test, and iterate on Google landing pages to maximize conversions.
• Build a robust measurement foundation, including conversion tracking, Enhanced Conversions, app + web attribution, and incrementality testing.
• Experiment with and scale campaigns on adjacent paid channels (e.g., social media, CTV/OTT) when opportunities arise.
• Partner with product, engineering, and analytics teams to ensure paid media needs are met.
• Provide transparent and tactful reporting on performance, including honest assessments of underperforming areas.

What You’ll Bring:

• 5+ years of experience managing Google Ads at a meaningful scale, preferably in subscription, DTC, or app contexts.
• Proven track record of scaling accounts from small to large, not just maintaining existing ones.
• Hands-on experience with YouTube scaling, including video campaign optimization and performance analysis.
• Strong analytical skills, comfortable with GA4, spreadsheets, and BI tools, and capable of distinguishing signal from noise.
• Creative fluency in video production, including the ability to brief high-performing ads and diagnose underperforming ones.
• A bias to action, thriving in fast-paced environments with small teams and large budgets.
• Experience managing campaigns on paid channels beyond Google, with minimal reliance on external teams.
• Genuine interest in news and media is a significant plus.
• Ability to travel occasionally for company-wide meetings and HQ visits.

Bonus Points:

• Experience with diverse paid social platforms, including scaling a channel from 0 to 1.
• Experience with CTV/OTT and linear TV buying (e.g., Netflix, Hulu, Roku, Amazon, YouTube TV).
• AppsFlyer experience, including MMP setup, SKAN configuration, and attribution debugging.
• Firebase experience, including event tracking, audience building, and app-side conversion signal.
• Experience with landing page development, including close collaboration with design and engineering teams.
• Experience with Apple Search Ads or app-install campaigns.
• Familiarity with MMM (Marketing Mix Modeling) or geo-lift methodologies.

Why Work at Ground?

Ground News offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven organization focused on media accountability and critical thought. The role is remote-first, with competitive total rewards, including market-benchmarked salary, comprehensive health benefits, and professional development opportunities. Join a collaborative, creative, and diverse team committed to building meaningful products with real-world impact.