Manager, Paid Social

As our Paid Social Manager, you will...

Lead end-to-end campaign execution, technical configuration, ongoing optimization, and performance reporting for pharmaceutical and life sciences clients. Working directly with the Associate Director of Precision Activation, this role translates strategic client goals into comprehensive, full-funnel media programs designed to engage patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals using accurate, privacy-compliant targeting strategies.

Serving as the team's dedicated subject matter expert, you will manage hands-on operations across key platforms including Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, Pinterest, Snap, and X. You will maintain strict compliance with MLR guidelines, FDA regulations, and platform-specific healthcare advertising policies without compromising campaign effectiveness.

What you'll do

Strategic Planning & Audience Strategy

• Translate overarching brand and business objectives into full-funnel paid social strategies targeting patient, caregiver, and HCP audiences, partnering closely with the Associate Director.
• Develop data-driven audience segments utilizing CRM/first-party data, NPI-matched HCP lists, contextual signals, and platform targeting while adhering to privacy standards and health-category regulations.
• Formulate recommendations for platform selection, budget distribution, and flighting schedules, authoring the paid social components of comprehensive media plans and POVs.
• Facilitate collaborative brainstorming sessions with creative, strategy, and analytics partners to tailor ad formats and creative messaging to specific channels and target groups.

Campaign Activation, Optimization & Management

• Oversee campaign technical setup and architecture, including account structure, taxonomy, tracking infrastructure (pixels, conversion APIs, UTMs), and pre-launch quality assurance.
• Maintain active oversight of campaign pacing against allocated budgets and key metrics, continuously updating pacing documentation and reallocating spend to maximize results.
• Execute structured testing frameworks covering creative assets, target audiences, bidding strategies, and ad placements, transforming actionable insights into campaign enhancements.
• Manage ongoing budget forecasting, monthly financial reconciliations, and vendor invoice processing.
• Ensure rigorous campaign quality control, brand safety management, and community moderation, strictly adhering to adverse event reporting and escalation workflows.

Regulatory Compliance & Policy Adherence

• Guarantee that all campaigns, targeting tactics, and creative assets comply fully with MLR-approved guidelines, FDA requirements (including ISI and fair balance), data privacy laws, and platform-specific healthcare advertising policies.
• Assemble paid social specifications and documentation for MLR submission, establishing realistic deployment schedules aligned with review cycles.
• Monitor evolving platform regulations regarding privacy, targeting parameters, and health categories, proactively communicating potential risks and mitigation strategies to internal leadership and client stakeholders.

Performance Measurement & Analytics

• Extract platform analytics to generate weekly, monthly, and post-campaign performance reports containing detailed analysis and strategic recommendations.
• Collaborate with analytics teams to establish key performance indicators and measurement frameworks, including brand lift, conversion lift, and third-party attribution models.
• Deliver performance presentations to clients, addressing complex campaign inquiries and providing strategic context.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Client Engagement

• Act as the principal day-to-day paid social subject matter expert for assigned client accounts.
• Work in tandem with integrated cross-functional teams—including media planning, analytics, strategy, creative, and account management—to deliver cohesive marketing programs.
• Advise creative partners on social-first creative development, technical specs, and channel best practices.
• Nurture vendor and social platform representative relationships to secure beta testing opportunities, novel ad formats, and dedicated platform support.
• Provide paid social strategy, healthcare category perspectives, and input for new business opportunities and pitches.

Team Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Partner with team leadership to mentor junior team members, guiding their professional development and skill acquisition.
• Drive operational efficiency across the discipline by creating standardized playbooks, QA protocols, and shared knowledge resources.

What you'll bring

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, advertising or a related field, or equivalent work experience
• 3–5 years of hands-on paid social campaign management, ideally in an agency environment
• Experience running paid social for pharmaceutical or life sciences brands (required)
• Working knowledge of MLR review and the regulatory and compliance requirements of paid media in health
• Deep, hands-on platform expertise in Meta Ads Manager, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, TikTok Ads Manager, Reddit, Pinterest, Snap and X
• Experience building full-funnel campaigns for patient and/or HCP audiences
• Strong analytical skills: intermediate Excel (XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, pivot tables, charts) and the ability to turn data into clear recommendations
• Experience managing pacing, budgets, forecasts and invoicing across multiple campaigns
• Understanding of how paid, owned and earned social work together
• Clear writing and presenting skills, with the confidence to walk clients through performance and strategy
• Strong organization and time management across multiple brands and deadlines
• Integrity, attention to detail and respect for agency processes

Optional

• Meta Blueprint certification, plus other platform certifications (LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit)
• HCP targeting experience with NPI-based audiences or HCP-endemic platforms such as Doximity
• Familiarity with health data and audience partners, CRM matching and data clean rooms
• Experience with social analytics and listening tools such as Sprinklr, Sprout Social or Talkwalker, and with brand lift studies
• Experience with adverse event monitoring or social crisis response for a pharma brand
• Experience supporting new business pitches or writing paid social POVs

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 Our Hybrid Philosophy

For this role, we prioritize hybrid candidates in Chicago, IL, but may consider candidates near other MERGE hubs based on the role and team’s needs. If fully remote is listed as an option, we are also open to U.S.-based candidates who would work remotely.

Hybrid work is our default approach. We value time together for collaboration, relationship building, and key moments. Managers and team leaders determine in-person expectations based on what best supports their team, clients, and business needs. Some teams and roles require more regular in-person presence than others.

MERGE has hubs in Chicago, New York City, Boston, Kansas City, Raleigh, Denver, Atlanta, and St. Louis. Regardless of work arrangement, team members may be required to travel to a MERGE hub for meetings, team gatherings, events, or other business needs.

Total Rewards

At MERGE, we’re committed to fostering an environment where our team members can thrive in both their careers and personal lives, ensuring they feel supported and empowered to succeed.

MERGE believes in transparency and equity. In accordance with state regulations, we’re proud to include salary ranges in our job postings to ensure fair compensation practices.

The salary range for this role is $77,000 - $98,000 based on the individual’s skills, experience, qualifications, location, and other relevant factors. The salary pay range is subject to change and may be modified at any time.  

MERGE is proud to invest in benefits that include meaningful Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 401K, Lifestyle Spending Account, Employer Paid Life & Disability Insurance, Flexible Time off & Holidays plus many other benefits and rewards.

Applicants for employment in the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States.