Job Descriptions / PPC Specialist
PPC Specialist Job Description Template for Agencies
A ready-to-post PPC specialist JD built for modern agency paid media: multi-platform campaigns, AI-driven auction dynamics, and clients who need pipeline and revenue rather than impressions.
What does a PPC specialist do at an agency?
An agency PPC specialist owns paid media performance for a portfolio of clients. They structure accounts, manage budgets, run tests, build creative with the team, and translate platform performance into commercial outcomes the client cares about. They work daily in Google Ads and Meta Ads Manager, and weekly in LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, or wherever the client's buyers live.
Unlike in-house performance marketers who know one account deeply, agency PPC specialists juggle multiple clients, verticals, and maturity levels every week. The best ones know when to let automation run, when to intervene, and how to tell the difference between a real performance drop and normal platform noise.
Job description template
Job title
PPC Specialist (Agency)
Summary
We're hiring a PPC Specialist to own paid media performance across a portfolio of clients. You'll plan, launch, and optimize campaigns across Google, Meta, and other platforms, partner with creative on winning ads, and report results to clients in a way that connects ad spend to revenue.
Responsibilities
- Own day-to-day management of paid search, paid social, and display campaigns for a portfolio of 4-8 clients.
- Build campaign structures, ad groups, audiences, and creative variants aligned to each client's funnel.
- Manage monthly budgets ranging from $10K to $500K+ per client with clear pacing discipline.
- Run bid strategies, negative keyword work, and conversion tracking QA across all active accounts.
- Partner with creative and content teams to brief ads, landing pages, and testing roadmaps.
- Analyze performance data and deliver weekly and monthly insights tied to client KPIs.
- Present recommendations and results to client stakeholders with clear commercial framing.
- Stay ahead of platform changes across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, and emerging channels.
- Build and maintain landing-page and conversion-tracking best practices with dev and analytics.
- Contribute to new-business pitches with audit work, forecasts, and channel strategy.
Required qualifications
- 3+ years managing paid media campaigns, at least 2 years inside an agency.
- Hands-on expertise across at least two of Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, or TikTok Ads.
- Managed monthly ad budgets of $50K+ across multiple clients concurrently.
- Strong data skills in GA4, Looker Studio, or comparable BI tool.
- Comfortable with conversion tracking setups (GTM, server-side, offline conversions).
- Demonstrated ability to improve client KPIs (CPA, ROAS, pipeline) with documented case studies.
- Client-facing presentation skills and ability to defend recommendations with data.
Preferred qualifications
- Google Ads and Meta Blueprint certifications (current).
- Experience with measurement and attribution (MMM, incrementality testing, server-side tracking).
- Familiarity with e-commerce feeds, PMax, Advantage+, and automation levers on major platforms.
- Exposure to B2B paid channels (LinkedIn, Quora, programmatic) or vertical specialisms.
- Background in finance or mathematics, or evidence of advanced Excel/SQL skills.
Salary range
United States
- Junior (1-3 yrs): $55,000 - $75,000 base
- Mid (3-5 yrs): $75,000 - $105,000 base
- Senior (5+ yrs): $105,000 - $140,000 base
Sources: Glassdoor, Built In, Search Engine Journal salary survey (2025-2026).
Global
- UK: GBP 35,000 - 70,000
- EU: EUR 40,000 - 75,000
- Canada: CAD 60,000 - 110,000
- LATAM / remote: USD 25,000 - 65,000
Sources: Payscale, LinkedIn Salary, Remote.com benchmarks.
Top skills to look for
- Platform fluency across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok
- Campaign structure and account architecture
- Data analysis and insight generation
- Conversion tracking and QA discipline
- Budget pacing and forecasting
- Creative briefing and testing mindset
- Client storytelling around performance
- Calm response to platform and policy changes
Red flags
- Reports only on platform metrics (impressions, CTR) with no connection to client revenue.
- Cannot explain how they validate conversion tracking before launching a campaign.
- Relies entirely on platform automation with no manual QA or testing framework.
- Overpromises ROAS or CPA targets in interview without asking about baselines.
- Has never handled a platform outage, policy flag, or account suspension.
Interview process structure
Stage 1: Recruiter or hiring manager screen (30 min)
Confirm channel mix, budget size managed, vertical experience, comp, and motivation. Screen out candidates whose experience is all in-house on one brand.
Stage 2: Hiring manager deep-dive (60 min)
Walk through two accounts: one that worked, one that didn't. Probe for structure decisions, testing framework, tracking setup, and client communication.
Stage 3: Audit or forecast exercise (90-120 min)
Give them a disguised client with a live paid account or a forecast scenario. Ask for top 5 findings, a 30/60/90 plan, and a budget allocation rationale.
Stage 4: Client-facing panel (45-60 min)
Role-play a client questioning last quarter's results. Evaluate evidence use, commercial framing, and ability to deliver bad news without losing the room.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a PPC specialist and a performance marketer?
PPC specialist usually implies mastery of a specific platform or a narrow channel mix. Performance marketer is broader, often including paid plus analytics, CRO, and sometimes organic. Titles vary by agency, so read the JD rather than the label.
How many client accounts should one PPC specialist manage?
Typical range is 4-8 active clients or $200K-$1M in monthly managed spend. Going above that usually forces specialists into reactive firefighting instead of strategic testing.
Do PPC specialists need to know creative and landing pages?
Yes, at least enough to brief and critique. In 2026, creative and landing experience are the biggest ROAS levers on Meta and Google. Specialists who treat creative as "not my job" tend to plateau.
Should PPC pay be tied to performance?
Most agencies use base salary with a modest bonus tied to client retention and growth. Heavy performance pay pushes specialists to chase short-term ROAS at the cost of long-term client health.
How has AI changed the PPC role?
Platform automations (PMax, Advantage+, auto-creative) have shifted the role from daily bid management toward creative briefing, incrementality testing, audience strategy, and custom measurement. Specialists who lean into this outperform peers who don't.
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