Director, Media Planning & Buying

Responsibilities

• Head up the SEO function
• Lead the Paid Search team, including one associate
• Lead the in-house Programmatic team, including three team members
• Manage the external agency partner that serves as an embedded extension of the team and is closely integrated into the organization
• Success in this role will require balancing strategic leadership with operational oversight, team development, agency management, and strong cross-functional partnership.
• Leads all aspects of scalable campaign execution operation and procedures. Leads team processes, guides the team on specific campaign actions, develops partner relationships and ensures key performance indicators are met.
• Works directly with tech partners, media publishers, advertising agencies and internal partners to design, build and optimize marketing media buys.
• Supports and elevates Nationwide's online presence and engagement across digital platforms. Closely collaborate with internal partners, advertising agencies, tech companies, media publishers and data providers to drive high impact media campaigns.
• Represents media team internally working closely with other Marketing areas.
• Leads the company's external media agencies across coordinated planning, activation and analytics teams.
• Researches and builds

Requirements

• Deep SEO expertise, including strategy development, execution, and performance optimization
• Strong working knowledge of paid search and programmatic media, with the ability to lead across connected performance channels
• Experience operating in complex, matrixed organizations and partnering effectively across teams
• Strong people leadership skills, including the ability to coach, develop, and align both direct reports and agency partners
• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills
• Confidence presenting to senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders
• Executive presence, sound judgment, and the ability to lead with credibility and authority
• This hybrid position is based in Columbus, OH. Candidates located near a Nationwide campus will collaborate in office 2 days per week. Current Nationwide Remote Associates may be considered.
• Job Description Summary
• Job Description

Benefits

Additional Information

If you're passionate about becoming a Nationwide associate and believe you have the potential to be something great, let's talk. At Nationwide®, "on your side" goes beyond just words. Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we're looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care. SEO and Search Leadership Role We are seeking a strategic, experienced search marketing leader to oversee Nationwide's SEO function while also leading our Paid Search and in-house Programmatic teams. This role requires deep expertise in SEO, strong cross-channel fluency, and the leadership presence to guide internal teams, agency partners, and senior stakeholders. Core experience and expertise The ideal candidate brings deep, hands-on SEO experience and a strong understanding of how organic search supports broader marketing and business objectives. They should be able to set strategy, identify growth opportunities, translate insights into action, and lead SEO as a high-impact discipline across the organization. They should also bring experience helping organizations adapt to the rapidly changing search and content landscape shaped by AI, including evolving consumer behavior, search experiences, and content strategy implications. Additional experience in both B2C and B2B environments is highly preferred, as this role will benefit from a leader who understands how search strategies differ across audiences, buying cycles, and business models. Exposure to, or direct expertise in, paid search and programmatic media buying is also strongly preferred. This role will lead with credibility across performance media channels and understand how SEO, paid search, and programmatic work together to drive results.

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