Director, Paid Media – Media Planning &… at Choice Hotels… · North…

Job Summary

Choice Hotels International is seeking a Director, Paid Media – Media Planning & Activation to lead full‑funnel paid media strategy and execution across the enterprise and segment portfolios. This role is responsible for driving performance excellence across TV/OLV/CTV, Paid Search, Metasearch/Hotel Ads, Paid Social, Programmatic Display & Video, and Affiliate Marketing. As a people leader, this role owns how paid media is planned, activated, optimized, and measured—ensuring Choice’s owned digital channels deliver incremental, measurable business growth for franchisees. The Director partners closely with Brand Marketing, Analytics, Finance, Revenue Management, Technology, and agency partners to improve media efficiency, scale performance marketing capabilities, and advance modern measurement approaches. The ideal candidate is a strategic, data‑driven media leader with strong judgment, a clear point of view, and a relentless focus on performance outcomes in a fast‑paced, matrixed environment.

Key Responsibilities

Full‑Funnel Paid Media Leadership & Strategy

• Lead full‑funnel paid media strategy and activation across Paid Search, Metasearch/Hotel Ads, Paid Social, Programmatic Display & Video, CTV/OLV, and Affiliate Marketing, with a strong emphasis on performance and incrementality.
• Translate business and marketing objectives into integrated channel strategies, audience approaches, investment recommendations, and measurable performance expectations.
• Establish and evolve paid media standards, best practices, and guardrails that guide planning and activation across internal teams, agencies, and partners.

Media Planning & Activation Team Leadership

• Lead the Media Planning & Activation team, setting clear priorities, operating rhythms, and quality standards for planning, activation, optimization, and reporting.
• Own quarterly and annual media and financial planning processes; align priorities and tradeoffs with Brand Marketing, Analytics, and Finance.
• Coach and develop managers and individual contributors, building bench strength, planning rigor, and strong performance accountability.

Performance Management & Measurement

• Lead performance management forums including pacing, optimization reviews, and QBRs; ensure insights are actionable and followed through.
• Ensure reporting clearly connects paid media performance to business outcomes, risks, and recommended actions.
• Advance measurement frameworks including incrementality testing, attribution, and media effectiveness analysis to improve decision‑making.

Cross‑Functional & Enterprise Impact

• Partner closely with Brand Marketing, Analytics, Revenue Management, Finance, and Technology to enable integrated execution and decision‑making across the funnel.
• Serve as a senior subject matter expert, providing POVs, tradeoffs, and recommendations to leadership on media investment, channel mix, audience strategy, and performance drivers.

Agency & Partner Leadership

• Act as senior client lead for paid media agencies, setting expectations, operating principles, and performance standards.
• Orchestrate and prioritize agency partnerships across segments and channels; drive accountability for high‑quality outputs and measurable impact.

Innovation & Capability Evolution

• Lead test‑and‑learn initiatives and adoption of new platforms, media capabilities, and AdTech to improve full‑funnel effectiveness and scalability.
• Stay current on industry, platform, and regulatory changes; evolve strategy, measurement, and operating standards accordingly.

Qualifications

Employment Experience

• 10+ years of experience managing enterprise‑level, full‑funnel paid media programs, with deep focus on Paid Search, Programmatic Display & Video, Paid Social, and Affiliate Marketing.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience managing teams, agency partners, and large‑scale budgets ($50M+ annual media spend preferred).

Technical & Functional Expertise

• Expert‑level knowledge of Paid Search (Google, Bing), Paid Social (Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit), Programmatic Display (DV360, The Trade Desk), and CTV/OLV.
• Proficiency with ad tech and analytics platforms such as Google Marketing Platform, Adobe Analytics, and Flashtalking.
• Strong understanding of first‑party data activation, identity resolution, and audience segmentation.
• Experience with incrementality testing, attribution models, and measurement frameworks (MMM, RBA, MTA, DDA).
• Deep understanding of bidding strategies, automation, machine learning, and AI‑driven optimizations.
• Proven ability to scale paid media programs, improve CAC efficiency, and drive incremental revenue growth.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate complex data into clear insights and recommendations.

Leadership & Business Competencies

• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives with enterprise‑wide impact.
• Strong judgment and problem‑solving skills in ambiguous, fast‑moving environments.
• Executive‑ready communication skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders in a matrixed organization.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience; advanced degree preferred.

Salary Range

The salary range for this position is $163,287 to $192,456 annually. In addition to the annual salary, this role is eligible for an annual bonus based on the terms of Choice's Management Incentive Plan (MIP)

Choice prioritizes our associate wellbeing by offering a comprehensive benefits program that is both competitive and flexible to help you achieve your wellbeing goals - here are just a few:

• Competitive compensation and benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Leave and paid time-off for holidays, vacation, personal, family, volunteer, sick, jury duty, bereavement, military, and religious observance
• Financial benefits for retirement and health savings
• Employee recognition programs
• Discounts at Choice hotels worldwide

About Choice

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With 7,500 hotels in 45+ countries and territories, we offer a range of high-quality lodging options in the upper upscale, upper midscale, midscale, extended stay, and economy segments. We’re the hotel company for those who choose to bet on themselves — the striver, the dreamer, the entrepreneur — because that’s who we are, too.

At Choice, we are united by the simple belief that tomorrow will be even better than today — for associates, our company, and our franchisees. At our worldwide corporate headquarters in North Bethesda, Maryland, at our technology center in Scottsdale, Arizona, and through our associates around the globe, every voice is heard and every idea is listened to, no matter what area of the company they come from. We are united in supporting the entrepreneurial dreams of our thousands of franchise owners, which propels us forward — giving our work at Choice a purpose larger than our business.

Our corporate office locations:

North Bethesda, MD — Located at Pike & Rose, our worldwide headquarters is less than 15 miles from Washington, D.C., one block away from the North Bethesda Metro station, with easy access to I-495, complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants and retail.

Scottsdale, AZ — Located at the northwest corner of Loop 101, the Scottsdale office is home to our technology, eCommerce and customer service organizations, with easy access to complimentary parking, electronic charging stations, restaurants and retail.

Minneapolis, MN — Select roles are based in our Minneapolis office on Highway 394, near the intersection with Highway 100, only five minutes from downtown.

Field/Remote — Select roles designated as field/remote will require associates to work from a home office, connecting virtually with Choice team members and leadership on Zoom, with possible required travel depending on the role.

Choice’s Cultural Values

Welcome and Respect Everyone | Be Bold | Be Quick | Listen | Be Curious | Show Integrity

Choice’s Leadership Principles

Act with Intention | Lead with Authenticity | Grow & Deliver