Searchlight Pictures is a global specialty film and television company that develops, produces, finances and acquires motion pictures and series for both worldwide theatrical and streaming releases. It has its own marketing and distribution operations, and is part of The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 1994 as Fox Searchlight Pictures, the company’s titles have grossed over $5 billion worldwide, amassing 52 Academy Awards including five Best Picture winners since 2009:  Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years a Slave, Birdman, The Shape of Water, and Nomadland; 64 BAFTA Awards; 35 Golden Globe Awards, and 10 Grammy Awards.

The company includes Searchlight Television, the division which develops and produces series for streaming, network, and cable partners, and earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actress for its first production “The Dropout'' from Elizabeth Meriwether, in partnership with Hulu and 20th Studios. Searchlight Television also produced the limited series “La Máquina,” with Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna.

Summary:

The Manager, Performance Marketing leads Searchlight Pictures’ performance marketing across key digital channels, optimizing campaigns through strong measurement, budget guidance, and data-driven audience and bidding strategies in close partnership with media strategy, analytics, and agency teams.

Responsibilities

• Work in partnership with the SVP Media Strategy, Analytics and Marketing Planning to execute and optimize performance marketing efforts of Searchlight Pictures paid media across assigned digital channels and campaigns
• Implement and optimize established performance measurement frameworks, and KPIs
• Provide recommendations and analysis to inform digital media budget allocation decisions
• Manage and lead daily communication with media agency performance marketing activation team in order to ensure proper implementation of performance marketing campaigns
• Apply approved audience strategies using Disney, platform, and vendor data to improve performance
• Working closely with media agency, oversee, manage, and lead the implementation of bid and optimization strategies to drive media performance across digital platforms
• Oversee and manage ad tagging and data collection with media agency ad ops teams and ensure proper data governence and legal compliance are achieved
• Collaborate with multiple Disney LOBs and within the Disney marketing technology stack to identify opportunities to scale 1P and 2P data use for the purpose of incrementing on performance marketing campaign performance
• Leverage cross-Disney business unit best practices, partnership deal opportunities, and technology offerings
• Manage the deployment of audiences including Disney, platform, and vendor data including ticketing and exhibition partners
• Execute test-and-learn initiatives and analyze results to inform optimization reccommendations across digital channels
• Prepare compelling performance reporting and insights for Searchlight leadership and other internal stakeholders’ review and decision-making
• Lead social listening efforts to monitor brand sentiment, competitive activity, and emerging trends; translate insights into actionable performance marketing strategies and reporting frameworks
• Partner with creative teams to inform asset development and deployment through performance insights, testing frameworks, and audience-level learning
• Partner with the media agency ad operations and analytics teams to implement title over title data collection and accurate data flow into our databases
• Support key platform and publisher relationships
• Maintain organizational knowledge of media technology, buying platforms, and analytical tools
• Support internal Searchlight marketing teams as necessary with adhoc projects

Required/basic qualifications

• Experience building and delivering digital plans that carry research and planning through to execution
• 6+ years experience in digital media platforms (Meta, TikTok, X/Twitter, Reddit, Snapchat, Pinterest, Innovid, LiveRamp, Google Ads, Programmatic DSPs)
• 4+ years experience in theatrical and/or streaming on client, agency and/or vendor side
• Deep understanding of marketing and media concepts, principles, and strategies
• Experience building and delivering digital plans that carry research and planning through to execution
• Skilled in Microsoft Suite, particularly Excel.
• Experience with tagging, trafficking, and verification
• Outstanding business acumen
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong ability to work independently as well as across teams in a diverse, cross-departmental and collaberative environment

Additional preferred qualifications

• Passion for entertainment and the specialty/independent film space
• Experience working with data analytics tools and dashboards (Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Datorama, Tableau, Power BI etc.)
• Familiarity with DMP logic, segmentation, and implementation across different platforms
• Experience driving business goals through data application

The hiring range for this position in Burbank, CA is $115,500 to $154,800 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.