What are the responsibilities and job description for the Paid Media Strategist position at Pilot John International / Carolina GSE?
Description: About Pilot John International
Pilot John International® (PJi®) stands at the forefront of the aviation industry, delivering innovative, customer-driven solutions for aircraft maintenance equipment and support needs. We are committed to being the premier global source for ground support equipment (GSE), aircraft parts, avionics and test equipment, consumables, and pilot supplies. With decades of experience and a dedicated team, PJi delivers unmatched service through expert guidance and responsive support to private and commercial aviation entities worldwide.
Position Summary
The Paid Media Strategist is a data-driven, results-oriented professional responsible for planning, executing, and continuously optimizing PJi’s paid advertising program across all major digital platforms. This role owns the full lifecycle of every paid campaign — from audience research and keyword strategy through ad creation, budget management, performance analysis, and reporting.
The ideal candidate brings deep hands-on experience running high-performing paid campaigns in a complex, multi-category e-commerce environment. You are equally comfortable in the weeds of campaign structure and keyword research as you are presenting performance insights to leadership. You think in terms of ROAS and conversion rates, but you also understand that great ad copy and precise audience targeting are what turn clicks into customers.
Key Responsibilities
Campaign Strategy & Management
Plan, build, launch, and continuously optimize paid ad campaigns and ad groups across Google Ads, Microsoft (Bing) Ads, Reddit Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram), and additional paid channels as identified.
Develop and maintain a coherent campaign architecture that maps PJi’s diverse product and customer categories to the right audiences, ad formats, and bidding strategies.
Manage campaign budgets with disciplined allocation, forecasting, and pacing to maximize return on ad spend (ROAS) and meet revenue goals.
Stay current with platform updates, beta features, and emerging ad formats — proactively identifying new opportunities to expand PJi’s paid presence.
Keyword Research & Audience Targeting
Conduct in-depth keyword research using SEMrush, Google Keyword Planner, and other tools to identify high-value search terms, competitive gaps, and audience segments relevant to PJi’s product catalog.
Build and maintain keyword lists, match type strategies, and negative keyword libraries to maximize campaign efficiency and reduce wasted spend.
Define and refine audience targeting parameters across customer categories, leveraging first-party data, remarketing lists, lookalike audiences, and in-market segments.
Ad Copy & Creative Collaboration
Write compelling, conversion-focused ad copy — including headlines, descriptions, site link extensions, callout extensions, and structured snippets — tailored to each platform and audience.
Collaborate with the Marketing Manager and creative team to align paid ad messaging with broader brand campaigns and product promotions.
Regularly refresh and test ad creative to combat ad fatigue and maintain strong click-through and conversion rates.
A/B Testing & Performance Optimization
Design and execute structured A/B and multivariate tests across ad copy, landing pages, audience segments, bidding strategies, and ad formats.
Analyze test results rigorously and apply learnings to ongoing campaign improvements with a clear, data-backed rationale for every change.
Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) including CTR, CPC, CPA, ROAS, conversion rate, and impression share — delivering regular performance reports to the Marketing Manager.
E-Commerce & Analytics
Apply strong e-commerce expertise to connect paid media efforts directly to product sales, cart activity, and revenue outcomes across PJi’s digital storefronts.
Leverage Google Analytics (GA4), platform-native dashboards, and tag management tools to ensure accurate conversion tracking and attribution across all campaigns.
Identify e-commerce trends, seasonal opportunities, and high-margin product categories to prioritize ad investment strategically.
Qualifications
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent professional experience considered.
Required Experience
5 years of hands-on experience managing paid digital advertising campaigns, with a demonstrated track record of driving measurable e-commerce growth.
Proven experience running campaigns across Google Ads and at least two additional major platforms (Microsoft Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads).
Strong e-commerce background is required — candidates must be able to demonstrate experience connecting paid media strategy directly to online sales outcomes.
Experience with keyword research, competitive analysis, and audience strategy using tools such as SEMrush, Google Keyword Planner, or equivalent platforms.
Required Skills & Tools
Expert-level proficiency in Google Ads (Search, Shopping, Display, Performance Max) and Google Analytics (GA4).
Hands-on experience with Microsoft (Bing) Ads, Meta Ads Manager, and LinkedIn Campaign Manager.
Proficiency in SEMrush or comparable keyword and competitive intelligence tools.
Strong command of A/B testing methodology, statistical significance principles, and conversion rate optimization (CRO) best practices.
Solid understanding of budget management, bid strategies (manual, target CPA, target ROAS), and campaign pacing.
Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify patterns, and translate insights into clear, actionable recommendations.
Strong written communication skills — particularly for ad copywriting — with an eye for concise, persuasive messaging.
Organized, self-directed, and comfortable managing multiple campaigns simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
Preferred (Bonus) Skills
Experience with Google Tag Manager (GTM) and conversion tracking setup across e-commerce platforms.
Familiarity with programmatic advertising, retargeting platforms, or affiliate marketing channels.
Background in B2B advertising or industrial/technical product marketing.
Knowledge of the aviation industry or a strong interest in technical subject matter.
Why PJi?
At Pilot John International, you’ll have genuine ownership of our paid media program — a real opportunity to build something, see it perform, and grow it. You’ll be working alongside a collaborative marketing team that values data, creativity, and results in equal measure. If you’re a paid media professional who wants your strategy to directly drive revenue in a unique, mission-driven industry, we’d love to connect.