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Senior Paid Media Specialist
Upstream Digital Marketing | Franklin, TN (Hybrid)
About Upstream
At Upstream Digital Marketing, we help small and mid-sized businesses compete with the big guys and win. We're a performance-driven digital advertising agency based in Franklin, TN, specializing in lead generation campaigns using paid search, paid social, and YouTube advertising.
We're a small, but growing team that operates without bureaucracy (seriously). Everyone here owns their work, pushes the craft forward, and genuinely cares about the clients they serve. If that sounds like your kind of place, keep reading.
The Role
This is a unique role. We need an individual who is capable of both the tactical execution of building a high-performing Google campaign from scratch, but also one who has the tact to walk a client through exactly what is working and what’s not. If you’ve worked in agencies in the past, you can think of it as a blend between an account manager and the account strategist. You’re both the point contact person for your client, but also the chief strategist of their ad campaigns.
You'll operate as a pod leader, running your accounts with a high degree of autonomy and reporting directly to the CEO. You'll manage hundreds of thousands of dollars in monthly ad spend across multiple platforms, and you'll be the person clients trust to know their business, anticipate their needs, and deliver results worth talking about.
For 2026, it is planned that we will hire an additional role that will report and support the Senior Paid Media Specialist. That individual will be someone who is focused more on the day-to-day activities like campaign building and deploying campaign strategy, allowing this role that you’re apply for to be more focused on strategy and client relationships
In short, this is a high impact role, with real ownership and client facing interactions.
What You'll Do
Lead the strategy, execution, optimization, and reporting for a portfolio of client accounts across Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and YouTube Ads
Serve as the primary client point of contact — building strong relationships, leading regular performance calls, and proactively communicating results and recommendations
Manage and optimize hundreds of thousands of dollars in monthly ad spend with a focus on performance, and growth
Conduct ongoing campaign analysis and translate data into clear, actionable insights for clients using everyday language.
Develop and execute A/B testing strategies across creative, copy, audiences, and bidding to continuously improve performance
Collaborate with the internal creative team to develop high-impact ad creative that converts
Stay ahead of platform changes, industry trends, and emerging best practices — and bring that knowledge back to the team
Contribute to a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement
A Day in the Life
No two days look exactly the same here, each week has unique demands. But here's a realistic picture of what your week might look like:
Monday — You start the week by reviewing weekend performance across your accounts. A Meta campaign for one of your clients spiked in CPC over the weekend, so you dig in, identify a frequency issue, and refresh the creative before the client even notices. You send a quick proactive note to the client so they hear it from you first.
Tuesday — Back-to-back client calls in the morning. One is a monthly performance review where you walk through the Looker Studio dashboard and highlight wins, flag a test you want to run, and align on next steps. The other is a new client onboarding where you explore their business, their goals, and what "a good lead" actually means to them.
Wednesday — Deep work day. You're rebuilding a Meta Ads campaign structure for a client who's scaling their budget, writing new ad copy variations to test, and auditing a Google Ads campaign that's underperforming. You also carve out time to review platform updates.
Thursday — You're collaborating with the creative team on ad concepts for two upcoming campaigns. You bring the data (what's working, what's fatiguing), they bring the ideas, and together you build something worth launching. You also respond to a few client emails and flag a budget pacing issue on one account before it becomes a problem.
Friday — Another morning of client calls. You spend the afternoon conducting reporting, optimization checks, and prep for next week's calls. You wrap up the week sending a few emails to clients on performance wins you saw and activity you’ll be executing next week.
What We're Looking For
5–7 years of hands-on paid media experience, with a proven track record of managing and scaling campaigns across Google Ads and Meta Ads; LinkedIn and YouTube experience is a strong plus
Agency experience preferred, but not required. We’re interested in candidates that know what it means to manage multiple projects simultaneously and manage multiple requests and deadlines.
Deep understanding of 2026 paid search and paid social strategy, including keyword research, audience targeting, bidding strategies, and conversion optimization
Strong analytical skills. You're comfortable in the data, but you know how to tell the story behind the numbers
Excellent client communication skills. You’re a natural storyteller & can slow a conversation down and explain complex topics in simple terms, resulting in client trust.
A self-starter mentality — you don't wait to be told what to do next; you already know
Collaborative by nature and easy to work with — we take the work seriously, not ourselves
Experience using AI tools to solve complex problems quickly.
You’re a great teammate. We’re not looking for the aloof genius, we’re looking for someone interested in working with their coworkers to solve problems, serve our clients well, and have fun along the way.
What You'll Get
$80,000–$90,000 base salary (commensurate with experience)
Hybrid work model — 1 day/week in our Franklin, TN office
Flexible hours within a 7am–6pm window (Monday–Friday), capped at 40 hours/week
3% company match Simple IRA plan
QSEHRA health reimbursement
3 weeks paid vacation + 11 paid holidays (yes, including your birthday 🎉)
How to Apply
Think you're the right fit? Send your resume and a brief note about why you think you would be good for this role to nate@upstreamdigitalmarketing.co.
Graphic Designer
Upstream Digital Marketing | Franklin, TN (Hybrid)
About Upstream
We run ads to help businesses win. It's that simple. We're a team of real people using deep expertise to make our clients unstoppable in the digital ad space. We're the partner people tell their friends about because we treat every campaign like it's our own business on the line.
The Role
We're looking for a Graphic Ad Designer who can make people stop scrolling. Someone who cares whether ads actually work, not just whether they look good.
You'll be our go-to for producing high-quality ad creative across multiple client accounts. Working alongside our Creative Strategy & Design Lead (who handles the "what" and "why"), your focus is the "how.” Bringing concepts to life quickly, consistently, and at a level that drives real results. This role is approximately 70-80% hands-on design execution, with the rest being creative strategy alongside our other designer and collaboration with the team.
What You'll Do
Design Execution:
Design high-converting static ads, carousels, and motion graphics for Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and other paid social platforms
Produce ad creative across multiple client accounts while maintaining quality and brand consistency
Adapt and resize creative across platforms, formats, and placements
Iterate quickly on ad variations and A/B test concepts based on performance data
Transform static designs into engaging motion graphics and simple animations
Leverage AI tools and modern design workflows to maximize efficiency and output
Deliver quality creative within short turnarounds
Because this is an agency role, you’ll serve several clients. Speed of delivery is a critical.
Collaboration:
Execute on creative briefs developed by our Creative Strategy & Design Lead
Collaborate with account managers and paid media specialists to understand client objectives and campaign goals
Communicate proactively about timelines, capacity, and any blockers
Contribute ideas during creative brainstorms
What You Bring
Required:
3-6 years of graphic design experience, agency or multi-brand experience is a plus
Strong portfolio of ad creative we want to see work that was built to perform, not just look pretty
Proficiency in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects), and Canva
Comfort with AI design tools and a willingness to experiment with new technology
Ability to manage multiple projects and clients simultaneously without dropping the ball
Located in Nashville area (hybrid 1 day/week in our Franklin office)
An eye for what makes ads convert, not just what makes them look nice
Bonus Skills (truly, this is just extra credit):
Motion graphics and animation experience
Video editing capabilities
Landing page design experience
Our Core Values
Ownership — We treat every campaign like our own business depends on it. When we see opportunities or challenges, we jump in and solve them.
Expertise — We're obsessed with mastering our craft. We constantly learn, test, and push ourselves to stay ahead of the curve.
Human — We build genuine relationships with clear, honest communication. We're the kind of people you'd grab a beer with after work.
Partnership — True partnership means eagerly sharing ideas and solving problems together, regardless of whose role it is.
Fun — Great work happens when people enjoy what they do. We bring optimism and creative energy to every challenge.
Why Upstream?
Growth Potential: Small and growing company with significant room for growth and advancement
Direct Impact: Your designs go live and drive real results — you'll see the impact of your work
Variety: Work across diverse brands and industries (no two days look the same)
Work-Life Balance: 40-hour work week, no glorified burnout
Flexibility: Hybrid schedule with only one day/week in office
Competitive Package:
Salary: $60,000–$80,000 based on experience
3% Simple IRA match
QSEHRA Health Reimbursement based on family size
3 weeks PTO + 11 paid holidays (including your birthday)
Who You Are
You're fast without being sloppy. You can juggle a dozen brands without mixing up a color palette. You take direction well but don't need to be micromanaged.
You're the kind of designer who gets energized by seeing a static ad you built outperform last month's creative. You're collaborative, reliable, and always looking for ways to get better and faster.
How to Apply
Send us:
Your resume
Portfolio showcasing ad creative (bonus points if you can show performance results)
Brief description of a design project you're proud of and why
Email: nate@upstreamdigitalmarketing.co Subject: Graphic Ad Designer
