Head of Paid Media

About Somerce

Somerce is a TikTok Shop specialist agency focused on driving GMV growth for brands. We work with some of the fastest-growing beauty, fashion, lifestyle and FMCG brands in the UK, US and EU, managing everything from live commerce and affiliates to paid media and trading strategy.

Paid media on TikTok is a different discipline - it sits at the intersection of performance marketing, creative strategy and e-commerce trading. As Head of Paid, you will own this function entirely: building the strategy, running the accounts and leading a team that consistently turns ad spend into measurable GMV growth for our clients.

Our clients include: P.Louise, Unilever, Free Soul & L'Oréal

What You’ll Do

Paid Media Strategy & Ownership

• Own paid media strategy across Somerce's client portfolio on TikTok and connected channels
• Define how paid is used to accelerate GMV - not just drive traffic, but drive commercial outcomes
• Build scalable paid frameworks that integrate with trading strategy, affiliate activity and live commerce
• Stay ahead of TikTok's ad product developments, algorithm changes and platform best practices
• Set the internal standard for how paid campaigns are planned, executed and reported

Campaign Planning & Execution

• Lead end-to-end campaign management across TikTok Ads, including:
• TikTok Shop Ads across all formats
• Retargeting and audience strategy
• Live commerce ad amplification
• Plan budgets, bid strategies and campaign structures to maximise return on ad spend
• Align paid activity tightly to trading calendars, promotional moments and product launches
• Work closely with the content team to ensure creative assets are built for paid performance

Creative & Audience Strategy

• Lead creative strategy for paid - knowing what hooks, formats and messages convert on TikTok
• Build structured testing frameworks across creative, audiences and placements
• Translate performance data into clear creative briefs that the content team can act on
• Identify winning creative quickly and scale it; cut what isn't working without hesitation

Performance & Reporting

• Own ROAS, CPA, CPM and GMV targets across your client portfolio
• Monitor campaign performance daily and make real-time optimisation decisions
• Lead paid performance reviews with clients - backed by clear data and forward-looking recommendations
• Forecast paid media contribution to GMV and flag variances early
• Use attribution data intelligently, accounting for TikTok's role across the full funnel

Team Leadership

• Build and lead a team of Paid Media Managers and Executives
• Set clear standards for campaign quality, pacing and reporting
• Develop your team's skills across strategy, execution and client communication
• Review client-facing work before it goes out - ownership sits with you

How You'll Work

• Fast-paced, high-ownership environment
• Minimal bureaucracy, maximum accountability
• You're expected to be across the numbers, ahead of the platform and clear with clients
• This is a role for someone who is serious about paid performance and wants to lead it properly

Requirements

Essential

• Proven experience owning paid media strategy and execution at a senior level
• Strong hands-on knowledge of TikTok Ads Manager and TikTok Shop ad products
• Track record of delivering ROAS and GMV targets, not just traffic metrics
• Deep understanding of creative performance on TikTok - what works and why
• Comfortable managing significant media budgets across multiple client accounts
• Experience managing and developing a paid media team
• Highly data-literate - you live in dashboards and make fast, confident decisions

Desirable

• Experience at a social commerce or performance agency
• Background in beauty, fashion, lifestyle or FMCG paid media
• Familiarity with TikTok Shop-specific ad formats including GMV Max and VSA
• Experience integrating paid strategy with affiliate, live commerce or organic content

Benefits

Core Benefits

• Competitive salary, benchmarked to experience and performance
• Performance-related bonus aligned to commercial impact
• 28 days holiday + bank holidays
• Hybrid working with offices in London and Manchester
• Flexible working hours - we care about output, not clock-watching

Growth & Career Development

• Lead the paid function at one of the UK's leading TikTok Shop agencies
• Regular performance reviews focused on development and impact
• Direct exposure to high-growth brands across the UK, US and EU
• Opportunity to shape how paid integrates with the full Somerce offering as we scale

Financial & Lifestyle Perks

• Company pension scheme
• Monthly wellness allowance (gym, fitness, mental wellbeing or similar)
• Team socials and events throughout the year
• Staff discounts across our brands and partners

Work Environment

• Fast-paced, high-ownership culture
• Minimal bureaucracy and maximum accountability
• Surrounded by people who care about performance, creativity and doing things properly
• A business that wins with its clients - shared success matters

The Somerce Difference

• We trust our people
• We move quickly and back good ideas
• You'll have real influence over one of our most commercially critical channels
• If you perform, you'll grow - simple as that