SEM Risk & Controls Manager

Position Overview: The SEM Risk & Controls Manager serves as the primary owner and subject matter expert for the Paid Search controls framework. Working closely with Paid Search Activation, Ad Operations, Legal, Compliance, Risk, InfoSec, and external platform partners, you will oversee the controls operating model—including control execution, documentation, QA processes, governance routines, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance throughout the campaign lifecycle.

Salary: $110,000 - $150,000 per year.

Location: New York, NY (Hybrid: 3 days per week in the office, 2 days remote).

What You’ll Do:

• Controls Framework & Governance Ownership: Serve as the primary owner for the Paid Search controls framework, managing control execution, monitoring, testing, documentation, and governance routines.

• First Line of Defense: Serve as the primary point of contact for SEM control-related inquiries, governance requests, audits, risk assessments, and legal/compliance reviews.

• End-to-End Campaign QA & Approval Validation: Ensure operational controls and approvals (legal, compliance, disclosure) are consistently applied across campaign intake, building, trafficking, activation, and reporting.

• Documentation & Repository Management: Maintain control inventories, process manuals, workflow maps, operating procedures, and audit evidence repositories, updating them as policies, regulations, or platform capabilities evolve.

• Audit Coordination & Issue Remediation: Coordinate audit requests, collect control evidence, track operational risk issues, and manage remediation action plans through to resolution.

• Vendor & Platform Governance: Manage third-party risk activities, vendor due diligence reviews, control attestations, and ongoing monitoring of platform partners.

• Monitoring & Executive Reporting: Establish exception-management processes to identify execution risks proactively and deliver regular reporting on control performance, audit outcomes, and risk indicators for leadership.

• Innovation & AI Guidance: Provide risk and controls guidance for emerging marketing automation, platform enhancements, and AI-enabled search solutions while driving continuous process improvement.

Who You Are:

• 4–7 years of experience in risk management, controls, compliance, audit, operational governance, or digital marketing operations within a regulated environment.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent university degree required.

• Controls & Audit Expert: Strong understanding of control frameworks, governance processes, audit management, control testing, and operational risk principles.

• Paid Search Operations Knowledge: Working knowledge of paid search platforms and workflows (Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, SA360) across campaign intake, trafficking, QA, and reporting.

• Regulated Industry Experience: Proven ability to interpret enterprise policy and regulatory requirements, translating them into practical operational controls (preferably in financial services or another regulated sector).

• Vendor Risk Savvy: Experience managing third-party risk, vendor governance, and control attestation processes.

• Strong Communicator & Collaborator: Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence cross-functional partners in Legal, Risk, Tech, and Marketing.

• Detail-Oriented & Organized: Exceptional process documentation, policy writing, and organizational skills. Experience with marketing automation/AI capabilities is a plus.

Why Join Us?

• ⚕️ Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage

• 🏝 Generous Paid Time Off – Vacation, Sick Days & Holidays

• 🤲 16 Hours of Volunteer Time Off (VTO) to Give Back to Your Community

• 💻 All the Equipment You Need to Do Your Best Work

• 🧠 Ongoing Learning & Development with a Dedicated Training Budget