Skip to content

Open nowPosted 6 hours ago

Biddable Search Specialist

WPP Media813 open roles

Where
Johannesburg, South Africa
Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

Your applicationOpen nowBiddable Search SpecialistWPP Media · Johannesburg, South Africa
  1. YouYes, apply to this one.

  2. CV RocketCV written for this posting.

  3. 25 readersRecruiter, hiring manager, skeptic. Round after round.

  4. CV RocketApplied on WPP Media's own form.

The reply lands in your private mailbox

3×more interviews than doing it yourself with ChatGPT.

The clock on this job

Early applications get read.

13.4% of postings close within 7 days. Measured by our own scanner across the market. WPP Media postings stay open a median of 42 days.

Share of postings closed within
  1. 2.2%1 day
  2. 4.6%3 days
  3. 13.4%7 days
  4. 21.6%14 days
  5. 36.2%30 days
  6. 59.0%60 days
This job: posted 6 hours ago

WPP Media median: 42 days open

The posting

About WPP Media

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth.

WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

For more information, visit wppmedia.com.

Job Title: Biddable Search Specialist Company: WPP Media South Africa Location: Johannesburg, South Africa Reports To: Client Lead

Role Overview Search is evolving faster than ever, and we are not looking for someone stuck in the old-school playbook of manual keyword babysitting and static spreadsheets. As a Biddable Search Specialist at WPP Media going into 2027, you are a dedicated Search & Intent expert. You will be responsible for the planning, execution, and algorithmic optimization of paid search campaigns across our client portfolio, spanning Google Ads, Search Ads 360 (SA360), Microsoft Advertising (Bing), and Retail Search platforms like Amazon Ads.

You understand how modern search works: from traditional keyword intent and Google AI Overviews to Shopping feeds, Marketplace search, and Total Search (Paid + Organic SEO synergy). You know how to feed and steer search algorithms using first-party data, Value-Based Bidding, and high-performing feed/ad inputs. You are highly analytical, commercially minded, and passionate about mastering the future of Search.

Key Responsibilities 1. Next-Gen Search Strategy & Innovation • Master the 2027 Search Landscape: Design forward-thinking search strategies across traditional Search engines (Google, Microsoft/Bing), AI-powered conversational search (Google AI Overviews, Copilot), and e-commerce/retail search engines (Amazon Ads, Google Shopping, local retail marketplaces). • Deep Intent & Keyword Research: Conduct comprehensive search query, audience intent, competitor, and marketplace research to capture demand across every stage of the consumer search journey. • Total Search Synergy (PPC + SEO): Understand how Paid Search and Organic Search (SEO) interact on the SERP, using unified search data to maximize incremental visibility, defend brand equity, and eliminate cannibalization. • Stay Ahead of Search Betas: Keep up to date with the latest shifts in paid search, AI search features, and retail media, proactively bringing “test-and-learn” search roadmaps to clients. • Brand Safety & SERP Governance: Implement rigorous brand safety, negative keyword architecture, and placement exclusions across Search, Shopping, and Performance Max to protect client brands and budgets.

2. Search Execution & Algorithmic Optimization • End-to-End Search Implementation: Build, manage, and optimize best-in-class campaigns across Google Ads (Search, Performance Max, Shopping, Demand Gen/YouTube Search), SA360, Microsoft Advertising, and Amazon Ads (Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands). • Steer Search Algorithms: Move beyond legacy manual CPC setups by implementing modern search architectures (consolidated campaign structures, Broad Match + Smart Bidding, Value-Based Bidding, and New Customer Acquisition goals) that train search AI to optimize for real commercial value. • Shopping & Product Feed Optimization: Recognize that in modern Search and Retail Media, product feeds and assets are the new keywords. Optimize Google Merchant Center feeds, Amazon product listings/keywords, and RSA/PMax asset groups to win the auction. • Budget & Pacing Precision: Diligently manage, forecast, and control client search spends in line with WPP Media processes, dynamically shifting budgets toward the highest-intent, highest-ROI search queries and platforms. • Platform Partner Leverage: Leverage WPP Media’s strategic partnerships with Google, Microsoft, and Amazon to unlock beta access, search category insights, and account optimization support.

3. Search Data, Measurement & Commercial Impact • Actionable Search Insights: Interpret search term data, auction insights, impression share metrics, and conversion pathways to provide sharp, actionable recommendations that improve ROAS and CPA. • Modern Search Measurement: Utilize GA4, Enhanced Conversions, first-party customer match lists, and offline conversion imports (OCI) to feed accurate conversion signals back into search bidding algorithms. • Automated Reporting: Produce accurate, insightful reporting on all search activity via Looker Studio, SA360, WPP Open tools, and Excel, tied directly to client business KPIs.

4. Client Partnership & Internal Teams • Search Subject-Matter Expert: Act as the go-to Search specialist for clients and internal WPP Media teams, setting clear expectations and translating complex search changes into clear commercial impact. • Client Presence & Communication: Confidently present search strategies, performance reviews, and audit findings in client meetings, while maintaining proactive day-to-day communication via email and calls. • SLA & Process Compliance: Work closely with your client leadership team to ensure full compliance with customer-defined Service Level Agreements (SLAs), quality checks, and internal WPP Media finance/billing processes.

The Ideal Candidate

Experience & Mindset • 3–5+ years of dedicated Biddable Search experience (experience managing multi-client search portfolios strongly preferred). • A 2027 Search Mindset: Proven ability to move past “old-school” manual search setups. You understand how modern search auctions, AI Overviews, Smart Bidding, and retail search algorithms work and how to engineer better inputs to beat competitors. • Analytical & Detail-Oriented: Exceptional critical thinking and problem-solving abilities; able to spot search anomalies quickly and turn data into clear commercial decisions. • High Ownership: Ability to prioritize, multi-task, and work under pressure to meet strict deadlines with acute attention to detail.

Technical & Platform Requirements • Google Ads Certified: Current certifications in Google Ads Search, AI-Powered Performance (PMax), Shopping, and Measurement. • Retail & Multi-Engine Search Experience: Hands-on experience, or strong working knowledge, across Amazon Ads (Sponsored Products/Brands), Google Shopping/Merchant Center, and Microsoft Advertising (Bing). • Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Certified: Strong ability to analyze search traffic, conversion funnels, and attribution models in GA4. • Search Tools Mastery: Advanced proficiency in Google Ads Editor, Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookups, search query analysis), PowerPoint, and Looker Studio. • Search Copywriting: Excellent copywriting and grammar skills tailored for high-intent Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), extensions/assets, and marketplace listings.

Desirable (what will set you apart) • Experience and certification on the GMP Suite, specifically Search Ads 360 (SA360). • Amazon Ads Certifications (Sponsored Ads / Retail Media) or hands-on e-commerce feed management experience. • Solid working knowledge of SEO (how technical SEO, content, and Paid Search work together as “Total Search”) and Landing Page UX / Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). • Experience using Google Ads Scripts, automated rules, or AI tools for search query mining, ad copy testing, and competitor analysis. • Basic knowledge of HTML and Google Tag Manager (GTM) for conversion tracking troubleshooting.

Please read our Privacy Notice for more information on how we process the information you provide.

From $25, paid onceGet the CV for this job

What happens when you press

One press. We do the rest.

  1. A CV for this posting

    Written against WPP Media's own wording, from every piece of relevant proof in your profile.

  2. 25 readers review it

    Recruiter, hiring manager, skeptic and more read every draft, round after round. You get the best round.

    The review screen in CV Rocket: how each CV was read, round by round.
  3. We apply on WPP Media's form

    Our application engine gets through the hardest forms there are. Where a question needs you, AI suggests the best answer. Don't want us applying from our IP addresses? Use our Chrome extension: we apply straight from your own browser.

    An application in CV Rocket: every answer filled in on the employer's form.
  4. Every reply, sorted

    WPP Media's answer lands in your private mailbox, and we classify it on arrival: interview, question, rejection.

    The CV Rocket inbox: each employer reply classified as an interview, an action or a rejection.
  5. Reply with AI

    AI helps you write the email, checks it and sends it. We show you whether the recruiter read it.

  6. The interview in your calendar

    Full integration with your calendar. The invitation goes straight in.

    An interview invitation in the CV Rocket inbox, added to the candidate's calendar.
Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

Why it works

3×

more interviews than doing it yourself with ChatGPT.

ChatGPT writes a CV and never learns what happened to it. We see every reply. For each CV we know:

  • How it was written, and how the review scored it
  • When we applied, and how long after the posting went up
  • Which posting, which company, which city
  • Who got the interview, and who heard nothing

That is how we know which CVs get called.

Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

The numbers game

More applications. More interviews.

Every application goes out with its own CV, written for that posting and paid once. Send enough of them and the law of large numbers finds you the job.

By hand5–10
With CV Rocket100
applications a day

Nearby

Live postings like this one

Same employer first, then the same role elsewhere.

Before you press

Straight answers

Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

What if my background isn't good enough?

We make the most of the background you have. The CV uses every piece of relevant proof your profile holds, and one of the 25 readers reads your whole profile and flags what the CV left out.

Do you really apply for me?

Yes, on the employer's own form, the hardest ones included. Where a question needs you, you answer it right there and AI suggests the best answer. Don't want us applying from our IP addresses? Use our Chrome extension: we apply straight from your own browser.

Is it a subscription?

No. You pay once per CV, from $25. Every application goes out with its own CV, written for that posting.

One job. One CV.
Paid once.

Pick the posting you want. We write for it, apply for you and catch the reply.

Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.