Position : Paid Search Specialist — Cybersecurity/AI

Company/Client : Adaptive Security

Work Hours (Client) : 9am-5pm PST, Monday-Friday

Pay Range : 1,400-1,800USD/month (varies based on skill set and experience level)

Location of Search : South Africa, Philippines, Latin America, or Eastern Europe

Work Location : REMOTE

Type of Contract : Independent Contractor

Company/Client Overview:

Our client is a fast-growing cybersecurity company hiring an experienced Paid Search Specialist to build and lead a high-performance paid acquisition function from the ground up.

This is not a generalist PPC role. The primary goal is to design, execute, and continuously optimize paid search programs that drive qualified pipeline from enterprise buyers: CISOs, IT leaders, security architects, and practitioners across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and emerging AI-driven ad platforms. You will help with the full paid search lifecycle, from keyword strategy and audience segmentation to ad copy, landing page alignment, and revenue attribution.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategy & Campaign Architecture

Develop and own the overarching paid search strategy aligned to pipeline and revenue targets, not just traffic or impression share
Architect full-funnel campaign structures across branded, non-branded, competitive, and RLSA (Remarketing Lists for Search Ads) segments
Build and manage campaigns across Google Search, Google Performance Max, Microsoft/Bing Ads, and YouTube (TrueView for Action)
Map keyword targeting to buyer journey stages — awareness, consideration, and decision — with distinct messaging and landing page strategies for each
Identify and pursue whitespace opportunities in the cybersecurity/AI paid search landscape through competitive intelligence and SERP analysis

Keyword Research & Targeting

Conduct deep keyword research using tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, Semrush, and SpyFu to identify high-intent, commercially relevant terms
Build and maintain comprehensive negative keyword lists to eliminate wasted spend and improve signal quality
Segment keyword sets by intent tier (informational, navigational, transactional) and audience persona
Monitor and adapt to keyword trends specific to the cybersecurity and AI sectors, including emerging threat categories, product categories

Ad Copy & Creative

Write compelling, persona-specific ad copy tailored to enterprise security buyers, emphasizing technical credibility, urgency, and ROI
Develop and manage A/B and multivariate ad copy tests with statistical rigor, iterating based on CTR, Quality Score, and conversion rate data
Collaborate with design and content teams to ensure landing page messaging is tightly aligned with paid search ad copy and keyword intent
Leverage ad extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, lead forms) to maximize SERP real estate and improve click quality

Bid Management & Budget Optimization

Own budget allocation across campaigns, ad groups, and channels, making data-driven decisions to maximize return on ad spend (ROAS) and cost per pipeline (CPP)
Manage automated and manual bidding strategies (Target CPA, Target ROAS, Enhanced CPC, Max Conversions) and adjust based on performance signals
Conduct regular search term report analysis to refine match types, identify new keyword opportunities, and eliminate inefficient spend
Monitor auction insights and competitive positioning to inform bid adjustments and strategic pivots

Analytics, Attribution & Reporting

Implement and maintain conversion tracking across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and CRM platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot) to ensure accurate pipeline attribution
Build and maintain dashboards in Google Looker Studio, HubSpot, or equivalent tools that tie paid search activity to MQL, SQL, and closed-won revenue
Deliver weekly performance reports and monthly strategic reviews to marketing leadership, with clear insight into what is working, what is not, and recommended next actions
Partner with marketing ops and revenue ops teams to ensure UTM taxonomy, lead scoring, and attribution models are aligned across the funnel

Testing & Continuous Improvement

Maintain a structured, ongoing testing roadmap covering ad copy, keyword match types, bidding strategies, landing pages, and audience segments
Document test hypotheses, results, and learnings to build an institutional knowledge base
Stay current on Google Ads and Microsoft Ads product updates, betas, and best practices — particularly as AI-driven features (Smart Bidding, Demand Gen, Performance Max) evolve

Minimum Requirements:

Language requirement: Excellent English Communication Skills

Education: Bachelor's Degree (ideally)

Experience: 5+ years of related experience

Industry: technology/cybersecurity industry

5+ years of hands-on paid search management experience, with a proven track record of driving measurable pipeline and revenue outcomes.
Deep expertise in Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising, including Search, Display, YouTube, and Performance Max campaign types
Experience marketing B2B SaaS, cybersecurity, or enterprise technology products strongly preferred; familiarity with cybersecurity buyer personas (CISOs, SecOps, IT

Directors) is a significant advantage

Strong command of keyword research, match type strategy, Quality Score optimization, and auction dynamics
Proficiency with Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, and CRM-based attribution (Salesforce or HubSpot)
Experience with paid search tools including Semrush, Ahrefs, SpyFu, or similar competitive intelligence platforms
Demonstrated ability to manage and optimize six-figure monthly budgets with accountability to pipeline and ROAS targets
Exceptional analytical and data interpretation skills — you make decisions from data, not intuition alone
Strong written communication skills with the ability to craft ad copy that resonates with technical enterprise audiences
Ability to work independently in a remote environment, manage multiple campaigns simultaneously, and communicate proactively with stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

Google Ads certification (Search, Performance Max, Measurement)
Experience running paid campaigns alongside an organic/SEO content strategy, with an understanding of how paid and organic search interact
Familiarity with intent data platforms (6sense, Bombora, Demandbase) and how they can inform paid search audience segmentation
Experience with ABM (Account-Based Marketing) frameworks and running paid search in support of targeted account lists
Background in or understanding of AI-driven ad products and how emerging platforms (Perplexity Ads, AI Overviews) are reshaping paid search discovery

Paid Search Specialist — Cybersecurity/AI - 18425