Career guide
PPC Specialist Job Description: Templates for Search, Amazon and Agency Roles
A PPC specialist job description should list the ad platforms the person will run, the budget they'll manage, the result they're measured on and who they report to. Below are templates for in-house, agency, Amazon and senior PPC roles, what the job looks like week to week, and how to read a posting before you apply.
Key takeaways
- A PPC specialist job description should name the platforms, the monthly budget, the target metric and who the specialist reports to.
- Agency PPC postings add client reporting and several accounts; in-house postings go deeper on one business and its tracking.
- Amazon PPC postings are a different job: Sponsored Products ads promote individual product listings and are run with the ecommerce team.
- Senior PPC postings add strategy, budget planning across platforms and coaching other specialists.
- When applying, lead with one account result in cost and volume, and name the platforms exactly as the posting does.
Download all 4 templates (Word) Opens in Google Docs too.
The PPC specialist guide covers the role and one standard job description. Here you’ll find versions for agency, Amazon and senior roles, plus what to check in a posting.
What should a PPC specialist job description include?
- Platforms. Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Amazon Ads, Meta, LinkedIn. Only the ones the person will really run.
- Budget. Monthly spend or a range. It tells candidates how much responsibility they’ll have.
- Target. Cost per acquisition, return on ad spend, leads or pipeline.
- Accounts. One business (in-house) or several clients (agency).
- Tracking. Who owns conversion tracking. Google’s guide to conversion measurement shows how much of the job depends on it.
- Reporting line. A performance marketing manager, an account director or a founder.
Template: in-house PPC specialist
Job title: PPC Specialist [or Paid Search Specialist] About [Company] [Two sentences: what you sell, to whom, and what paid search does for the business.] About the role You'll run our paid search campaigns on [Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising], managing [monthly budget] against a [cost per acquisition / return on ad spend / lead] target. You'll report to [Performance Marketing Manager] and work with [web, analytics and creative]. What you'll do - Build and optimize search, shopping and [Performance Max / display / video] campaigns. - Research keywords, write ads and manage negative keywords. - Manage bids, budgets and pacing; flag over- and underspend early. - Test ads, landing pages and offers, one clear question at a time. - Check conversion tracking with [the analytics team / Google Tag Manager]. - Report weekly results with what you changed and what you'd do next. What you'll bring - [1–3] years managing paid search with direct budget responsibility. - Hands-on Google Ads experience; [Microsoft Advertising] a plus. - Strong spreadsheet skills. - Clear, short ad writing. How we'll measure success - [Conversions / revenue] at or under [target cost] - Clean, trusted conversion tracking - A steady testing cadence Pay and benefits [Salary range], [benefits], [location / hybrid / remote].
Template: agency PPC specialist
Job title: PPC Specialist, [Agency name] About the role You'll manage paid search and paid social for [number] client accounts in [industries], with combined spend of [range]. You'll work with account managers and report to [PPC Manager / Head of Paid Media]. What you'll do - Run day-to-day optimization across your client accounts. - Build new campaigns and launch plans for new clients. - Write monthly client reports and join client calls with your account manager. - Track your time against each client's hours. - Share what works across accounts with the rest of the team. What you'll bring - Experience managing several accounts at once. - Comfort explaining results to clients who aren't marketers.
Agency PPC work moves faster and covers more industries; in-house work goes deeper on one business. Our in-house vs agency marketing guide covers the trade-offs, and billable hours explains the time tracking.
Template: Amazon PPC specialist
Amazon PPC is its own specialty. Sponsored Products are cost-per-click ads that promote individual product listings, so the job sits close to the ecommerce team.
Job title: Amazon PPC Specialist About the role You'll manage our Amazon Ads campaigns ([Sponsored Products / Sponsored Brands / Sponsored Display]) for [number] products, working with the ecommerce team on listings, pricing and stock. What you'll do - Build and optimize campaigns by product, keyword and match type. - Harvest search terms and manage negatives. - Manage bids and budgets around promotions and stock levels. - Report sales, advertising cost of sales and total sales impact. - Flag listing problems (images, reviews, content) that hurt ad results. How we'll measure success - Advertising cost of sales at or under [target] - Growth in [total sales / organic rank] for priority products
Template: senior PPC specialist
Add these lines when the role leads the program:
- Set the paid search strategy and quarterly plan across platforms. - Forecast spend and results with the performance marketing manager. - Coach [junior specialists / coordinators] and review their accounts. - Lead structural changes: account restructures, new bidding approaches, new markets.
What does a PPC specialist do each week?
| When | Typical work |
|---|---|
| Daily | Check spend and pacing, scan for errors, search term review |
| Weekly | Bid and budget changes, ad tests, report to manager or client |
| Monthly | Deeper analysis, new campaigns, monthly report, plan for next month |
| Quarterly | Account structure review, testing plan, budget planning |
How do you read a PPC job description before you apply?
Look at three things: the platforms (do you know them?), the budget (is it bigger or smaller than you’ve run?) and who owns tracking (will you be fixing it yourself?). Then pick one account result that matches and lead your resume with it, in cost and volume: “Cut cost per lead [X]% while growing leads [Y]% on a [budget] monthly budget.”
Use the posting’s platform names exactly ("Microsoft Advertising,” not “Bing Ads") where they’re true for you. And in the interview, explain your optimizations the way you’d explain them to a teammate. They’re hiring the person who makes the calls, so let your thinking come through rather than a list of platform features.
Prepare with our performance marketing interview questions, which cover paid search scenarios. Recon can tailor your resume to a specific posting, line by line, without adding anything you haven’t done.
Check the posting’s pay range too; Cooley’s summary of new state pay transparency laws covers states that now require one. The PPC specialist guide links to the pay data.
FAQ
What’s the difference between a PPC specialist and a Google Ads specialist?
A Google Ads specialist works on one platform. A PPC specialist may run several. See Google Ads specialist.
What’s the difference between a PPC specialist and a paid media specialist?
“Paid media” is broader, often including paid social, display and programmatic. Many postings use the titles interchangeably; read the duties. See paid media specialist.
What does an enterprise PPC specialist do?
Manages large accounts with big budgets, many campaigns and often several markets or business units, usually with more process, approvals and reporting.
Does a PPC specialist write ads?
Usually, yes. Search ad copy is part of most PPC jobs; display and social creative are often briefed to designers.
Who does a PPC specialist report to?
In-house, usually a performance marketing manager or head of growth. At an agency, a PPC manager or head of paid media, with day-to-day contact with account managers. Our performance marketing manager job description shows that next level up.