📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Growth Marketing Senior Specialist, SEM
🔹 Company: Thumbtack
🔹 Location: Ontario, Canada
🔹 Job Type: Full-time
🔹 Category: 💸 Paid Advertising (PPC, SEM),🚀 Growth Marketing
📌 Essential Job Details
🚀 Job Overview
As a Growth Marketing Senior Specialist focusing on Search Engine Marketing (SEM) at Thumbtack, you'll be responsible for capturing customer demand for local home services through strategic paid search initiatives. You'll work at the intersection of marketing, analytics, and technology to drive growth for Thumbtack's marketplace while meeting efficiency goals. Your work will directly impact Thumbtack's mission to connect homeowners with qualified professionals for home management needs.
ASSUMPTION: Based on the job title "Senior Specialist" and required experience of 2-5 years, this appears to be a mid to senior-level individual contributor role, not a management position. The focus appears to be on technical execution with strategic input.
📋 Key Responsibilities
- ✅ Execute and improve Thumbtack's paid search strategy, identifying new opportunities for customer and pro growth
- ✅ Manage, optimize, and grow the SEM program across Google and Microsoft platforms while adhering to KPIs
- ✅ Develop experimentation roadmap for ad copy, keywords, bidding strategies and more
- ✅ Partner with cross-functional data science, analytics, and engineering teams to build automation and scalable tools
- ✅ Own the tracking, attribution, and measurement of performance metrics (iROAS, incrementality, lift, etc.) using in-house and third-party data
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Not specified
Experience: 2-5 years experience in paid digital advertising, with at least 2 years hands-on keyboard SEM management
Skills:
- Proven track record of improving and scaling ad programs with specific conversion volume and efficiency goals
- Demonstrated experience improving SEM campaign performance through testing, optimization, automation, and creative
- Ability to manage relationships with a large portfolio of ad vendors and partners
- Ability to define and execute on a 6-12 month roadmap with aggressive milestones
- Strong data analytics skills (pivot tables, vlookups, basic modeling)
ASSUMPTION: While no specific education requirements are mentioned, this role likely requires at least a bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or a related field given the level of analytical skills and strategic planning required.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: Not specified
Benefits:
- Virtual-first working model with in-person events
- 20 company-wide holidays including a week-long end-of-year company shutdown
- Optional use of collaboration hub ("Library") in San Francisco
- WiFi reimbursements
- Cell phone reimbursements (North America)
- Employee Assistance Program for mental health and well-being
Industry Comparison: Not specified
ASSUMPTION: For a Growth Marketing Senior Specialist in SEM with 2-5 years of experience at a company valued at $3.2 billion, the compensation is likely competitive for the digital marketing industry in Ontario, Canada. SEM specialists with this level of expertise typically earn above-average salaries in the tech industry due to the technical and analytical nature of the work.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry Position: Thumbtack is a leading platform in the home services marketplace sector, connecting homeowners with local professionals. The company operates nationwide across the United States and has expanded to Canada and the Philippines.
Company Size: 1000+ employees
Company Stage: Growth-stage company with a $3.2 billion valuation (as of June 2021)
ASSUMPTION: As Thumbtack describes itself as "one of the fastest-growing companies in a $600B+ industry," it appears to be in an aggressive growth phase, likely focusing on scaling its marketplace and increasing market share.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Mid to Senior level individual contributor
Reporting Structure: Not specified
Team Size/Composition: Part of the Growth Marketing team that works cross-functionally with Brand, Product, Engineering, and Data Science
Growth Opportunities: Potential to develop expertise in advanced SEM strategies, performance marketing leadership, and cross-channel marketing integration
ASSUMPTION: This role likely reports to a Growth Marketing Manager or Director. The collaborative nature of the role suggests opportunities to develop leadership skills and potentially advance to team lead or management positions within the growth marketing organization.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Virtual-first company
Geographic Context: Can work from any approved location across the United States, Canada, or the Philippines, with this specific role based in Ontario, Canada
Work Schedule: Not specified
Regional Considerations: Ontario is a major technology hub in Canada with a growing tech ecosystem. Working remotely for a US-based company may offer competitive compensation relative to local Canadian opportunities.
ASSUMPTION: As a virtual-first company, Thumbtack likely offers flexible working hours with core collaboration periods. The role probably requires occasional virtual meetings with US-based team members, potentially requiring some schedule alignment across time zones.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process: For SEM specialist roles at tech companies like Thumbtack, interview processes typically include:
- Initial screening with recruiter
- Technical interview focusing on SEM strategy, campaign optimization, and analytical skills
- Possible case study or practical assignment demonstrating SEM expertise
- Cross-functional interviews with stakeholders from analytics, engineering, or product teams
- Final interview with hiring manager or team lead
Key Assessment Areas:
- Technical SEM knowledge (Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising)
- Data analysis capabilities and ROI measurement
- Performance marketing strategy development
- Experience with testing and optimization methodologies
- Collaborative approach to cross-functional partnerships
Application Tips:
- Highlight specific performance improvements you've achieved in previous SEM campaigns
- Quantify results where possible (e.g., "Improved ROAS by X%, driving $Y in incremental revenue")
- Demonstrate your analytical approach with specific examples
- Showcase experience with automation and scalable solutions
- If you have marketplace experience, emphasize this as it's highly relevant to Thumbtack's business model
ATS Keywords: SEM, Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, paid search, keywords, ROAS, attribution, performance marketing, digital advertising, data analysis, A/B testing, bid management, campaign optimization, automation, growth marketing
ASSUMPTION: These insights are based on industry standards for similar roles and companies. The actual interview process at Thumbtack may vary.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Google Ads platform
- Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads)
- Analytics and attribution platforms
- Bid management and automation tools
- Excel or similar tools for data analysis (referenced in requirements)
ASSUMPTION: Based on the job description, the role likely also involves working with internal data dashboards, custom attribution models, and potentially Python or SQL for more advanced data analysis, though these are not explicitly mentioned.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values: Thumbtack emphasizes:
- Advocating for pros and customers
- Embracing change
- Choosing teamwork every day
- Making an impact through work that supports local economies
Work Style: The role appears to require a collaborative approach with cross-functional partners while maintaining individual ownership of the SEM program's performance. The mention of "aggressive milestones" suggests a fast-paced, results-oriented culture.
Self-Assessment:
- Are you comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment?
- Do you thrive when balancing technical execution with strategic planning?
- Are you excited about building tools and systems for scale rather than just managing day-to-day operations?
- Do you enjoy collaborating with technical teams such as data science and engineering?
- Are you passionate about the home services marketplace and helping both service professionals and homeowners?
ASSUMPTION: Based on Thumbtack's description as a fast-growing company and the role's focus on scalable solutions, the culture likely values innovation, experimentation, and data-driven decision making.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- The need to define and execute on a 6-12 month roadmap with "aggressive milestones" suggests high performance expectations and potential pressure to deliver results quickly
- Managing SEM across multiple platforms (Google and Microsoft) while developing new experiments requires strong multitasking abilities
- Cross-functional collaboration with data science, analytics, and engineering teams requires excellent communication skills and the ability to translate marketing needs into technical requirements
- Working in a virtual-first environment may require additional effort to build relationships and maintain visibility
- The two-sided marketplace model adds complexity to SEM strategy, as you need to optimize for both homeowner acquisition and pro engagement
ASSUMPTION: These potential challenges are inferred from the job description and typical challenges in similar roles at growth-stage technology companies. Individual experiences may vary.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
This Growth Marketing Senior Specialist, SEM role at Thumbtack appears to:
- Differ from traditional SEM Manager roles by having a stronger focus on building scalable systems and automation rather than just campaign management
- Offer more strategic input than junior SEM roles, with responsibility for developing the experimentation roadmap
- Require stronger cross-functional collaboration than typical agency SEM specialists who might focus solely on campaign optimization
- Include more technical aspects through partnerships with engineering to build data pipelines and automation tools
- Focus specifically on performance marketing rather than broader digital marketing responsibilities that might include social media or content
ASSUMPTION: This comparison is based on standard industry patterns for SEM specialist roles across tech companies and digital marketing agencies.
📝 Sample Projects
Based on the listed responsibilities, someone in this role might work on projects such as:
- Developing an automated bid adjustment system that optimizes based on real-time performance data
- Creating a comprehensive A/B testing framework for ad copy across different service categories
- Building a keyword expansion strategy to capture demand for emerging home service needs
- Implementing advanced attribution modeling to better understand the customer journey from search to service booking
- Collaborating with engineering to develop tools that create and manage ads at scale across thousands of service categories and locations
- Developing dashboards to track and report on incremental ROI and campaign performance metrics
ASSUMPTION: These projects are illustrative examples based on the listed responsibilities and typical SEM initiatives at marketplace companies.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- "How do you currently balance acquisition efforts between pros and homeowners in your SEM strategy?"
- "What are the biggest challenges you've encountered with scaling your SEM program, and how are you addressing them?"
- "How does Thumbtack measure incrementality in search campaigns, and how does this inform bidding strategies?"
- "Can you share an example of how the Growth Marketing team has successfully collaborated with Engineering to build marketing automation tools?"
- "What does success look like for this role in the first 3, 6, and 12 months?"
- "How does Thumbtack's virtual-first culture impact collaboration within the marketing team and across departments?"
ASSUMPTION: These questions are suggested based on the role type and company context. They should be adapted based on your specific experience and the flow of your actual interview.
📌 Disclaimer
⚠️ This enhanced job description was AI-generated based on the original job listing. Information has been organized and supplemented with industry-standard insights where details were not provided. All assumptions are explicitly labeled. Applicants should verify all details directly with the employer before making decisions based on this content.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
If you're interested in pursuing this Growth Marketing Senior Specialist, SEM role at Thumbtack, consider these next steps:
- Customize your resume: Highlight your specific SEM achievements, focusing on metrics and results. Include keywords like "Google Ads," "Microsoft Advertising," "ROAS optimization," and "performance marketing."
- Prepare your portfolio: Compile examples of successful SEM campaigns you've managed, with a focus on performance improvements and optimization strategies.
- Research Thumbtack thoroughly: Explore their app, website, and blog to understand their marketplace model and current growth initiatives.
- Connect with current employees: Reach out to Thumbtack team members on LinkedIn to learn more about the company culture and growth marketing approach.
- Prepare for technical questions: Be ready to discuss specific SEM strategies, automation approaches, and analytics methodologies that have worked for you in previous roles.
- Apply through multiple channels: Submit your application through Thumbtack's careers page and also consider reaching out to relevant recruiters or hiring managers directly on LinkedIn.
