Paid Media Lead

About us HyperDev is a new developer-focused spin-out within the HyperionDev ecosystem, one of the world’s leading providers of accelerated tech education. Our mission at HyperDev is to help people Write Code Right and 10x their impact by radically improving how developers build, learn, and grow in their work using generative AI. We’re building the first tool that truly bridges the gap between low-code platforms and full-scale programming. By abstracting code into natural language, developers maintain full control over logic and behaviour while eliminating the friction of syntax and boilerplate. Our founding team comprises engineers who have worked on generative AI models at OpenAI (as recently as 2024) and technical leaders behind a BAFTA-winning video game renowned for its innovation. HyperionDev, our parent organisation, is one of the largest and most recognised coding education providers in EMEA. We partner with world-class universities, including Imperial College London, The London School of Economics, and The University of Edinburgh, to deliver industry-driven coding bootcamps that fast-track learners into meaningful tech careers. Backed by Meta and the UK government’s Department for Education, and supported by a global community of nearly 2000 investors, HyperionDev is a profitable, high-growth scaleup shaping the future of tech education. By joining HyperDev, you become part of this wider mission, combining the power of cutting-edge AI with a proven model for global tech impact. About the Role We’re looking for a Paid Media Lead to take full ownership of HyperionDev’s paid acquisition engine someone who blends analytical sharpness with hands-on execution across major ad platforms. This is a role for a performance-driven marketer who can turn budgets into measurable growth, who thrives on optimisation, experimentation, and translating insights into action. You’ll manage and scale paid media across Google, Meta, Reddit, YouTube, Spotify, and emerging platforms, working end-to-end across planning, execution, optimisation, and reporting. From managing large budgets to refining funnel mechanics, you’ll operate as a highly autonomous individual contributor who drives results fast. You’ll work closely with product, sales, and creative teams to ensure campaigns not only perform, but tell compelling stories that engage learners and drive conversion. Over time, you’ll play a key role in shaping our paid media function, mentoring others, improving our analytics maturity, and helping HyperionDev reach new markets at scale. If you’re someone who loves performance marketing, gets energy from deep optimisation work, and wants to make a measurable impact in a mission-driven, fast-moving environment, this role gives you the autonomy, scale, and challenge to do your best work. What You’ll Do Paid Media Strategy & Execution - Develop and lead HyperionDev’s multi-channel paid media strategy, aligned with lead generation and revenue goals. - Manage the full lifecycle of paid campaigns across Google Ads, Meta Ads, Reddit, YouTube, Spotify, and more. - Set up, test, scale, and optimise performance campaigns to improve CTR, conversion rate, and ROAS. - Use A/B testing, audience segmentation, creative iteration, and funnel improvements to drive continuous gains. Data, Analytics & Reporting - Own campaign analytics: build dashboards, track performance, and report insights across Looker Studio, GA4, Google Ads, and Meta. - Analyse pipeline performance and customer journeys to identify opportunities for optimisation. - Provide clear, actionable insights to internal teams and recommend strategy changes backed by data. - (Bonus) Work with BigQuery and advanced analytics to refine attribution and performance modelling. Budget Management - Own multi-million-rand paid media budgets and allocate spend across channels for maximum efficiency. - Forecast, plan, and adjust budgets based on performance and business priorities. Cross-Functional Collaboration - Partner with product, sales, and creative teams to refine messaging, landing pages, and user journeys. - Ensure the end-to-end customer experience is optimised for conversion — from the first ad impression to final enrolment. Conversion & Funnel Optimisation - Analyse and optimise conversion funnels across channels and landing pages. - Recommend improvements to UX, messaging, landing page design, and creative strategy. - Identify areas where performance, engagement, or conversion can be lifted through experimentation. Vendor, Platform & Stakeholder Management - Manage relationships with Google, Meta, and other key partners, unlocking betas, new features, and optimisation support. - Stay ahead of digital advertising changes, platform updates, privacy shifts, and new technologies. Mentorship & Team Development - Share knowledge, frameworks, and best practice with the broader marketing team. - Play a leadership role in helping shape the future paid media function. Industry & Thought Leadership - Stay on top of advertising trends, platform updates, and emerging tools. - Advocate for new opportunities that improve performance or unlock new growth levers. Requirements Minimum Requirements: - 3+ years managing large-scale paid campaigns across Google, Meta, and other performance platforms. - Experience in B2C marketing (tech, education, SaaS or e-commerce ideal) with a focus on lead generation and acquisition. - Strong proficiency in Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager (including consent management), and analytics platforms. - Strong analytical skills — comfortable evaluating data sets, diagnosing performance drivers, and translating insights into recommendations. - Experience managing and forecasting sizable paid budgets. - Solid understanding of A/B testing, creative iteration, and customer journey optimisation. - Strong communication skills and ability to explain complex findings simply. - Experience with CRM or marketing automation tools (email, landing page optimisation, CRO) is a plus. - A self-starter with a hands-on, action-oriented approach. Preferred: - 5+ years experience managing budgets of R3m+ per month. - Experience managing at least one direct report. - Experience scaling ATL budgets. - BigQuery / SQL experience with GA4. - Experience helping position a product as a category leader in education or tech. - Familiarity with SEO principles. - Knowledge of design tools such as Figma. Benefits Remote-first with hybrid flexibility We’re a remote-first team with the option for hybrid work depending on your location and preferences. While our roots are in Southern Africa, we’re building a distributed team and welcome applicants globally. Work from wherever you do your best work, and collaborate across time zones with a team that values autonomy and trust. Learn and grow while building the future We believe in continuous learning. As part of the wider HyperionDev ecosystem, you’ll have access to our coding bootcamps and technical training, whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills or explore new ones. A global mission, backed by real impact Join an ambitious new venture within one of the most established names in developer education. At HyperDev, you’ll work with former OpenAI researchers, engineers from top gaming studios, and a leadership team with deep experience across AI, edtech, and product scaling. Work that matters We’re building tools to radically improve how developers code, learn, and grow, and to make these tools accessible to learners worldwide. Your work won’t just push technical boundaries, it’ll empower thousands of people to break into life-changing tech careers.