Performance Marketing Specialist

Description
At GUNNER® we build the best dog products in the world to give our dogs the lives they deserve. Overbuilt in the USA™, we engineer them for your dog and build them for your peace of mind. If you join the pack, you'll have the opportunity to create fun, meaningful work, on our way to becoming a world-class brand that strengthens our bond with Man's Best Friend. Energized by this exciting mission? GUNNER® is looking for a data-driven, detail-oriented Performance Marketing Specialist to own our paid media and affiliate programs in-house.

This is a newly created role, born out of our decision to bring paid marketing home from agency partners. This gives you the chance to build our in-house performance engine from the ground up, with direct creative input, faster execution, and a tight feedback loop with our Creative and Ecommerce teams. This is also a key role within a broader shift out of traditional digital ads into lead generation.

This position is ideal for someone with 2-4 years of hands-on paid media experience who wants outsized ownership, loves digging into the numbers, and is excited to grow into a bigger seat as our marketing program scales.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Generation & Acquisition Strategy

Lead the shift of budget from traditional prospecting into lead generation programs (quizzes, giveaways, lead magnets, gated offers, landing pages) that capture higher-intent, lower-cost prospects
Build, launch, and optimize lead capture funnels across paid social, paid search, and affiliate channels
Test and scale lead-gen ad formats (e.g., Meta Lead Ads, native lead forms) to grow a qualified prospect pipeline
Own the handoff of captured leads into email/SMS nurture flows, in partnership with the Retention/CX team

• Paid Social & Paid Search

Plan, launch, and optimize paid campaigns across Meta, TikTok, and Google/Search Ads to balance direct-response acquisition with lead-gen-driven prospecting
Manage day-to-day budget pacing, bidding, and audience/targeting across channels
Build, test, and iterate on ad creative and copy in partnership with the Creative team including creative built specifically for lead capture
Monitor performance daily and make data-driven adjustments to improve ROAS, CPA, and other core KPIs

• Affiliate & Partnerships

Manage GUNNER's affiliate program (e.g., via Impact), including partner recruitment, commission structures, and performance tracking
Identify and cultivate new affiliate and partnership opportunities to expand reach
Monitor affiliate performance and troubleshoot tracking/attribution issues

• Reporting & Analysis

Build and maintain regular reporting on paid media and affiliate performance across channels
Track CAC:LTV ratio, cost per new-to-file (CPNTF), and prospect-to-customer conversion rate to measure the quality, not just the volume, of new customers acquired
Feed acquisition and lead-quality data to Product and Creative teams to inform product pathing and roadmap decisions
Translate performance data into clear takeaways and recommendations for leadership
Partner with Ecommerce/Ops to ensure accurate attribution and tracking (pixels, UTMs, etc.)

• Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with the Creative team to brief and test new ad concepts
Coordinate with Ecommerce on promotions, product launches, and inventory-driven campaign timing
Support the transition of paid media management from our agency partner to in-house, documenting processes and best practices along the way
The Ideal Candidate
Is genuinely excited by numbers and finds satisfaction in optimizing a campaign until it performs
Thinks beyond last-click ROAS and cares about the long-term value and quality of the customers we acquire, not just the volume
Is curious and proactive: digs into "why" a metric moved rather than just reporting that it did
Thrives in a fast-paced, resource-lean startup environment and is comfortable wearing multiple hats
Is comfortable with ambiguity and enjoys building processes rather than just following them
Communicates clearly, in writing and verbally, and can present data to non-marketing audiences
Is coachable and eager to grow into a bigger scope as the paid program matures
Loves dogs (bonus if you bring them to work!)
Required Qualifications
2-4 years of hands-on experience managing paid social (Meta/TikTok) and paid search (Google Ads) campaigns, ideally for a DTC/ecommerce brand
Working knowledge of Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, and Shopify; familiarity with TikTok Ads and an affiliate platform (e.g., Impact) is a strong plus
Bachelor’s Degree in Business/Marketing or a related field — OR equivalent practical experience
Experience building or running lead generation campaigns (landing pages, lead ads, gated offers, giveaways) is a strong plus
Comfortable working with performance data in spreadsheets/dashboards to inform decisions
Strong attention to detail and organizational skills to manage multiple campaigns and channels at once
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Available to work on-site in Nashville, 5 days/week
Departments & Supervisor
This role will report directly to our Chief Executive Officer with reporting lines to be revisited as the Marketing organization is built.
Location
On-site at GUNNER® HQ in Nashville, TN.
Compensation
Competitive annual salary based on experience
Performance-based bonus tied to company and individual performance
Standard benefits package (health insurance, PTO, 401(k))
Work with a fun, mission-driven team and dog-friendly office
Opportunity for growth as GUNNER® continues to scale
GUNNER® Core Values
Overcomes obstacles: is resilient, takes initiative, and solves problems
Exceeds expectations: goes above and beyond the call of duty
Is authentic: true to themself and brings their best selves everyday
Is a team player: willing to help others and put the team before self
Is customer obsessed: puts the customer at the center of every decision
References
Resume
3 Professional References (requested later in process)