Paid Growth Specialist

Santa Monica, CA, United States of America (Hybrid)

Company Overview

Home From College (H\FC) is a marketplace that connects college students with brands offering paid GIGs, internships, and early-career opportunities. For students, we're often the first real bridge between college and the working world. For brands, we're how they reach a generation that's hard to reach anywhere else.

We're in full growth mode, focused on getting the H\FC App into the hands of every college student in the country and turning first-time users into repeat GIG completers. The growth decisions made now will define our trajectory, and we're building the team to make them."


The Role

We're hiring a Growth Marketer to own H\FC's paid app install strategy across Apple Search Ads, Google, Meta, TikTok, and Affiliate. The mission is to establish whether paid installs can drive student downloads at a viable cost, identify which channels deliver the best unit economics, and build the infrastructure for ongoing investment.

You'll own campaigns end-to-end: setup, creative, attribution, testing, and reporting. You won't hand this off to an agency or wait for a creative team. You'll move fast, spend smart, and come back with real answers.


What You'll Do
  • Own H\FC's paid app install strategy end-to-end across all active channels
  • Apple Search Ads — Set up and optimize search ads and promoted placements in the App Store to capture high-intent users browsing gig work, side hustle, and college job categories
  • Google Ads (SEM, Display, YouTube, App Campaigns) — Build and manage campaigns across Google's full network, including Universal App Campaigns optimized for install volume and downstream engagement
  • Meta App Install Campaigns — Run install campaigns targeting college-aged demos with creative optimized for downloads, including retargeting for users who clicked but didn't convert
  • TikTok In-Feed App Install Ads — Launch and optimize install campaigns from the H\FC ad account targeting 18–24, separate from existing Spark Ads and creator work
  • Affiliate — Identify and onboard relevant affiliate partners, set up tracking and commission structures, and manage ongoing performance to drive incremental installs at efficient cost
  • Creative Testing — Develop and iterate on platform-native creatives (static + short-form video) with structured A/B testing across hooks, CTAs, and audience segments
  • Attribution & Reporting — Integrate all campaigns with our AppsFlyer setup to track install quality and downstream engagement (e.g., first GIG completed) back to source; deliver weekly performance snapshots covering CPI, cost-per-first-action, and channel-level ROI
  • Establish channel benchmarks and make clear recommendations on where to concentrate ongoing budget

What We're Looking For
  • Hands-on experience running app install campaigns specifically — not just brand awareness or traffic, but actual app install objective optimization
  • Direct, in-platform experience across Apple Search Ads, Google Ads (including App Campaigns), Meta Ads Manager, and TikTok Ads Manager — ideally all, not just one or two
  • Experience setting up and managing affiliate programs — partner sourcing, tracking setup, commission structures, and performance management
  • Track record with mobile attribution via AppsFlyer or a comparable MMP — understands postback setup, event mapping, and reading downstream funnel data
  • Structured approach to creative testing — can design experiments, not just swap images randomly
  • Comfortable working with a startup budget — knows how to extract real signal from limited spend, not just experienced at large-scale campaign management
  • Can speak to specific CPI benchmarks they've hit and articulate which levers moved the needle
  • Self-directed and fast-moving — minimal ramp time, high ownership, week-one output
  • Clear communicator who can translate performance data into actionable recommendations for leadership

Bonus Points
  • Experience marketing to Gen Z or college-aged audiences (18–24)
  • Familiarity with the gig economy, creator economy, or early-career consumer apps
  • Experience running both iOS and Android install campaigns in parallel
  • Comfort briefing or producing UGC-style and short-form video creative
  • Two-sided marketplace experience

What We Offer 

  • Competitive annual base compensation
  • Equity Option Award Compensation 
  • Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
  • 401(k) Plan
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Laptop and WFH setup reimbursement
  • Hybrid office environment in Santa Monica


Paid Growth Specialist

Job description

Paid Growth Specialist

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