Performance Manager

About The Company

At Smartness, we are building the future of hospitality tech. Our SaaS helps lodging providers boost revenues by 30%+ and get more direct bookings. We are the fastest-growing B2B SaaS in the industry, trusted by 4,000+ clients across 40+ countries, with billions of euros in bookings processed. Backed by top international investors and named one of Italy's Top 10 LinkedIn Startups, we are on a mission to scale globally. Want to grow with us? Let's go

About The Role

We're looking for a Performance Manager to take ownership of our paid acquisition strategy, drive measurable business growth, and help Smartness scale across international markets. You'll join a lean, high-performing Marketing team of five people, where everyone takes ownership, moves fast, and contributes beyond their specific area of expertise. This isn't a role for someone who simply manages advertising campaigns. We're looking for someone who combines deep performance marketing expertise with a hands-on, entrepreneurial mindset, strong analytical skills, and a genuine passion for AI and experimentation. You'll manage a significant advertising budget of approximately €250,000 per month, with the goal of generating at least €400,000 in monthly ARR through paid acquisition.

Your Main Responsibilities Will Include

• Performance marketing strategy: define and execute paid acquisition strategies aligned with Smartness' business objectives, focusing on lead generation, customer acquisition, and revenue growth across multiple markets.
• Paid campaign management & optimization: take full ownership of campaigns across Google Ads, Meta Ads, and other relevant platforms, continuously optimizing performance, conversion rates, and acquisition costs.
• Budget ownership & ROI optimization: manage significant monthly advertising investments, making data-driven decisions to maximize efficiency, profitability, and return on investment.
• Creative strategy & production: own the entire creative production process, from identifying and coordinating external creators and partners in Italy and the DACH region to collaborating with internal stakeholders and ensuring high-quality, on-time delivery.
• Continuous creative testing: drive a fast-paced creative experimentation process, ensuring weekly content refreshes to prevent audience fatigue, test new approaches, and continuously improve campaign performance.
• Analytics, tracking & reporting: monitor key performance indicators, analyze campaign data, and turn insights into concrete actions. You'll use tools such as Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and HubSpot to evaluate performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• New acquisition channels & experimentation: proactively identify, propose, and test new acquisition strategies, channels, and approaches to accelerate growth.
• AI-powered initiatives & special projects: leverage AI tools, automation, and vibe coding to build solutions, improve processes, and take ownership of projects beyond traditional performance marketing, from identifying opportunities to execution and measurement.
• Cross-functional collaboration: work closely with Marketing, Sales, Customer Experience, and other teams to improve lead quality, conversion rates, customer acquisition, and overall business performance.

What are we looking for?

• Strong performance marketing experience: you have at least 7 years of relevant experience in performance marketing, with a proven track record of managing and scaling paid acquisition campaigns.
• Experience managing significant budgets: you've already managed advertising budgets of approximately €250,000 per month for a single client or business, and you know how to allocate resources effectively to maximize results.
• Deep expertise in paid advertising: you have advanced, hands-on knowledge of Google Ads, Meta Ads, and other relevant acquisition platforms, and you know how to continuously improve campaign performance.
• Data-driven thinking: you're highly analytical and comfortable working with KPIs, attribution, tracking, and reporting. You don't rely on assumptions: you test, measure, learn, and optimize.
• Creative mindset & execution: you understand that creative performance is a critical driver of paid acquisition. You know how to develop testing strategies, coordinate external creators, and ensure a constant flow of fresh, high-performing content.
• Established network of creative partners: you already have experience working with external creators, freelancers, or agencies, ideally with an existing network across the Italian and DACH markets.
• AI-native mindset: AI is already an integral part of how you work. You're comfortable using tools such a