Optimal (formerly Effective Spend)

Austin, Texas, USA
144 Total Employees
54 Local Employees
Year Founded: 2008

Benefits at Optimal (formerly Effective Spend)

Enjoy the freedom of open leave with paid time off, and celebrate life's milestones with paid leave for new parents. We've got you covered with comprehensive health insurance, including dental and vision plans, as well as a flexible spending plan to manage your healthcare expenses.

Need support beyond the workplace? Our Employee Assistance Program is here for you. Plan for your future with confidence through our 401K with company matching and alleviate the burden of student loans with our repayment program.

But that's not all. We invest in your development through professional growth opportunities and recognize your hard work through rewards and recognition programs.

In addition to our comprehensive benefits package, we offer an array of perks to enhance your work experience.

Indulge in fresh fruit, snacks, and premium coffee to fuel your day, with cold brew coffee and beer on tap for a refreshing break. Embrace alternative workspaces with standing desks and quiet phone booths for focused productivity.

Join in the fun with social sports like volleyball, kickball, and cornhole, fostering team camaraderie and a healthy lifestyle. Our calendar is filled with exciting team outings and company-wide events throughout the year, creating memorable experiences and strengthening connections.

Take a mental break with chess, foosball, and other games in the office, promoting balance and creativity. At our company, we're committed to supporting your well-being, personal growth, and enjoyment in every aspect of your work life.

Financial + Retirement

401(K)

Effective Spend provides both 401(K) and Roth IRA retirement plan options that offer premium funds and stocks for employees to choose from. Contributions are easily made through payroll direct deposit

401(K) matching

We match 100% of contributions up to 4% of an employee's gross annual pay. 401k contributions are seamlessly managed through payroll to make investing eas

Company equity

Profit sharing program for senior managers and leadership team.

Performance bonus

Effective Spend provides employees with an annual bonus that is determined based on three performance factors - individual contribution, client satisfaction and company performance.

Child Care + Parental Leave

Adoption Assistance

We extend our maternity and paternity leave benefits to employees that have adopted a child.

Family medical leave

We support our employees with extra paid time off and continued health benefits coverage during a Family Medical Leave in addition to following all FMLA guidelines.

Generous parental leave

Effective Spend offers paid maternity and paternity leave. Effective Spend also allows for a flexible schedule and return to work after parental leave.

Return-to-work program post parental leave

Office Perks

Commuter benefits

We provide our employees with free on-site parking.

Company-sponsored outings

Effective Spend 2 company-wide events per year - a winter "New Year" party and a Summer Fun party. In addition, our team Directors treat their teams to an off-site social outing each quarter.

Company-sponsored happy hours

Team directors plan team happy hours to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries or just because. We often have impromptu Friday happy hours that all are welcome to attend.

Onsite office parking

We provide our employees with free on-site parking.

Pet friendly

Bring your dog to work and take breaks out in our courtyard.

Recreational clubs

Effective Spend sponsors sports leagues for our employees to participate in year-round, including volleyball, kickball, soccer, cornhole, bowling, etc.

Relocation assistance

We provide moving stipends to new employees to help cover moving expenses.

Free snacks and drinks

Unlimited snacks: fresh fruit, nuts, trail mixes, granola bars, chips, crackers and more. Our beverage bar includes fresh-ground & cold brew coffee, loose leaf teas, sodas/sparkling water. Beer & wine

Some meals provided

Effective Spend gives all office-based employees a $5 daily stipend for lunch. We have also set up delivery programs with Lunchdrop and Door Dash.

Professional Development

Customized development tracks

Job training & conferences

We train entry-level employees from the ground up. We also send our employees the top industry conferences and also encourage them to research and suggest other training courses we pay for.

Online course subscriptions available

Paid industry certifications

We cover the cost of certifications that our employees use in their role.

Promote from within

Lunch and learns

Effective Spend facilitates a culture of Knowledge Philanthropy. One of the ways we do this is through ongoing trainings presented by Effective Spend employees throughout the year.

Continuing education available during work hours

Acme Co. allows employes to set aside %:param:1 of working hours for learning.

Personal development training

Health Insurance + Wellness

Dental insurance

Effective Spend pays 50% of insurance premiums for both employees and their dependents.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Health insurance

Effective Spend pays 50% of insurance premiums for both employees and their dependents.

Life insurance

Pet insurance

Team workouts

Team yoga classes have been offered virtually and on site.

Vision insurance

Effective Spend pays 50% of insurance premiums for both employees and their dependents.

Mental health benefits

Our medical insurance plans include mental health services.

Culture

Volunteer in local community

Our company organizes team volunteering days several times a year. We have volunteered with CTX Food Bank, Keep Austin Beautiful, Austin Animal Center, Urban Roots Farm and Bastrop Pig Rescue.

Flexible work schedule

Some folks are just early birds. Employees that like to get started early and get done early can shift their morning schedule to start at 7am.

Open door policy

Open office floor plan

Remote work program

We have fully remote work options available, as well as hybrid work options for those that enjoy a mix of in-office and at-home work.

Team based strategic planning

OKR operational model

Quarterly engagement surveys

Hybrid work model

In-person all-hands meetings

Employee awards

Diversity

Highly diverse management team

50% of Effective Spend's management team is made up of women. The company has maintained or exceeded this percentage throughout its entire 10+ years in business.

Mean gender pay gap below 10%

Hiring practices that promote diversity

We use applicant software in our recruiting process to ensure equal consideration for all candidates. Additionally, we partner with NEW Apprenticeship to help ensure a diverse pool of candidates.

Vacation + Time Off

Paid volunteer time

In addition to providing paid volunteer time off, we also help organize volunteering opportunities of our employees multiple times per year.

Paid holidays

Paid sick days

Unlimited vacation policy

Additional Perks + Benefits

We are proud to have been recognized on the Inc. 5000, Austin Fast 50, and as an Austin Business Journal Top 10 Best Places to Work. Our team members are passionate about becoming expert digital marketers. Optimal supports this passion by fostering a culture of learning. To begin with, our new hire training program is one of the best in our industry. We train new digital marketers from the ground up, starting with an intensive basic boot camp followed by several months of coaching in small groups. We provide ongoing training to our more senior employees by curating industry webinars, sending them to top conferences and providing continuous 1x1 coaching with skilled managers. Beyond training, however, we also promote a knowledge-sharing culture. Our employees don’t hold new information and ideas precious - they readily and willingly share with their teammates. We understand that the best knowledge sharing happens when employees know and enjoy their co-workers, so we’ve worked hard to make our company a place where people are excited to come to work every day and have plenty of opportunities to get to know each other through social activities in and out of the office.

Search the 5 jobs at Optimal (formerly Effective Spend)

Agency • Digital Media • eCommerce • Social Media • Business Intelligence
As a Digital Public Relations Strategist, you will manage PR and link building strategies, execute proactive pitching, create media lists, and establish relationships with media contacts to secure high-quality press coverage and backlinks for clients. You'll also write content, coordinate client requests, and assist with SEO reporting.
Agency • Digital Media • eCommerce • Social Media • Business Intelligence
The Associate Director of Paid Media will lead media strategy development, performance analysis, and client relationship management, ensuring alignment with client goals and KPIs. Responsibilities include budget ownership, delivering strategic presentations, and collaborating with internal and external teams to optimize media campaigns.
Agency • Digital Media • eCommerce • Social Media • Business Intelligence
As a Paid Media Strategist, you will develop and execute digital marketing strategies, create and manage multi-channel advertising campaigns, cultivate client relationships, optimize campaign performance, and conduct reporting and analysis using various analytics tools.