Director of Customer Marketing

About us

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over.

We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

In 2024 The Independent’s portfolio of brands increased through a new licensing partnership with BuzzFeed Inc. to operate the BuzzFeed brands in the UK - BuzzFeed UK, Tasty, Seasoned and HuffPost UK. The additional brands echo the existing business ethos and allow for increased audiences and a further strategic diversification of revenue streams.

About You

An experienced and strategic Director of Customer Marketing able to lead the development and execution of customer-focused marketing strategies. Experienced in driving recurring reader revenues through innovative growth and retention initiatives, enhancing audience engagement and optimising customer journeys.

Leadership & Influence

• A visionary leader, capable of inspiring a high-performing team and fostering cross-functional collaboration.
• Gravitas and confidence, with the ability to influence upwards and across teams internally and externally.
• Known as a trusted expert, always acting in the interest of the business.

Strategic & Business Acumen

• A track record in building new customer revenue streams and designing strategies to overcome business challenges
• Ability to manage budgets, forecasting, and preparing management reports for board and executive leadership teams.
• Knowledge of global digital news consumption, business models, and competitor landscapes.
• International outlook with a keen interest in the US market and growth opportunities.

Decision-Making & Problem-Solving

• Able to work autonomously while making informed decisions in consultation with key stakeholders.
• Proactive and intelligent approach to problem-solving in a fast-paced environment.

Relationship-Building & Advocacy

• Evidenced experience in building strong, lasting relationships with both platform providers, marketing agencies and key internal stakeholders.
• A brand advocate, championing all of the Independent and BuzzFeed brands in the wider marketplace.
• Able to establish partnerships with new partners and stakeholders.

Operational Excellence & Execution

• Excellent data storyteller with the ability to develop this skill amongst others
• Clear eye for detail, with strong time management, administration, and organisational skills.

Efficient in meeting deadlines while maintaining high-quality execution

Job Purpose

As the Director of Customer Marketing, you will lead the strategy to acquire, engage and retain audiences across our publishing platforms and customer touchpoints. You will champion data-driven marketing, delivering personalised experiences that drive memberships/subscriptions, engagement and revenue growth. Working across editorial, product, audience, ecom, studios and commercial teams, you will ensure our customer marketing efforts maximise customer lifetime value while upholding the integrity of our journalism.

You will be responsible for developing and executing a global customer marketing strategy to drive audience acquisition, engagement, and retention across all brands. This includes leading full-funnel, multi-channel digital campaigns, optimising lifecycle marketing (CRM, email, push, in-platform), and owning revenue propositions and pricing strategies for memberships, subscriptions, and donations. Collaborates closely with editorial, product, and brand teams to align content with audience insights, while using data and analytics to refine targeting and improve performance. Oversees loyalty programs, tests paid and organic acquisition channels, and ensures brand consistency across communications. Leads a high-performing, customer-focused team, manages the department budget, and partners with key stakeholders to advance zero- and first-party data strategies.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Deliver against your monthly and quarterly revenue targets agreed with your line manager.
• Deliver key projects on time and to budget
• Develop and execute the Customer Marketing strategy, balancing growth, retention and engagement initiatives
• Develop and implement strategies to increase brand awareness, acquire new readers, enhance loyalty among existing paying customers and drive engagement from unknown audiences
• Oversee multi-channel campaign planning, execution and performance evaluation, ensuring alignment with broader business objectives
• Own the optimisation of recurring reader revenue streams, including memberships, subscriptions and donations
• Drive collaboration across product, data, editorial, commercial and brand marketing teams to align customer marketing efforts with the strategic vision
• Monitor and reporting on customer lifetime value, churn and engagement metrics, identifying areas and developing plans for improvement
• Champion the use of data and insights to informed decision-making and measure campaign effectiveness
• Lead, develop and mentor the Customer Growth Marketing and Retention & Engagement teams, setting targets and fostering a culture of creativity and innovation
• Represent customer marketing strategy to senior stakeholders, articulating plans insights and progress
• Advocate of department vision and strategy, raising the bar in data services delivered to internal stakeholders
• Provide timely, accurate information to C-Suite colleagues as and when required
• Identify skills gaps within the department and look to develop these in-line with headcount budget

Skills and Experience

• Visionary leadership with a passion for audience engagement, revenue growth and a drive and determination to deliver against business goals
• Extensive experience in senior customer marketing roles within digital media or subscription-driven environments
• Proven success in developing and executing growth and retention strategies and increasing customer lifetime value
• Proficiency in marketing automation, audience segmentation and performance analytics
• A test-and-learn mindset, with experience in A/B testing, customer journey optimisation and growth marketing
• Familiarity with CRM systems, on-site journey platforms and data-driven engagement strategies
• Strong analytical skills with a track record of leveraging data for strategic decision-making
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary marketing teams and managing cross-functional projects
• Exceptional stakeholder management, influencing senior leadership and external partners
• Excellent negotiation skills and experience in managing supplier budgets
• Experience and interest in emerging technologies such as AI and how these can be leveraging within our business to deliver efficiency, profitability and growth
• Proven experience in change management, taking colleagues on a journey, championing department and wider business vision and strategy
• A deep understanding of global digital media consumption trends and marketing best practices with a keen interest in news and current affairs.
• Working in close partnership with other internal teams to achieve desired outcomes: editorial, commercial, video, finance, technical, audience.
• Familiarity with The Independent and BuzzFeed brands, websites and products on and off-platform is an advantage

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone.

We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

Our values – you will deliver across all our values

Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.

Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.

Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.