Senior Director, DTC Acquisition & Retention

Overview

At Maev, we believe dogs deserve a seat at the table. Or at the very least, nutrient-dense food that’s human-grade. 

That’s why we’re relentless in our pursuit of better, faster, and smarter. As the first and only Human-Grade Raw Food for Dogs, Maev has been rooted in innovation since day one. We’re a brand built on the belief that “good” is never enough. That “normal” or “traditional” doesn’t always mean “optimal.” And that it’s better to live in possibility. For us, “impossible” is just a limiting belief. 

We’re obsessed with radically improving the lives of dogs and dog parents everywhere. 

With over 90 million dogs in the US, strong industry CAGR, an increased focus on nutrition, and traditional kibble losing market share due to lack of brand loyalty and poor quality, Maev is incredibly well-positioned to combine these strong industry tailwinds with a brand anchored in quality, transparency, and emotional connection. 

As of 2023, Maev is the #1 fastest growing, most disruptive brand in the hyper-competitive category of Pet — and the 38th fastest growing private company in America.

Our team is made up of thought leaders, risk-takers, tastemakers, disruptors, creatives, critical thinkers, and, occasionally, dog people. We attract top tier talent from the most successful, differentiated, fastest growing, and most innovative brands and organizations in the world. We win awards, we’re ambitious, and we’re on the map. We built this thing from scratch. (And we’re just getting started.) 

Join us.

Role

Maev is seeking a strategic and analytically-minded leader to join our team as Senior Director, DTC Acquisition & Retention. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of driving significant eCommerce sales growth through expert management of paid media strategies, partnerships, analytics, and SEO. A passion for continuously improving results, growing efficiently, and identifying new opportunities is a must. This role requires a deeply data-driven, strategic thinker with demonstrated success in leading teams to achieve business objectives. 

As Senior Director, DTC Acquisition & Retention, you will own and develop the DTC channel roadmap, manage specific marketing channels hands-on, and lead a talented team of performance marketers to exceed expectations across other channels.

You will be responsible for creating, owning, and executing an eight-figure media budget, with a focus on growing brand awareness, increasing conversion efficiency, and building an optimal channel mix. Reporting directly to the SVP of Marketing, you will provide career development, performance evaluation, and mentorship to your direct reports. 

The Senior Director, DTC Acquisition & Retention will report to the SVP of Marketing. 

Responsibilities

Strategy & Planning:

• Develop and champion a holistic growth strategy
• Create and articulate a comprehensive acquisition strategy that aligns with overall revenue and consumer growth targets
• Prioritize sustainable and efficient growth, balancing short-term gains with long-term value
• Proactively identify and capitalize on emerging market trends and opportunities
• Define and manage the channel strategy & roadmap
• Establish a clear vision for the optimal channel mix, encompassing paid social, SEM, SEO, Lifecycle (email/SMS), Affiliate, CTV/OTT, and emerging platforms
• Develop and maintain a dynamic channel roadmap, prioritizing initiatives based on potential impact and resource allocation
• Drive continuous optimization and expansion of channel strategies to maximize performance
• Optimize investment and drive profitable customer acquisition
• Develop and implement a clear, data-driven strategy, focusing on scaling acquisition while achieving LTV/CAC and ROAS goals
• Conduct rigorous analysis of media performance to identify areas for optimization and improvement
• Refine and own a robust performance measurement framework
• Develop and maintain comprehensive reporting on actual, budgeted and forecasted spend and return projections (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually)
• Utilize data-driven insights to inform strategic decision-making and optimize campaign performance

Leadership:

• Lead Integrated Marketing Campaign Development
• Collaborate closely with the broader marketing team to develop and execute marketing campaigns that drive acquisition
• Ensure seamless integration of acquisition and retention strategies with overall marketing initiatives
• Optimize Creative & Content Development for Paid
• Own the briefing process for creative and content development, ensuring alignment with campaign objectives and target audience
• Work closely with the creative team to optimize ad performance and reinforce brand image
• Strategic Stakeholder Leadership
• Evaluate and make strategic decisions regarding insourcing vs. outsourcing marketing activities
• Manage relationships with external agencies, creators, and partners, ensuring alignment with business goals and performance expectations
• Negotiate contracts, and ensure that agencies are hitting agreed upon KPIs
• Foster strong internal partnerships with engineering, creative, finance and product teams to ensure alignment on growth objectives and seamless execution of growth initiatives
• Team Leadership & Development
• Lead and develop a best in class, high-performing team of digital marketers. Establish goals for functional team and direct reports
• Champion a culture of innovation and continuous improvement by encouraging experimentation with new growth tactics, technologies, and channels

Experience

• Proven Leadership in eCommerce Acquisition:
• 12+ years experience in driving eCommerce sales through demand generation, acquisition, or performance marketing
• 3+ years senior leadership in growth, e.g. Head of Acquisition, with experience in a fast-paced environment
• Deep Expertise in Performance Marketing Metrics and Optimization
• Expert-level understanding of key performance marketing metrics (CAC, ROAS, AOV, conversion rate, new vs. repeat customer rates, CPP, LTV) and their interrelationships
• Proven ability to analyze complex data sets, identify actionable insights and optimize campaigns to achieve target efficiency and profitability goals
• Experience with advanced attribution modeling and incrementality testing
• Strategy & Channel Management
• Comprehensive knowledge of inbound and outbound channels (Paid Social, SEM, SEO, Affiliate, CTV/OTT, email/SMS, content marketing, etc.) and their respective strengths and weaknesses
• Proven ability to create and implement multi-channel acquisition strategies that increase customer reach and engagement
• Experience in identifying and evaluating emerging marketing channels and technologies
• Data-Driven Analytical and Reporting Proficiency
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with a strong ability to translate data into actionable insights
• Advanced proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools (e.g. Google Analytics, Looker, Tableau)
• Experience developing and presenting clear, concise, and data-driven reports to senior leadership
• Team Leadership and Development
• Proven ability to build, lead, and mentor high-performing marketing teams.
• Experience in setting clear performance goals, providing constructive feedback, and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement
• Project Management and Collaboration
• Strong project management skills, including prioritization, deadlines, and delegation
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills