The Breakdown:
The Retention Marketing Manager is an integral part of our Digital Marketing team. They drive customer retention, engagement, and loyalty for our DTC business with a primary focus on email marketing, SMS, CRM, and other customer lifecycle strategies, with an additional emphasis on supporting Burton’s loyalty program.
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in strategy, automation, segmentation, personalization, content, and data-driven campaign optimization while having a passion for authentic, engaging storytelling through email and SMS marketing. This role is responsible for developing and executing retention strategies that enhance customer lifetime value (LTV), reduce churn, and create meaningful, long-term customer connections. You will also work cross-functionally with your peers across the Digital Marketing team to drive lead generation and grow our customer email and SMS databases within your region.
This position ideally sits in our Burlington, Vermont HQ offices, however, we are open to considering strong remote candidates.
What You Get to Do:
- Develop and execute targeted email, SMS, and CRM campaigns to engage, retain, and reactivate customers.
- Own email automation workflows, including welcome series, abandoned cart flows, post-purchase sequences, re-engagement campaigns, and more as well as any category (i.e. Anon, Hardgoods, Softgoods) or product specific flows (e.g. StepOn or AK).
- Implement segmentation and personalization strategies to optimize performance.
- Analyze customer data to identify opportunities for lifecycle marketing improvements.
- Partner with creative teams to develop compelling content, messaging and design.
- Continuously test and optimize subject lines, content, send times, and audience segments.
- Leverage customer insights to build data-driven retention strategies.
- Work closely with analytics to measure performance, customer churn, repeat purchase rates, and LTV.
- Identify and implement strategies to increase retention and repeat purchase behavior.
- Collaborate with paid media and acquisition teams to ensure a seamless transition from new customer acquisition to retention efforts.
- Support the execution and optimization of Burton’s loyalty program to drive customer advocacy and repeat purchases as well as utilizing it to drive sales.
- Track and analyze campaign performance, using data to make recommendations for continuous improvement.
- Report on key KPIs, including open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, retention rates, and revenue.
- Leverage A/B testing and data insights to refine strategies and improve effectiveness.
What You'll Bring to The Team:
- 3-5+ years of experience in retention marketing, email/sms marketing, or general CRM for a DTC business.
- Experience with high-level strategy and execution—including customer segmentation, automation, and lifecycle marketing principles with a playbook for the types of segments and automation needed to drive revenue and engagement for a DTC business.
- Strong analytical mindset with experience in A/B testing, reporting, and data-driven decision-making.
- Familiarity with loyalty programs and customer engagement strategies.
- A passion for bringing compelling, engaging stories to life through email marketing.
- An understanding of email marketing best-practice for the purpose of driving open rate, click-through rate, conversion, and demand.
Core Capabilities That Would Help You Succeed in This Role:
- Proficiency in email/sms marketing platforms (e.g., Klaviyo, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Attentive, etc.).
- Knowledge of GDPR, CCPA, and other email compliance regulations.
- Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with creative, analytics, performance marketing, and paid media teams.
- Excellent project management skills, with the ability to execute and optimize multiple campaigns simultaneously and without error.
- Advanced communication skills that allow you to convey information clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing. In addition, the ability to proofread effectively to ensure email communications are error free is critical.
- Adjusts to changing priorities, new challenges, and evolving work environments.
- High level of attention to detail ensuring accuracy and thoroughness in work to maintain high-quality standards.
- Customer obsession and focus, understanding and optimizing with the customer at the heart of all decisions.
- Proactive and can complete tasks without constant supervision.
How Your Success Will Be Measured:
Success will be measured through key email, SMS, and loyalty marketing KPIs including but not limited to open rate, click-through rate, attributable revenue, list size/growth, and unsubscribe rates as well as any relevant KPIs or performance related to customer retention, loyalty, and marketing segmentation / automation.
Beyond performance metrics, success depends on overall success in the role day-to-day as well as collaboration. This includes aligning with e-commerce, the wider digital marketing team, and brand marketing. Regular performance reviews and stakeholder feedback will gauge effectiveness.
Travel:
- The position may require minimal travel.
Work/Physical Environment:
- Working Conditions
- This position is in a typical, stationary office setting. Over 80% of the day will be spent sitting in 1 location.
- Note if safety training, protocols, special gear needs to be utilized.
- Location: One of our offices around the globe (preferred) or remote
- Commitments
Want to stand out? Include a cover letter that's genuinely you. Tell us why Burton, why this role, and why you'd be a great addition to the team. We value authenticity over perfection.
