Senior Director, Customer Acquisition

About the Role:

We’re looking for a Director or Sr. Director of Customer Acquisition to lead Upgrade’s direct-to-consumer growth engine. This role will be responsible for scaling and optimizing acquisition across both paid marketing (SEM, Display, Meta, etc.) and strategic partnerships (affiliate, platform, and distribution partners). You’ll own the roadmap, budget, and performance for multiple customer acquisition channels, while also mentoring a growing team. The ideal candidate is both strategic and hands-on—with deep experience in performance marketing, a sharp analytical mindset, and the ability to creatively source and scale growth opportunities. This role will be based in our San Francisco or Delaware office in a hybrid capacity, 2-3 times per week.

What You’ll Do: 

• Lead Upgrade’s direct-to-consumer acquisition strategy, including paid media, affiliate/partner marketing, and new channel testing.
• Own the customer acquisition budget and channel mix, balancing ROI, scale, and efficiency across multiple channels.
• Build and manage a high-performing team, starting with two direct reports (and growing as needed).
• Optimize and scale core paid channels—including SEM, Display, and Paid Social (Meta)—in partnership with media agencies and internal teams.
• Develop and expand our strategic partnerships program, sourcing and negotiating new relationships that drive customer growth.
• Launch and test emerging channels and growth experiments, using data to validate hypotheses and inform investment decisions.
• Partner closely with Analytics, Product, Legal, Compliance, and Creative to ensure efficient execution and compliance across campaigns and partnerships.
• Develop frameworks for reporting, attribution, and performance analysis to guide decision-making and budget allocation.
• Stay ahead of industry trends and digital media innovation to keep Upgrade’s acquisition strategy fresh, effective, and competitive.

What We Look For:

• 8–12+ years of experience in performance marketing, partnerships, or customer acquisition, ideally in fintech, consumer finance, or a high-growth digital business.
• Deep expertise in paid channels (SEM, Display, Social, etc.) and/or affiliate and strategic partnerships.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-channel strategy, scale acquisition efforts, and deliver against growth targets.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, including comfort working in Excel, BI tools, and marketing attribution frameworks.
• Excellent communication and executive presence; able to influence stakeholders across marketing, product, compliance, and leadership.
• Experience managing and growing high-performing teams.
• A test-and-learn mindset and the ability to move quickly and decisively in a dynamic environment.

Nice to Have:

• Experience managing agency/vendor relationships
• Familiarity with tools like Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, Tableau, HEAP Analytics, etc.
• Experience marketing regulated financial products or working with compliance/legal teams
• MBA or advanced degree (not required)

What We Offer You: 

• Competitive salary and stock option plan
• 100% paid coverage of medical, dental and vision insurance 
• Flexible PTO
• Competitive 401(k) and RRSP program
• Opportunities for professional growth and development  
• Paid parental leave
• Health & wellness initiatives

The compensation range of this position in San Francisco, CA is USD $230,000-$265,000 annually plus equity and benefits. Within this range, an individual's base pay will be dependent on a variety of factors, including without limitation, job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.

#BI-Hybrid  #LI-Hybrid

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