Director, Subscriber Growth Strategy

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USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a sustainable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. Through our trusted brands, including the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations, including our network of local properties, in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom, we provide essential journalism, local content, and digital experiences to audiences and businesses. We deliver high-quality, trusted content with a commitment to balanced, unbiased journalism, where and when consumers want to engage. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, supports small and medium-sized businesses with innovative digital marketing products and solutions. USA TODAY Co. open roles are featured on various external job boards. When applying to a position at USA TODAY Co., you should be completing an application on USA TODAY Co. Careers via Dayforce. Job postings directing you to complete an application on other external sites may not be valid. If you are a California resident, you acknowledge that by applying for a job with us, this California Job Applicant Privacy Notice will apply to our collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information. To connect with us, visit www.usatodayco.com

The Director of Subscriber Growth Strategy is a senior strategic leader responsible for defining and advancing the enterprise approach to subscriber acquisition, conversion, and early lifecycle growth for the USA TODAY Co. portfolio of over 200 publications.

This role owns the strategic direction for how USA TODAY Co. converts audiences into long-term subscriber relationships, establishing priorities across paid and owned channels, conversion experiences, and lifecycle touchpoints. The Director is accountable for aligning near-term performance with long-term consumer revenue growth through a disciplined strategy spanning experimentation, personalization, and audience development.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Consumer Journeys, this leader partners across Product, Analytics, Brand, Activations, and other key functions to shape subscriber acquisition strategy, influence investment and prioritization decisions, and translate market, audience, and performance insights into strategic action.

Key Responsibilities:

Subscriber Acquisition Strategy and Performance

• Set the enterprise strategy and priorities for subscriber acquisition across paid channels, email, onsite, and app in support of growth and revenue objectives
• Translate business goals, market dynamics, and audience insights into strategic initiatives that strengthen conversion, acquisition efficiency, and long-term subscriber value
• Partner with Finance and Analytics to inform forecasting, investment priorities, and performance targets, ensuring resources are aligned to the highest-impact growth opportunities
• Own the strategic oversight of paid media investment, including ROI, CPA, and return on ad spend (ROAS), ensuring disciplined budget allocation and continuous optimization toward profitable growth

Conversion Optimization & Paywall Strategy

• Define the strategic approach to onsite conversion, including messaging frameworks, consumer journeys, and friction reduction across registration and subscription experiences
• Partner with Product to shape paywall and registration strategy, influencing testing priorities, offer architecture, and pathway design to improve conversion and long-term value

Lifecycle Growth & Personalization

• Establish lifecycle growth strategies that move audiences from anonymous to registered to paid, using segmentation, behavioral signals, and personalization to increase conversion and retention potential
• Guide the strategic use of Customer Data Platforms (CDP), messaging platforms, and automation capabilities to enable more relevant, scalable consumer experiences
• Identify opportunities to apply predictive modeling and AI to improve audience targeting, decision-making, and growth outcomes

Experimentation & Testing Leadership

• Establish the strategic experimentation framework for subscriber growth across acquisition channels, ensuring testing is aligned to key business questions and decision-making needs
• Set the testing agenda across creative, messaging, offers, and user experience, using insights to inform roadmap priorities and growth strategy

Team & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead and develop a team of Subscriber Growth Strategists, setting clear priorities and fostering a culture of accountability, strategic thinking, and continuous improvement
• Influence cross-functional partners across Product, Analytics, Brand, Activation, and Editorial to align on shared priorities and advance enterprise subscriber growth goals
• Communicate strategic direction, performance implications, and growth opportunities to senior leadership to support alignment, visibility, and decision-making

Qualifications:

• 10+ years in digital marketing, growth marketing, or subscriber acquisition, preferably within a subscription-based or digital media business
• 4+ years leading and developing high-performing teams
• Proven track record driving measurable growth through acquisition strategy, conversion optimization, and lifecycle marketing
• Deep understanding of performance marketing, funnel dynamics, and key subscription metrics (CVR, CPA, ROAS, LTV)
• Experience partnering with Product to influence conversion experiences, registration flows, or paywall strategy
• Strong analytical skills with fluency in data and experimentation; experience with tools such as Google Analytics, Looker, or Tableau
• Hands-on experience with marketing technology platforms (CDPs, ESPs, paid media, testing tools)
• Comfortable operating at both strategic and tactical levels in a fast-paced, matrixed organization

The annualized base salary for this role will range between $130,000 and $142,500.  Base compensation is reflective of many factors, including, but not limited to, the market in which one lives/works, individual education level, skills, certifications and experience. Note: variable compensation is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable.

USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a diverse workforce. As such, we will consider all qualified applicants for employment and do not discriminate in connection with employment decisions on the basis of an applicant or employee’s race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, citizenship status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, marital status, personal appearance (including height and weight), sexual orientation, family responsibilities, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), education, genetic characteristics or information, political affiliation, military or veteran status or other classifications protected by applicable federal, state and local laws in the jurisdictions where USA TODAY Co. employs employees. In addition, USA TODAY Co., Inc. will provide applicants who require a reasonable accommodation, as a result of an applicant’s disability or religion, to complete this employment application and/or any other process in connection with an individuals’ application for employment with USA TODAY Co., Inc. Applicants who require such accommodation should contact USA TODAY Co., Inc.’s Recruitment Department at . Applicants must be authorized to work in the applicable location. Applications from outside these regions will be removed from our system after submission.

Originally posted on Himalayas