Director, Subscriber Growth Strategy

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 

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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.