Head of Marketing (Growth / Performance)

Role: Growth Marketing Manager Location: Hybrid office environment in Santa Monica About our client: Our client is a leading Gen Z career platform democratizing access to professional experience for the next generation. Backed by top venture capital investors, they've built a tech-enabled marketplace connecting over 100,000 students with paid opportunities at hundreds of well-known brands. 90% of college students graduate without professional experience, and they are solving this through flexible opportunities that provide both income and career-building skills while helping brands authentically engage Gen Z talent. Position Overview: They are seeking a Growth Marketing Manager to drive scalable acquisition and retention across both sides of their marketplace - student users and brand partners. This person will own full-funnel campaign execution spanning paid media, organic channels, and AI-powered growth tactics while optimizing for sustainable unit economics. This is a hands-on role for someone who thrives at the intersection of data-driven optimization and creative experimentation. The Growth Marketing Manager will work directly with leadership on growth strategy while personally executing campaigns across multiple channels and emerging AI-driven acquisition methods. Paid Media & Channel Optimization Own execution and optimization of paid campaigns across LinkedIn, Google Search/YouTube, Meta (Instagram), TikTok, and retargeting Rapidly test new creative, audiences, and placements to improve conversion efficiency Manage budget allocation across channels while maintaining target ROAS and LTV:CAC ratios Scale winning campaigns and pause underperforming initiatives with data-driven decisions AI-Driven Growth Innovation Leverage AI tools for campaign ideation, creative production, copywriting, targeting experiments, and automated reporting Experiment with AI as an acquisition channel through answer engine optimization (AEO) and conversational marketing Use predictive analytics and machine learning for audience segmentation and forecasting Stay ahead of AI marketing trends and implement tools before mainstream adoption Full-Funnel Campaign Execution Design and execute campaigns that move both students and brands from awareness through conversion and retention Collaborate with sales team to align B2B campaigns with pipeline goals and revenue targets Build and optimize student acquisition programs including referrals and ambassador initiatives Create and iterate nurture sequences to improve lead quality and reduce time-to-conversion Organic Growth & Experimentation Explore unconventional growth tactics across SEO/AEO, social media, partnerships, and product-led growth Test organic content strategies that drive authentic engagement without paid investment Identify and activate viral growth loops to reduce dependency on paid acquisition Partner with product team to implement growth mechanisms and optimize conversion flows Performance Analytics & Optimization Track and analyze key growth metrics: CAC, CPL, conversion rates, retention, and channel ROI Build dashboards and reporting systems for real-time insights Run systematic A/B tests across creative, landing pages, and messaging frameworks Develop cohort analyses and predictive models to forecast growth opportunities Qualifications: This role is for a data-driven, hands-on growth marketer who blends analytical rigor with creative experimentation. You'll own the performance engine that fuels marketplace expansion - with autonomy, urgency, and room to build. • You likely fit if you: Have 3-5 years of experience in growth or performance marketing with a track record of scaling acquisition or revenue. Bring hands-on expertise with LinkedIn Ads, Google Ads, and Meta Ads (managing $50K+/month budgets). Have B2B marketing experience (essential) and ideally exposure to consumer tech or marketplaces. Are fluent in analytics platforms like GA4, HubSpot, and ad dashboards; Thrive in startup environments with shifting priorities and limited resources. Prefer established playbooks and heavy structure. Expect to manage agencies more than execute. Avoid calculated risk-taking and experimentation. 100k-$130k Performance-based incentive structure Meaningful equity in a high-growth startup Health, dental, and vision insurance with comprehensive benefits Professional development budget for conferences, courses, and AI tools Hybrid flexibility with relocation support considered AI tool access with budget for cutting-edge platforms Interested? If you're reading this thinking "this is exactly me" , please DM me on LinkedIn!