TravelUp App
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) — Equity-based Role
TravelUp App, Los Angeles, California, United States
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) — Equity-based Role
Company:
TravelUp App (Travel Tech Startup)
Stage:
MVP / Beta
Location:
Remote (US market focus, preferably USA-based)
Commitment:
Flexible, phased workload
About TravelUp App TravelUp App is a first‑of‑its‑kind travel tech startup building a personal immersive travel guide. We enable travelers to experience countries like locals — safely, meaningfully, and without weeks of exhausting planning or expensive private tours. Our mobile app delivers expert‑curated, multi‑day itineraries with AM/PM scheduling, audio storytelling, maps, logistics, and safety guidance, combining the depth of a private tour with the freedom of independent travel.
We operate at the intersection of Travel, Content, Mobile, and AI. Our long‑term vision is to evolve TravelUp App into a fully autonomous AI travel agent powered by a verified, field‑tested knowledge base.
Market:
Global Travel Tech ($2T industry, $4B SOM)
Core market:
USA (founders active in UAE, global DNA)
Stage:
MVP built, beta launched
Ambition:
Build a category‑defining company and scale to unicorn status
The Role We are looking for a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) to join TravelUp App at an early stage as a key strategic leader and equity partner. This is a hands‑on, founder‑level role for someone who can both define strategy and execute personally, especially in the early months. You will own the entire marketing function end‑to‑end — from brand narrative and go‑to‑market to performance, partnerships, and future team building. You will work directly with the Founder & CEO and play a critical role in achieving PMF, scaling user acquisition, and preparing the company for rapid growth post‑fundraising.
Key Responsibilities
Development and execution of the global marketing strategy
Brand positioning, messaging, and strong narrative building for US and global audiences
Go‑to‑market strategy for product launches and new countries
Performance marketing & user acquisition (Meta, Google, experimentation with channels)
Influencer, creator, and strategic partnership strategy
Oversight of content marketing, PR, and creative direction
Market research, competitive intelligence, and customer insights
Optimization of acquisition, activation, and retention funnels
Establishing feedback loops between users, marketing, and product
Building, mentoring, and leading the future marketing team post‑fundraising
Workload & Format
Fully remote , flexible schedule
Phase 1 (Pre‑launch & campaigns):
Full‑time involvement for ~1–1.5 months (strategy refinement, setup, launch)
Phase 2 (Optimization & tracking):
~20–25 hours/week for 4–6 months, focus on campaigns optimization, funnel performance, analytics, experimentation, and tracking results across all marketing activities
Phase 3 (Post‑fundraising):
Return to full‑time, scaling marketing aggressively and hiring a small team
Initially you will work solo. After the first external funding round, you will build a lean, high‑performing marketing team.
Requirements
3+ years of experience, preferably in B2C marketing (travel, lifestyle, consumer apps – strong plus)
Deep understanding of paid and organic channels (social, search, content, partnerships, events)
Proven experience with Meta Ads and Google Ads (setup, optimization, scaling)
Strong practical knowledge of SEO and organic traffic growth
Experience working with or targeting the US market (physical presence in the US is a strong advantage)
Strategic mindset combined with hands‑on execution ability
Creative thinker with strong taste, storytelling, and brand intuition
Experience building or managing marketing teams
Financial ability and readiness to work without salary for 5–7 months for long‑term upside
Founder mentality: ability to roll up sleeves, test, iterate, and move fast in uncertainty
Strong communication skills and ability to work with product and tech teams
Bonus points:
Experience in early‑stage startups (pre‑seed / seed)
Background in travel tech, marketplaces, or subscription products
Experience preparing marketing foundations for VC fundraising
Compensation Before first external funding round
Equity only: up to 10% option pool
1‑year cliff, 3‑year vesting
Expected fundraising timeline: 5–7 months
After fundraising
Introduction of salary (initially modest, sustainability‑focused)
Step‑by‑step salary growth aligned with company traction and revenue
Long‑term upside through equity in a high‑growth global company
Why Join TravelUp App
Be a founding‑level leader, not “just” a hired CMO
Build a global consumer brand from the ground up
Work on a product with real emotional impact on millions of travelers
Operate in a massive, evergreen market with strong monetization potential
International, warm, and intellectually diverse team
Deep exposure to global cultures, markets, and travel ecosystems
Future incentives include corporate travel, offsites, and immersive team experiences
A real shot at building a unicorn‑level company — not a lifestyle startup
#J-18808-Ljbffr
TravelUp App (Travel Tech Startup)
Stage:
MVP / Beta
Location:
Remote (US market focus, preferably USA-based)
Commitment:
Flexible, phased workload
About TravelUp App TravelUp App is a first‑of‑its‑kind travel tech startup building a personal immersive travel guide. We enable travelers to experience countries like locals — safely, meaningfully, and without weeks of exhausting planning or expensive private tours. Our mobile app delivers expert‑curated, multi‑day itineraries with AM/PM scheduling, audio storytelling, maps, logistics, and safety guidance, combining the depth of a private tour with the freedom of independent travel.
We operate at the intersection of Travel, Content, Mobile, and AI. Our long‑term vision is to evolve TravelUp App into a fully autonomous AI travel agent powered by a verified, field‑tested knowledge base.
Market:
Global Travel Tech ($2T industry, $4B SOM)
Core market:
USA (founders active in UAE, global DNA)
Stage:
MVP built, beta launched
Ambition:
Build a category‑defining company and scale to unicorn status
The Role We are looking for a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) to join TravelUp App at an early stage as a key strategic leader and equity partner. This is a hands‑on, founder‑level role for someone who can both define strategy and execute personally, especially in the early months. You will own the entire marketing function end‑to‑end — from brand narrative and go‑to‑market to performance, partnerships, and future team building. You will work directly with the Founder & CEO and play a critical role in achieving PMF, scaling user acquisition, and preparing the company for rapid growth post‑fundraising.
Key Responsibilities
Development and execution of the global marketing strategy
Brand positioning, messaging, and strong narrative building for US and global audiences
Go‑to‑market strategy for product launches and new countries
Performance marketing & user acquisition (Meta, Google, experimentation with channels)
Influencer, creator, and strategic partnership strategy
Oversight of content marketing, PR, and creative direction
Market research, competitive intelligence, and customer insights
Optimization of acquisition, activation, and retention funnels
Establishing feedback loops between users, marketing, and product
Building, mentoring, and leading the future marketing team post‑fundraising
Workload & Format
Fully remote , flexible schedule
Phase 1 (Pre‑launch & campaigns):
Full‑time involvement for ~1–1.5 months (strategy refinement, setup, launch)
Phase 2 (Optimization & tracking):
~20–25 hours/week for 4–6 months, focus on campaigns optimization, funnel performance, analytics, experimentation, and tracking results across all marketing activities
Phase 3 (Post‑fundraising):
Return to full‑time, scaling marketing aggressively and hiring a small team
Initially you will work solo. After the first external funding round, you will build a lean, high‑performing marketing team.
Requirements
3+ years of experience, preferably in B2C marketing (travel, lifestyle, consumer apps – strong plus)
Deep understanding of paid and organic channels (social, search, content, partnerships, events)
Proven experience with Meta Ads and Google Ads (setup, optimization, scaling)
Strong practical knowledge of SEO and organic traffic growth
Experience working with or targeting the US market (physical presence in the US is a strong advantage)
Strategic mindset combined with hands‑on execution ability
Creative thinker with strong taste, storytelling, and brand intuition
Experience building or managing marketing teams
Financial ability and readiness to work without salary for 5–7 months for long‑term upside
Founder mentality: ability to roll up sleeves, test, iterate, and move fast in uncertainty
Strong communication skills and ability to work with product and tech teams
Bonus points:
Experience in early‑stage startups (pre‑seed / seed)
Background in travel tech, marketplaces, or subscription products
Experience preparing marketing foundations for VC fundraising
Compensation Before first external funding round
Equity only: up to 10% option pool
1‑year cliff, 3‑year vesting
Expected fundraising timeline: 5–7 months
After fundraising
Introduction of salary (initially modest, sustainability‑focused)
Step‑by‑step salary growth aligned with company traction and revenue
Long‑term upside through equity in a high‑growth global company
Why Join TravelUp App
Be a founding‑level leader, not “just” a hired CMO
Build a global consumer brand from the ground up
Work on a product with real emotional impact on millions of travelers
Operate in a massive, evergreen market with strong monetization potential
International, warm, and intellectually diverse team
Deep exposure to global cultures, markets, and travel ecosystems
Future incentives include corporate travel, offsites, and immersive team experiences
A real shot at building a unicorn‑level company — not a lifestyle startup
#J-18808-Ljbffr