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YouTube Growth Strategist

Rate, Chicago, IL, United States


We're looking for a YouTube Growth Strategist to build and scale Rate's presence on YouTube into a high-performing, revenue-driving channel. This role is accountable for the full YouTube ecosystem: long-form content, Shorts, live programming, and creator partnerships, with every piece of content ultimately designed to build brand equity and drive meaningful business outcomes — including app downloads, mortgage and Rate's broader product suite.

You will own the YouTube strategy end-to-end, partner cross-functionally with Paid Media, Creative Production, Brand Social, and LO Social, and present performance and strategic recommendations directly to leadership.

This is not a passive content role. You will own performance, shape strategy, and operate with a builder's mindset, creating systems and frameworks that make the channel run consistently, improve over time, and contribute directly to Rate's growth goals.

Responsibilities

Develop and own Rate's YouTube strategy, defining the role of the channel within the broader social and content ecosystem

Shift the channel from underutilized to a strategic, high-performing growth platform with a clear content roadmap

Define content pillars that span long-form storytelling, financial wellness education, mortgage and non-mortgage product education, brand moments, event recaps, and creator-led content

Ensure all content strategy ladders to business outcomes — specifically app downloads, mortgage lead generation, non-mortgage product awareness, brand awareness, and audience retention

Content Planning & Production

Build and manage a forward-looking content calendar that balances evergreen, Shorts, and timely content across both mortgage and non-mortgage product lines

Develop and execute a YouTube Shorts strategy to drive discoverability, grow a new audience segment, and promote app downloads

Create content experiences that educate consumers on Rate's mortgage products, non-mortgage offerings, and app features — turning YouTube into a genuine acquisition channel

Manage live programming on the YouTube channel, including coordinating creators and internal talent who go LIVE throughout the week

Partner with video producers, editors, and creative teams to develop strong concepts, briefs, and production pipelines

Ensure all content is on-brand, platform-appropriate, optimized for the algorithm, and delivered on schedule

Conduct keyword and topic research to identify high-impact content opportunities across mortgage, personal finance, and Rate's non-mortgage product categories

Optimize titles, thumbnails, descriptions, tags, chapters, and calls to action to improve discoverability, click-through rate, and conversion to app download or product inquiry

Stay current on YouTube algorithm changes, trends, Shorts dynamics, and platform best practices

Build repeatable optimization processes that can be applied consistently across all uploads

Performance & Reporting

Own channel performance metrics including subscribers, watch time, click-through rate, impressions, retention, app download attribution, and product conversion signals

Analyze performance data and translate insights into clear, actionable recommendations

Present regular performance reports and strategic recommendations to senior leadership, with a clear line of sight from content activity to revenue impact

Use data to make content decisions, not just report on them

Cross-Functional Partnership

Partner with Paid Media to ensure YouTube content supports paid amplification, campaign goals, and product-specific conversion objectives

Collaborate with LO Social and Brand Social teams to integrate Loan Officer content into the YouTube ecosystem in ways that drive mortgage product awareness and lead generation

Work closely with Product and Marketing teams to ensure YouTube is actively supporting app download campaigns and non-mortgage product launches

Work closely with the Creative Project Manager to align on production timelines, asset delivery, and shoot requirements

Partner with the broader Brand Social team to ensure YouTube is integrated into tentpole moments, campaigns, and key brand narratives

Requirements

5+ years of experience in YouTube channel strategy and growth, with direct ownership of a channel that has scaled to meaningful subscriber and watch time milestones

Proven track record of growing a YouTube channel with measurable, business-tied results — including demonstrated impact on product awareness, app downloads, or revenue-contributing conversions

Deep understanding of YouTube SEO, recommendation systems, audience retention strategies, and the Shorts algorithm

Experience developing and executing a YouTube Shorts strategy alongside a long-form content program

Hands‑on experience with YouTube Studio, analytics platforms, and performance data

Experience managing or coordinating creator partnerships, live programming, or influencer-driven content

Strong cross-functional collaboration skills: you know how to work across creative, paid, and production teams without losing momentum

Clear communication skills with the ability to brief creators, present to leadership, and align stakeholders around a strategy

Analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into strategic decisions and executive-ready reporting

Experience at a brand with significant video output preferred; agency‑only backgrounds will be considered with demonstrated channel ownership

Nice to Have

Experience in financial services, mortgage, real estate, or a regulated industry

Familiarity with YouTube monetization, membership features, or the broader YouTube Partner Program ecosystem

Experience driving app downloads or measurable product conversions — including non-mortgage financial products — through organic YouTube content

Background working with or alongside a paid media team to amplify organic content and support product-specific campaigns

What Success Looks Like
In your first 90 days, you will audit the existing Rate YouTube presence, define a clear growth strategy and content roadmap that accounts for both mortgage and non-mortgage products, build the foundational systems for a consistent publishing cadence, and present an initial performance baseline and opportunity assessment to leadership — including a clear framework for how YouTube will contribute to app downloads and revenue goals.

In your first year, you will have established Rate as a credible and growing presence on YouTube, with consistent Shorts output, a functioning live programming strategy, measurable growth in subscribers and watch time, demonstrated app download attribution from YouTube content, and a clear, documented connection between YouTube activity and business outcomes across Rate's full product portfolio.

Applications are accepted for the next 30 days.

The company offers a comprehensive benefits program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; critical care insurance; personal accidental insurance; commuter benefits; pet insurance; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program); and other supplemental benefits (e.g. legal planning assistance; identity theft protection; pet insurance; wellness resources).
To apply, please submit your resume and application via LinkedIn.

Please click to learn more about our benefit offerings for Washington State; https://www.rate.com/careers/open-positions/disclosures

Rate is an Equal Opportunity Employer that welcomes and encourages all applicants to apply regardless of age, race, sex, religion, color, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital or parental status, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy or other reason protected by law
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