CRM & Customer Engagement Director

Merlin Entertainments - Corporate; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment company in Greater London is seeking a CRM & Customer Engagement Director. This pivotal role involves defining the CRM strategy to enhance guest connections globally, utilizing data analytics and marketing automation. The ideal candidate will possess extensive CRM experience, proven success in driving growth, and strong leadership capabilities. Benefits include a competitive salary, pension, life assurance, and free admissions to attractions worldwide.

Benefits

Pension

Life Assurance

Discretionary company bonus

25 days holiday

Merlin Magic Pass

Discounts in retail shops and restaurants

Discount on LEGO

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in CRM, customer engagement or lifecycle marketing within a global organization.
• Proven success delivering commercial growth and customer retention through CRM strategies.
• Strong understanding of international data protection and privacy regulations.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the global CRM and customer engagement strategy.
• Own global CRM platforms and data ecosystems to ensure scalability.
• Partner with Digital & Technology for CRM enabling consumer propositions.
• Lead data management, segmentation, and personalization initiatives.
• Define lifecycle programs and campaign frameworks for engagement.

Skills

CRM Strategy

Customer Engagement

Data-Driven Marketing

Leadership

Cross-Channel Campaign Execution

Education

Degree in Marketing, Business or related field

Postgraduate qualification

Tools

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Job description

What you'll bring to the team

CRM & Customer Engagement Director

Location: LondonCareer Level: B1Division: Growth, Consumer PropositionReporting to: SVP Consumer Proposition

Bring Joy. Create Connections. Make Memories.

At Merlin Entertainments, our purpose is simple yet powerful: to create joy, build connections and make memories for millions of guests around the world. From LEGOLAND® Resorts and Madame Tussauds to SEA LIFE and beyond, we are on a mission to be the global leader in branded entertainment destinations and the greatest place to work and play.

We’re now seeking an exceptional CRM & Customer Engagement Director to lead our global CRM strategy and elevate how we connect with our guests across the entire Merlin portfolio.

The Role

As CRM & Customer Engagement Director, you will define and lead Merlin’s global customer relationship and engagement framework, championing first‑party data, CRM platforms and marketing automation to deliver personalised, connected and data‑driven guest experiences.

Reporting to the SVP Consumer Proposition, you will play a pivotal role in driving repeat visitation, strengthening guest relationships and delivering measurable commercial growth. You’ll set the global vision while empowering regional teams with the tools, standards and insights needed to deliver customer‑first marketing excellence.

Key Accountabilities

Global Strategy & Leadership

• Define and lead Merlin’s global CRM and customer engagement strategy across all brands and regions.
• Own global CRM platforms and data ecosystems (including Salesforce Marketing Cloud), ensuring scalability, capability and best‑practice adoption.
• Partner closely with Global Digital & Technology to ensure CRM is a core enabler of Merlin’s consumer propositions.
• Ensure global compliance with data protection and privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, APPI and others).

Customer Data & Technology Enablement

• Lead global data management, segmentation and personalisation initiatives across email, SMS, app and emerging channels.
• Drive consistent standards and frameworks while enabling local flexibility and innovation.

Campaign Strategy & Execution Excellence

• Define lifecycle programmes, automated journeys and campaign frameworks that drive conversion, repeat visits and cross‑brand engagement.
• Set the global vision for multi‑channel customer engagement aligned to commercial KPIs.
• Embed CRM at the heart of always‑on and campaign activity in partnership with GTM and Direct Channels teams.

Data, Insight & Performance Optimisation

• Partner with Global Insights & Analytics to develop segmentation models, predictive analytics and performance dashboards.
• Establish global reporting standards to measure CRM effectiveness, ROI and engagement health.
• Foster a test‑and‑learn culture, sharing insights and best‑practices to continuously raise CRM maturity.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead and inspire a global community of regional CRM teams, building capability, collaboration and innovation.
• Act as a senior CRM voice in global leadership forums, positioning CRM as a strategic driver of guest value, loyalty and growth.
• Partner closely with Membership & Loyalty, Marketing & Brand, GTM, Digital & Technology, Legal and Finance.

Qualifications & Experience

About You

You are a globally minded CRM leader with a passion for customer experience and data‑driven growth. You bring both strategic vision and hands‑on expertise and you thrive in complex, multi‑market environments.

You’ll bring:

• Extensive experience in CRM, customer engagement or lifecycle marketing within a global or multi‑market organisation.
• Proven success delivering commercial growth and customer retention through CRM strategy and execution.
• Strong leadership experience across cultures, regions and senior stakeholders.
• Deep knowledge of CRM and marketing automation platforms (Salesforce Marketing Cloud highly desirable).
• Strong understanding of international data protection and privacy regulations.
• Experience within entertainment, leisure, travel or consumer experience sectors (preferred).
• Degree in Marketing, Business or a related field; postgraduate qualification advantageous.

Leadership at Merlin

At Merlin, our leaders are:

• Soulfully Curious – open‑minded, inquisitive and eager to learn.
• Results Focused – accountable, outcome‑driven and resilient.
• Extraordinary Teammates – collaborative, generous and enterprise‑minded.
• Developers of People – committed to coaching, growth and nurturing talent.

Why Join Merlin?

This is a rare opportunity to shape how millions of guests around the world experience our brands — using data, technology and creativity to build deeper and more meaningful connections. You’ll operate at global scale, influence senior leadership and leave a lasting impact on one of the world’s most iconic entertainment businesses.

Benefits

We’re growing fast and alongside a fun and friendly environment, we offer a fabulous package and amazing prospects – ideal if you’re already fantastic and want to become even better (our magic can help here). Benefits include Pension, Life Assurance, discretionary company bonus, 25 days’ holiday and, of course, a Merlin Magic Pass which gives you and your friends and family free admission to all of our attractions worldwide, as well as 25% discount in our retail shops and restaurants and 40% discount on LEGO.

Pay Range

Competitive