Retention Marketing Manager

Candidate Ltd; Greater Manchester; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Candidate Ltd in the United Kingdom is seeking a Retention Marketing Manager to own CRM, email, SMS and loyalty strategies end to end. You’ll shape retention for Europe as the business expands, craft journeys that feel personal and on-brand, and lead a hands-on growth mindset within a start-up culture.

You’ll work closely with the Director of Growth and cross-functional teams to optimise customer lifetime value and drive repeat purchases through data-driven segmentation, testing, and loyalty

Qualifications

• 3+ years in a CRM, lifecycle or retention marketing role, ideally with a D2C brand.
• Hands-on experience with email and SMS platforms (e.g. Klaviyo)
• Experience with analytics tools
• Data-driven mindset with strong analytical and segmentation skills
• Experience with A/B testing, personalisation, and loyalty or subscription programmes
• Strong project management and organisational skills

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end lifecycle, from welcome and onboarding through to repeat purchase, win-back and loyalty.
• Build and optimise automated email and SMS flows (welcome, abandoned cart and browse, post-purchase, replenishment and win-back).
• Develop a retention roadmap aligned to commercial priorities, seasonal moments and product launches.
• Own the email and SMS calendar, balancing commercial goals with brand tone and customer experience.
• Run a continuous testing programme across subject lines, send times, content and offers.
• Manage deliverability, list health and GDPR/PECR compliance.

Skills

CRM

Lifecycle marketing

Email marketing

SMS marketing

Data analytics

A/B testing

Segmentation

Project management

Tools

Klaviyo

Email platforms

Job description

Are you a data-led CRM and lifecycle marketer who loves turning first-time buyers into loyal, repeat customers?

The Role

We’re working with a fast-growing D2C brand to appoint a Retention Marketing Manager. Reporting to the Director of Growth, you’ll own the full customer lifecycle and lead CRM, email, SMS and loyalty strategy end to end, building journeys that feel personal, timely and on-brand. As the business expands into Europe, you’ll help shape retention strategy for new markets.

The business has a genuine start-up culture. Teams are small and collaborative, everyone is hands-on, and people are happy to flex across the wider business when it’s needed. You’ll set the retention strategy and direction, but you’ll also be in the platforms and the detail every day.

Key Responsibilities

CRM & Lifecycle Strategy

• Own the end-to-end lifecycle, from welcome and onboarding through to repeat purchase, win-back and loyalty
• Build and optimise automated email and SMS flows (welcome, abandoned cart and browse, post-purchase, replenishment and win-back)
• Develop a retention roadmap aligned to commercial priorities, seasonal moments and product launches

Email & SMS Marketing

• Own the email and SMS calendar, balancing commercial goals with brand tone and customer experience
• Run a continuous testing programme across subject lines, send times, content and offers
• Manage deliverability, list health and GDPR/PECR compliance

Segmentation & Personalisation

• Build a segmentation strategy based on purchase behaviour, engagement and value
• Personalise messaging, offers and product recommendations at scale
• Identify high-value and at-risk cohorts and build targeted interventions for each

Loyalty & Retention Programmes

• Design, launch and manage a loyalty and rewards programme
• Test new levers such as subscriptions, VIP tiers and referral schemes
• Use reviews, surveys and NPS data to find friction points and opportunities

Data, Reporting & Collaboration

• Build retention dashboards and report on repeat purchase rate, LTV, churn and retention revenue
• Work closely with e-commerce, performance marketing, creative and customer service teams
• Adapt lifecycle strategy to local markets as the business grows across Europe

About You

• 3+ years in a CRM, lifecycle or retention marketing role, ideally with a D2C brand
• Strong hands-on experience with email and SMS platforms (e.g. Klaviyo)
• Experience with analytics tools
• A data-driven mindset with strong analytical and segmentation skills
• Experience with A/B testing, personalisation, and loyalty or subscription programmes
• Strong project management and organisational skills

The Ideal Candidate

You’re a creative, analytical marketer with a start-up mentality who likes to think outside the box. You enjoy collaborating with a great team, you’re comfortable working across the wider business, and you’re motivated by seeing retention numbers move.