Chief Subscription Officer

Slate; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 150,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Slate is seeking a C-level leader to drive subscription growth, focusing on user engagement strategies across text, audio, and games. Ideal candidates will establish long-term strategies for subscriptions and lead the subscription team towards meeting acquisition goals.

The role demands proven experience in consumer subscription businesses, a history of transformational change, and data fluency with analytics tools such as Amplitude. Collaboration with the editorial team is crucial for improving content strategies.

Qualifications

• Proven experience building and optimizing mid-funnel metrics at a subscription business.
• Track record of transformational change.
• Experience navigating a creative culture while meeting business needs.

Responsibilities

• Set the long-term strategy for subscriptions and growth.
• Lead the subscription team and identify capability gaps.
• Partner with the Editor in Chief to sharpen content strategy.
• Map user journeys from first contact to subscription.
• Expand paid promotion strategies for subscription growth.

Skills

Experience with consumer subscription businesses

Data fluency with modern analytics tools

Deep knowledge of email marketing and habit formation

Tools

Amplitude

Job description

About the Role

Slate is looking for a C‑level leader to drive company growth through subscriptions. While we have strong skills around conversion and retention, growth will require a leader who can chart full-funnel strategies for finding and engaging new audiences. That means working with our editorial team to broaden Slate’s appeal, establish new subscription products and update existing ones, and then bring those new readers and listeners through the funnel to paid subscriptions.

This position reports to the Chief Executive Officer, and will work closely with the Editor in Chief and Chief Financial Officer. It will directly oversee the subscription team, paid acquisition, and acquisition‑related metrics, and will work closely with editorial and product leadership.

Background

• Consumer subscription businesses (media, fitness, learning, gaming)
• Product/growth roles at companies with freemium-to-paid models
• Retention-focused roles at streaming or membership platforms

Ideal candidates will have demonstrated experience moving users from casual engagement to habitual usage before asking for money.

Responsibilities

• Set the long‑term strategy for subscriptions and subscription growth across text, audio, and games, thinking on a three‑to‑five‑year time horizon
• Lead the subscription team, identifying gaps and building capabilities around paid acquisition and other opportunities
• Partner with the Editor in Chief to sharpen content strategy in order to better drive subscription growth
• Map and measure the entire user journey from first touch to subscription
• Establish mid‑funnel metrics and teach the organization how to impact them
• Connect existing investment initiatives (video, games, newsletters, features) into a coherent growth strategy
• Expand paid promotion to scale acquisition, leading to subscription growth
• Improve retention by better understanding the causes of churn and how to combat them

Qualifications

• Proven experience building and optimizing mid‑funnel/habituation metrics at a subscription business
• Track record of transformational change
• Experience establishing shared goals with creative leadership
• Specific examples of moving users from casual to habitual usage
• Deep knowledge of email marketing, retention loops, and habit formation
• Data fluency with modern analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude)
• Experience navigating a creative culture with business needs

About Slate

Slate, founded in 1996, is a daily online magazine and podcast network that helped invent the voice of the web. Our strong editorial voice and witty take on current events & culture have been recognized with numerous awards, including the National Magazine Award for General Excellence Online. Our podcast network, established in 2005, produces more than 20 podcasts, including Slow Burn, What Next, Decoder Ring, ICYMI, and more.

Slate is an affiliate of the Graham Holdings Company (NYSE:GHC). GHC is a diversified holding company whose operations include educational services; home health and hospice care; television broadcasting, online, print, and local TV news; automotive dealerships; manufacturing; hospitality; and consumer internet companies.

Slate is an affiliate of Graham Holdings. Read the Graham Holdings Company California Worker Privacy Statement here.