Customer Lifecycle Marketing Practice Lead

Dentsu; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 236,000 - 331,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, and dental insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401k

Flexible paid time off

15 paid holidays per year

Paid sick and safe leave

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Dentsu seeks a CLM Practice Leader in the US to drive revenue growth across lifecycle marketing, loyalty, promotions, and first-party data/identity. This senior leader partners with strategy and solutions teams, shapes offers, and engages CMOs and VP-level buyers to win cross-practice opportunities.

Responsibilities include commercial ownership, pursuit leadership, and executive sponsorship of flagship CLM accounts, with a strong emphasis on data-driven CRM and paid media alignment.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in CRM, loyalty, lifecycle marketing, or marketing technology with leadership experience.
• Experience owning or co-owning a practice revenue target and growth responsibility.
• Direct loyalty strategy and program design experience, including ROI modeling and economics.
• Experience selling promotions, offer architecture, or gamified CRM at scale.
• Familiarity with lifecycle marketing platforms and first-party data strategy.

Responsibilities

• Own CLM practice growth, revenue, pipeline, and margins across four pillars.
• Define and align the CLM offer portfolio with market opportunities.
• Lead pursuit teams and cross-practice collaboration for CLM opportunities.
• Maintain executive relationships with CLM buying personas and drive reference development.

Skills

CRM

Loyalty marketing

Lifecycle marketing

Promotions design

First-party data

Identity strategy

Go-to-market

P&L ownership

Client leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Salesforce Loyalty

Talon.One

Punchh

Kognitiv

Braze

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Adobe Journey Optimizer

Iterable

Klaviyo

LiveRamp

AWS Clean Rooms

Job description

Job Description

Job Description: This is a remote/hybrid opportunity based in the US The Customer Lifecycle Marketing (CLM) Practice Lead, reporting to the President, Data-Driven Marketing, serves as the commercial owner and market-facing leader of Merkle's CLM practice. This leader operates as a mini-P&L owner across four interconnected capability areas: lifecycle marketing and email/CRM platform execution, loyalty strategy and technology, promotions and gamified experiences, and the first-party data and identity infrastructure that connects them. The role sits at the intersection of go-to-market strategy, offer development, and senior client leadership, and forms one leg of the practice's leadership team. This is a commercial leadership role, not a delivery management role. It requires the credibility to engage CMOs and VP-level buyers across the full spectrum, from loyalty program economics to first-party data strategy to paid media activation. Success is measured through practice revenue and pipeline growth, win rate, cross-practice attach, and the strength of Merkle's market position in loyalty, lifecycle marketing, and data-driven CRM. Description & Responsibilities: Practice Growth & Commercial Ownership Own commercial performance of the CLM practice, including revenue, pipeline, forecast accuracy, and margin contribution across all four capability pillars Develop and maintain the annual CLM growth plan, aligned to organizational go-to-market priorities and key vertical and platform opportunities Approve commercial scope, pricing, and deal economics on CLM-led pursuits, engaging senior sales leadership on larger or cross-practice opportunities Offer Development & Market Positioning Own the CLM offer portfolio across lifecycle marketing, loyalty, promotions, and first-party data/identity, in partnership with strategy and solutions teams Articulate Merkle's integrated CLM story to the market: how loyalty strategy, promotions design, journey orchestration, and paid media activation combine into a customer equity growth system Maintain external market positioning through analyst relationships, industry events, and published thought leadership on the convergence of loyalty, promotions, and paid media Partner with strategy teams to translate platform partner developments into updated offer packages, and represent the practice in partner co-sell conversations Pursuit Leadership & Commercial Execution Lead the CLM-specific pursuit motion across loyalty RFPs, lifecycle marketing retainers, promotions engagements, and first-party data strategy mandates Build pursuit teams that draw on the full CLM capability stack to ensure proposals reflect Merkle's integrated breadth Coordinate with demand generation and sales teams on origination specific to CLM buyer personas (e.g., VP CRM, VP Loyalty, VP Marketing Technology, Chief Digital Officer) Represent the practice at partner events, client advisory boards, and industry conferences as a named commercial voice on loyalty, lifecycle marketing, and data-driven CRM Senior Client Engagement & Cross-Practice Orchestration Maintain executive-level relationships with the CLM practice's primary buying personas across a portfolio of key accounts Serve as executive sponsor on flagship CLM accounts, supporting retention, expansion, and reference development Bring the CLM practice into integrated pursuits where loyalty, promotions, or first-party data activation is the commercial entry point for broader engagements Champion integrated storytelling that connects loyalty program performance to paid media efficiency and customer lifetime value Talent & Commercial Bench Development Identify and develop commercial talent within the CLM practice across all four capability pillars Build the next generation of pursuit-capable solutions leads with fluency in loyalty economics, promotions architecture, and first-party data strategy.

Qualifications

Qualifications: 12+ years of experience in CRM, loyalty, lifecycle marketing, or marketing technology, including a minimum of five years in a commercial, practice leadership, or client partnership role at a services firm Demonstrated track record of owning or co-owning a practice revenue target, pipeline number, or growth responsibility in a consulting, agency, or services environment Direct experience in loyalty strategy and program design (earn/burn, tiered, coalition, and experiential models), loyalty technology platform selection or implementation (e.g., Salesforce Loyalty, Talon.One, Punchh, or Kognitiv), and program economics including breakage and ROI modeling Experience designing or selling promotional strategy, offer architecture, or gamified CRM experiences at scale, including incrementality measurement and offer personalization Working knowledge of one or more lifecycle marketing/ESP platforms (Braze, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Adobe Journey Optimizer, Iterable, or Klaviyo) at the level of scope definition and program performance benchmarking Familiarity with first-party data strategy, identity resolution, and clean room use cases (e.g., LiveRamp, AWS Clean Rooms, Google ADH), and how CRM data activates into paid media channels Ability to articulate and sell the strategic connection between loyalty data, CRM audiences, and paid media efficiency to CMO and VP Media buyers; direct experience managing or co-selling this connection is strongly preferred Experience leading or materially contributing to competitive RFP responses for loyalty, CRM, or lifecycle marketing mandates, including commercial pricing, scope defense, and executive presentation A hunter orientation, with a proven ability to build pipeline across a full capability spectrum rather than manage within a single sub-domain, paired with the commercial rigor to read a P&L, build a pricing model, and defend deal economics Comfortable operating in CMO, SVP CRM, VP Loyalty, and VP MarTech conversations without a delivery lead or subject-matter specialist present Bachelor's Degree required; MBA or equivalent graduate degree preferred but not required if offset by a clear track record Willingness to travel based on client and business needs.

Additional Information

The annual base salary range for this position is $235,500 - $330,500.

Placement within the salary range is based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and other factors permitted by law.

Additionally, this position is eligible for discretionary incentive compensation.

Benefits available with this position include:

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• 401k
• Flexible paid time off
• At least 15 paid holidays per year
• Paid sick and safe leave
• Paid parental leave
• Dentsu also complies with applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, in accordance with its plans and policies.
• For further details regarding Dentsu benefits, please visit www.dentsubenefitsplus.com.

Location: New York - 150 E 42nd

Brand: Merkle

Time Type: Full time

Contract Type: Permanent

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Dentsu is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees. We do this without regard to race, color, national origin, sex , sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, political affiliation, religious practices and observances, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Dentsu is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to, among others, individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to search and apply for a career opportunity with us, please send an e-mail to [e-mail] by clicking on the link to let us know the nature of your accommodation request and your contact information. We are here to support you.

Company Culture

Merkle fosters a diverse environment that encourages original thinking about our business and empowers us to communicate with a global world of customers. We embrace differences of opinion and diversity of thought as they help us challenge and refine our solutions. Merkle, as a best-in-class marketing agency, welcomes big ideas, and believes they can come from anywhere.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

About dentsu

About dentsu For over 120 years, innovation has been a core tenet of our offering - exploring new ways to reach, engage and nurture relationships with audiences. Together we drive a multiplier effect for clients at a global scale, through the development of Integrated Growth Solutions that are underpinned by our promise to clients: innovating to impact. Be a force for good. Sustainability is a vital part of our business and an important area of focus for our clients. We're leading the way - helping to build a more sustainable planet. Dream loud. In this moment of transformation, we need our people to be fearless, embracing change and ambiguity, driven by the love for their work and excitement for the future. Team without limits. We create opportunities for connection and collaboration between our colleagues and clients, building a sense of belonging and having some fun along the way.