Lead, Lifecycle Marketing

Upwork; United States; Remote; USD 81,000 - 116,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical coverage for you

Unlimited PTO

401(k) plan with matching

12 weeks of paid parental leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Upwork Inc. is seeking a Lifecycle Marketing Lead, Growth & Acquisition to own high-impact lifecycle programs that close the new-client acquisition gap through smarter demand capture and stronger engagement with SMB audiences.

You’ll lead outbound prospecting, content direction, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver measurable outcomes. This senior individual contributor role requires strategic thinking, data-driven decision making, and expertise with modern engagement platforms.

Qualifications

• Several years of lifecycle, CRM, or growth marketing experience with a track record of owning programs end to end and driving measurable business outcomes.
• Strong strategic judgment and structured thinking with ability to define problems and provide options with recommendations.
• Fluency with modern customer engagement platforms such as Braze, Iterable, or Customer.io, plus familiarity with a customer data platform such as HighTouch or similar tool.
• Strong storytelling and influence skills to present work confidently in cross-functional forums.
• Experience using AI tools to accelerate drafting, analysis, segmentation, or planning workflows with critical review for accuracy and brand quality.
• Bonus points for experience with in-product notifications and SMB-focused programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead the outbound prospecting pilot end to end, including sequencing, deliverability, vendor partnership, messaging, and scaling recommendations.
• Own and drive lifecycle marketing strategy across a portfolio of programs, set direction, metrics, and monitor performance.
• Set editorial and content direction across lifecycle initiatives, manage content calendar and partner with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Lifecycle marketing

CRM

Growth marketing

Outbound prospecting

AI tools

Storytelling

Tools

Braze

Iterable

Customer.io

HighTouch

Job description

Upwork Inc.’s (Nasdaq: UPWK) family of companies connects businesses with global, AI-enabled talent across every contingent work type including freelance, fractional, and payrolled. This portfolio includes the Upwork Marketplace, which connects businesses with on-demand access to highly skilled talent across the globe, and Lifted, which provides a purpose-built solution for enterprise organizations to source, contract, manage, and pay talent across the full spectrum of contingent work. From Fortune 100 enterprises to entrepreneurs, businesses rely on Upwork Inc. to find and hire expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive business transformation. With access to professionals spanning more than 10,000 skills across AI & machine learning, software development, sales & marketing, customer support, finance & accounting, and more, the Upwork family of companies enables businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and transform their workforces for the age of AI and beyond.

Since its founding, Upwork Inc. has facilitated more than $30 billion in total transactions and services as it fulfills its purpose to create opportunity in every era of work. Learn more about the Upwork Marketplace at Upwork.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X; and learn more about Lifted at Go-Lifted and follow on LinkedIn.

Lifecycle Marketing is a horizontal team that shapes how we engage clients and talent across the full journey, and this role sits in our demand-side acquisition lane. We’re hiring a Lifecycle Marketing Lead, Growth & Acquisition to own high-impact lifecycle programs that help close the new-client acquisition gap through smarter demand capture and stronger engagement with SMB audiences. You’ll lead key initiatives across outbound prospecting and always-on content, translate performance signals into clear recommendations, and help shape how lifecycle marketing contributes to Upwork’s 2026 priorities. This is a senior individual contributor role for someone who can independently drive outcomes, build alignment across functions, and advise leadership in a high-visibility area.

Responsibilities

• Lead the outbound prospecting pilot end to end, including sequencing, deliverability, vendor partnership, messaging direction, and a clear recommendation on whether and how to scale the motion.
• Own and drive lifecycle marketing strategy across a portfolio of programs, setting direction, defining success metrics, monitoring performance, and adjusting plans when results fall short.
• Set editorial and content direction across lifecycle marketing initiatives, including managing the ad hoc content calendar and supporting content marketing efforts in partnership with cross-functional teams.
• Translate program performance into clear, decision-ready narratives for leadership, surfacing insights, tradeoffs, and recommendations rather than simple status updates.
• Partner across product marketing, marketing technology, analytics, and creative to align priorities, remove blockers, and keep high-impact programs moving with clarity and momentum.
• Use data and AI-enabled tools thoughtfully to accelerate analysis, refine messaging, and improve campaign planning while maintaining sound judgment and quality standards.

What It Takes to Catch Our Eye

• Several years of lifecycle, CRM, or growth marketing experience with a track record of owning programs end to end and driving measurable business outcomes.
• Strong strategic judgment and structured thinking. You can take an ambiguous goal, define the problem and success criteria, and bring forward clear options with a recommendation.
• Fluency with modern customer engagement platforms such as Braze, Iterable, or Customer.io, plus familiarity with a customer data platform such as HighTouch or a similar tool.
• Strong storytelling and influence skills, with the ability to represent work confidently in cross-functional forums and build alignment without relying on formal authority.
• Experience using AI tools to accelerate drafting, analysis, segmentation, or planning workflows, paired with the judgment to review outputs critically and refine them for accuracy, relevance, and brand quality.
• Bonus points for experience with in-product notifications and for building programs that target SMB audiences.

Come change how the world works.

At Upwork, you’ll shape the future of work for a global, remote-first workforce, creating economic opportunities for professionals worldwide. While we have a physical office in Palo Alto, we currently hire full-time employees in 34 U.S. states, making it easier than ever to join our mission from wherever you call home.

Our culture is built on trust, risk-taking, customer focus, and excellence, all in service of our core mission: to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. We embrace authenticity and inclusion, encouraging everyone to bring their whole selves to work. Personal and professional growth is a priority here, supported through development programs, mentorship, and our Upwork Belonging Communities.

We’re proud to offer benefits that go beyond the basics, including

• comprehensive medical coverage for you and your family
• unlimited PTO
• a 401(k) plan with matching
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• an Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Visit our Life at Upwork page to learn more about our values, working principles, and the overall employee experience.

Ready to help shape the future of work? Check out our Careers page and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X to learn more about life at Upwork.

Upwork is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics under federal, state, or local law.

Please note that a criminal background check may be required once a conditional job offer is made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with applicable law, including the California Fair Chance Act and local Fair Chance ordinances. The Company is committed to conducting an individualized assessment and giving all individuals a fair opportunity to provide relevant information or context before making any final employment decision.

We use BrightHire, an AI-enabled tool, to record interviews and summarize interview transcripts. The tool allows the interviewer to focus on the discussion and does not score or evaluate candidates or make recommendations. The interview transcripts are reviewed, and decisions are only made by humans. Candidates who prefer not to have their interview recorded through BrightHire can opt out when the interview is scheduled.

The annual base salary range for this position is displayed below. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salary for this position, and individual base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Additionally, this position is eligible for the annual bonus plan or sales incentive plan and eligibility to participate in our long term equity incentive program.

Annual Base Compensation

$114,000—$164,000 CAD

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