Senior Director of Performance Marketing

Education First; Cambridge (MA); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match on contributions

Paid vacation and holidays

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Job summary

Education First is seeking a Senior Director of Performance Marketing to own and scale our largest growth channels—Paid Media, Ecommerce, and CRM. You will build an AI-enabled growth engine while defining how AI is embedded across marketing workflows, from insights to creative production to campaign execution.

You will forecast, plan, and allocate multi-million-dollar investments across channels, lead paid media across Meta, Google, and TikTok, and drive lifecycle marketing with CRM to improve

Qualifications

• 10+ years in performance or growth marketing with a track record of owning and scaling large budgets.
• 3+ years of experience managing high-performing digital marketing teams.
• Deep hands-on experience across paid social, paid search, and digital acquisition channels.
• Proven ability to develop and execute full-funnel marketing strategies beyond lower-funnel optimization.
• Hands-on experience applying AI to improve marketing execution, automate workflows, and scale output across functions (e.g., analysis, creative, CRM, experimentation).
• Very strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn complex data into clear recommendations.
• Experience building and leading high-performing teams in fast-paced, data-rich environments.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to influence across teams.

Responsibilities

• Own forecasting, planning, and allocation of multi-million-dollar growth investment across channels.
• Lead and scale paid media (Meta, Google, TikTok, and emerging platforms).
• Own onsite conversion strategy and roadmap in partnership with Ecommerce.
• Drive lifecycle marketing strategy across CRM, improving repeat rate and LTV.
• Partner with cross-teams to improve site performance, testing landing pages, flows, merchandising, and offers to maximize conversion.
• Establish the operating model across Paid, Ecommerce, and CRM to drive full-funnel performance.
• Use AI across Growth to improve decision making, insights generation, creative production, campaign execution, and performance optimization.
• Redesign workflows and tooling to increase speed and enable a high-output, test-and-learn culture.
• Define measurement and incrementality frameworks (experimentation, attribution, cohort analysis).
• Translate performance data into clear, actionable insights that inform strategy and cross-functional decision-making.
• Partner cross-functionally with Product, Creative, and Analytics to align on roadmap, conversion optimization, and execution.
• Build and execute a robust testing roadmap across creative, targeting, and platform optimization.
• Identify and scale new channels, betas, and growth opportunities.
• Lead a high-performing Growth organization, setting clear accountability, operating rhythms, and performance standards.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Analytics

Budget management

Cross-functional collaboration

AI in marketing

Forecasting

Campaign optimization

Lifecycle marketing

Team management

Data-driven decision making

Tools

Meta Ads

Google Ads

TikTok Ads

CRM tooling

Job description

Senior Director of Performance Marketing

• Full time
• Director
• Marketing

We’re looking for a performance marketing leader to own and scale our largest growth channels—Paid Media, Ecommerce, and CRM. This role is responsible for driving efficient, sustainable growth across the full funnel, from acquisition through lifecycle engagement.

A core mandate is building an AI-enabled growth engine—using AI to improve decision-making, accelerate execution, and increase team output. You will define how AI is embedded across marketing workflows, from insights to creative production to campaign execution.

The ideal candidate thrives in fast-paced, high-growth environments and can balance strategy with execution. You know how to balance strategy with hands‑on execution. You bring a strong point of view on offers, funnels, and creative, and you’re obsessed with hitting target KPIs.

You will:

Own forecasting, planning, and allocation of multi-million-dollar growth investment across channels

Lead and scale paid media (Meta, Google, TikTok, and emerging platforms), continually pushing new audiences, creative, and offers.

Own onsite conversion strategy and roadmap in partnership with Ecommerce optimizing end-to-end funnel performance

Drive lifecycle marketing strategy across CRM, improving repeat rate, LTV, and customer engagement

Partner with cross-teams to improve site performance, testing landing pages, flows, merchandising, and offers to maximize conversion

Establish the operating model across Paid, Ecommerce, and CRM to drive full-funnel performance

Use AI across Growth to improve & accelerate decision making, insights generation, creative production, campaign execution, and performance optimization

Redesign workflows and tooling to increase speed, reduce manual work, and enable a high-output, test-and-learn culture

Define measurement and incrementality frameworks (experimentation, attribution, cohort analysis) to guide investment decisions

Translate performance data into clear, actionable insights that inform strategy and cross-functional decision-making

Partner cross-functionally with Product, Creative, and Analytics to align on roadmap, conversion optimization, and execution

Build and execute a robust testing roadmap across creative, targeting, and platform optimization

Identify and scale new channels, betas, and growth opportunities

Lead a high-performing Growth organization, setting clear accountability, operating rhythms, and performance standards

You have:

10+ years of experience in performance or growth marketing, with a track record of owning and scaling large budgets

3+ years of experience managing high-performing digital marketing teams

Deep hands-on experience across paid social, paid search, and digital acquisition channels

Proven ability to develop and execute full-funnel marketing strategies, beyond lower-funnel optimization

Hands-on experience applying AI to improve marketing execution, automate workflows, and scale output across functions (e.g., analysis, creative, CRM, experimentation)

Very strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn complex data into clear recommendations

Experience building and leading high-performing teams in fast-paced, data-rich environments

Excellent communication skills and ability to influence across teams

Why you’ll love working here: Perks, Benefits, and more!

This is the most fun, high caliber place you’ll ever work. Ask any employee why they love EF (whether they’ve been here 10 minutes or 10 years) and they’ll probably tell you the same thing: it’s the people. When you work at EF, you join a purpose-driven, international and energetic community that thrives on continuous learning, fearless innovation and mutual support.In addition, you can expect:

• Commitment to professional growth: robust monthly calendar of trainings and workshops
• Four weeks paid vacation your first year, ten paid holidays, and two floating holidays
• Exciting business travel opportunities
• 25% company match on your 401(k) contributions
• Market-leading medical, dental and vision coverage, along with options for life and disability insurance, accident and hospital insurance, legal and pet insurance
• Dependent care, healthcare and commuter Flex Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Access to fertility care and family-building support
• Wellness benefits including a yearly fitness reimbursement
• Frequent social and learning events, including access to our employee-run resource groups
• Robust Employee Assistance Program
• Tenure-based sabbatical eligibility
• EF Product Discounts (discounts on travel, international language schools, Au Pair program and more)
• Discounts at local venues and businesses
• Amazing offices designed to match the caliber of the people who work there, plus the flexibility of working from home one day a week.

This role is posted at the Senior Director level with an anticipated compensation range of $175,000-$205,000 based on experience.

About Us

Some companies are in the business of banking. Others are in the business of shoes. Or sports. Or soft drinks. At EF, we're in a different kind of business. One that's a little less tangible, and a lot more important. Because our business, what we make, makes everything else possible. We're in the business of understanding. Between people. Between cultures.

For over half a century we’ve been the leader in international educational programs and experiences designed to foster such understanding. Through language, cultural exchange, academic studies, and educational travel, we create the kinds of immersive experiences that challenge biases, open minds, and pave the way for a more understanding world.

You’ll find our offices and schools located in some of the world’s greatest cities, and filled with smart, driven people (over 50,000 of us) who push each other to be better every day. But it’s what we do together - building greater understanding, breaking down barriers, and creating a better world - that makes all the difference.

Founded in 1965 in Sweden, EF (Education First) is a global association of education companies that share a common mission of opening the world through education. EF has been recognized on Forbes 2025 and 2024 World’s Best Employers and 2024 Top Companies for Women lists, Fast Company’s 2025 Next Big Things In Tech, and was a 2024 App Store Award winner in Cultural Impact.

About the Team

At EF Ultimate Break, we’re about way more than collecting passport stamps. Our guided tours empower young adults aged 18–35 to explore a world outside their comfort zones. Each immersive tour creates experiences that last a lifetime, building bonds with fellow travelers that go beyond borders and cultures, and help bring the world a little bit closer. WARNING: Working at Ultimate Break may inspire your own desire to experience the world, good news is- we’ll help with that!