Director, Lifecycle Marketing – CRM

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Arizona, +16 more states.

📋 Description

• Take ownership of the comprehensive email and SMS calendar for all business units — including cadence, segmentation, deliverability, and sending discipline — while balancing the competing demands of various channels and stakeholders.

• Collaborate with Brand and Creative teams to develop a library of modular, brand-centric templates adaptable for different campaign types, business lines, and audience contexts.

• Spearhead personalization strategies: implement dynamic content, audience-specific versioning, and AI-driven content recommendations as standard practices.

• Manage key performance indicators (KPIs) — such as revenue per send, repeat purchase rate, customer lifetime value (LTV) by segment, list growth, and reactivation rate — and present these insights to leadership with a clear performance narrative.

• Design, scale, and optimize the entire automation architecture — including post-purchase, lifecycle, Culinary booking, loyalty, and reactivation programs — with a focus on driving substantial revenue growth through automated campaigns.

• Assess and adopt top-tier CRM technologies. Oversee the vendor roadmap, construct the business case for changes, and execute transitions with precision. AI capabilities and API/integration depth are crucial evaluation criteria.

• Advocate for AI-first methodologies: utilize platform integrations and MCP connections to automate insights generation, and collaborate with internal technology teams to create custom tools that enhance the CRM function's capabilities.

• Manage the Customer Data Platform (CDP) and predictive intelligence platforms as strategic assets — facilitating cross-channel segmentation, LTV modeling, and touchpoint orchestration across all business units.

• Establish a customer health reporting cadence — including list trends, engagement quality, repeat purchase rates, cross-business-unit buyer rates, LTV cohorts, new customer acquisition, and reactivation performance — and ensure it is visible and actionable for leadership.

• Oversee and advance the Sur La Table Perks program — including its structure, benefits, offer architecture, and program economics — with a roadmap aimed at transforming loyalty into a meaningful relationship platform.

• Leverage customer intelligence to identify factors driving frequency, average order value (AOV), and cross-business-unit engagement among top customers. Present customer growth as a regular leadership metric with a clear narrative on trajectory.

• Act as the CRM representative in cross-functional planning across all business units — including go-to-market strategy, promotional calendars, Culinary programming, and campaign briefings — contributing upstream rather than executing downstream.

• Gain an understanding of how each business unit operates commercially — including Hardgoods sell-through dynamics, Culinary class fill rates, in-store traffic, and loyalty economics — and develop CRM strategies that accurately reflect these realities.

• Collaborate with Performance Marketing, Brand, and Merchandising to ensure that CRM proactively contributes to major campaigns and commercial objectives.

• Lead and nurture a dedicated CRM team. Establish a proactive development process — setting growth goals, providing stretch opportunities, and facilitating open discussions regarding development trajectories.

• Manage vendor relationships throughout the CRM stack. Hold partners accountable to clear performance standards and expectations for continuous improvement.

• Oversee the complete financial landscape for CRM — including budget management, sales forecasting, and P&L accountability across Email, SMS, Loyalty, and lifecycle automation. Set revenue targets by channel, monitor performance against forecasts, and report financial results to leadership.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in CRM and lifecycle marketing, with a proven track record of managing comprehensive programs across multiple channels, campaigns, and business units.

• Demonstrated omni-channel expertise: understanding customer transitions between eCommerce, physical retail, and service/experiential business lines, and building strategies that reflect this journey.

• Experience managing multiple business units simultaneously — balancing competing priorities, overseeing a complex send calendar, and maintaining program discipline among stakeholders with varying commercial goals.

• In-depth platform knowledge of a modern CRM stack: CEP/ESP (Braze or equivalent), CDP, predictive intelligence tools, SMS, and loyalty infrastructure. Practical familiarity with AI integrations and API-driven workflows.

• Strong creative sensibility — collaborating with design teams to create brand-rich, high-performing email and SMS content for various campaign types and audience contexts.

• Excellent analytical skills — translating LTV, retention, and engagement data into compelling business cases that resonate with both commercial and finance stakeholders.

• Cross-functional credibility — confidently asserting a perspective, advocating for customer relationships when business demands focus on volume, and maintaining a strong stance on channel discipline.

• A background in retail or omni-channel environments is required.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive Benefits (US): Paid time off policies

• 401(k) match

• Medical, dental, vision, and various supplemental policies

• Employee discounts across our portfolio of brands

• Competitive Benefits (Canada): Paid time off policies

• RRSP match

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage

• A variety of supplemental benefit options

• Employee discounts across our portfolio of brands