Director, Acquisition (Growth Marketing for CNN)

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Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

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Your New Role

We are CNN. The world's most essential and engaging source of digital news. We are in the midst of rapid transformation and need our next generation of innovators, makers, and dreamers who will lead and drive our growth. We aim to make the world a better, more connected place.

CNN is looking for a Director of Acquisition that will lead strategy and execution of customer acquisition initiatives for our Digital Products & Services division within the Growth Marketing team. This role will report to the VP of Growth Marketing and work alongside a Director of Lifecycle Marketing, focusing on driving new subscriber growth through paid and organic channels. This role will be responsible for overseeing go-to-market positioning, optimizing campaign performance, maximizing return on spend (ROAS), and ensuring that acquisition efforts align with broader company goals. The Director will work with VP Growth Marketing to develop targeting metrics, audience measurement best practices and campaign goals.

The ideal candidate will have deep experience in performance marketing, data analysis, and cross-channel strategies.

Your Role Accountabilities

• Acquisition Strategies: Develop and execute a comprehensive customer acquisition strategy across organic and referred channels (e.g. SEM, programmatic, partnerships, SEO). Partner deeply with centralized media buying to deploy paid strategies and maximize returns.

• Campaign Management: Lead the day-to-day management and optimization of acquisition campaigns, ensuring budget allocation and continuous improvement in cost per acquisition (CPA) metrics.

• Goal Setting: Work with Growth Marketing leadership to establish KPIs, and acquisition and conversion goals. Track team progress and report updates, elevating challenges and risks to VP when necessary.

• Channel Management: Ensure owned channels are delivering against subscription goals.

• Channel Expansion: Identify and explore new growth channels including emerging platforms and technologies to drive incremental subscriber growth.

• Collaboration with Creative & Brand: Closely collaborate with creative and brand teams on campaign development to ensure that campaign assets are in line with Growth goals and are delivered on time and on budget.

• Data & Analytics: Continuously analyze and report on campaign performance data, identifying trends to provide actionable insights that inform ongoing optimization. Utilize A/B testing, segmentation, and attribution models to refine strategies.

• Forecasting: Spearhead monthly subscription forecasting in conjunction with Finance, Data Analytics, Product and the wider team.

• Budget Management: Manage assigned budget ensuring efficient use of funds, achieving desired customer acquisition costs (CAC), and maximizing overall marketing ROI.

• Conversion Rate Optimization: Collaborate with product, creative, and design teams to optimize landing pages, funnels, and user experience to increase conversion rates.

• Media Strategy: Develop the media strategy, test aggressively and scale initiatives to drive awareness, consideration and conversion for CNN DP&S.

• Affiliate management: Manage any affiliate or in-kind inventory to leverage partnerships where possible.

• Cross-functional Collaboration : Partner closely across the Growth Marketing, DP&S, and broader Warner Bros. Discovery teams as necessary to ensure alignment, buy-in, and execution excellence. Partner closely with Director of Lifecycle Management, Creative Marketing and Brand Marketing, Product, and others to align acquisition initiatives with product roadmaps, customer feedback, engagement metrics, and creative collateral. Serve as a thought leader for acquisition and growth marketing.

• Build & Manage Team: Build and manage a small team of performance marketers that are passionate about marketing from a customer-centric approach.

Qualifications & Experience

• Experience: 7+ years of experience in digital acquisition or performance marketing, ideally within a subscription-based business or model. Experience within a news environment a plus.

• Performance Marketing: Strong track record in paid media (Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager), analytics tools, and A/B testing. Experience with direct oversite of web, paid search, programmatic, display, retargeting, paid social, email and funnel optimization.

• Results-oriented: Track record of growing marketing investment on a measurable basis (CPA, ROI, etc.) at scale

• Data-driven: Ability to use data to inform decisions with experience analyzing customer journeys, using attribution models, and optimizing acquisition funnels.

• Cross-functional Skills: Comfortable working in a matrixed environment and partner collaboratively across functional skillsets in order to execute plans and manage resources.

• Project Management: Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks, maintain a detail-oriented approach and consistently meet deadlines in a cross-functional work environment

• Team Management: 3+ years of leading a team. Ability to hire, train and lead a team of marketers, providing growth and mentorship

• Strategic Thinker: Ability to think long-term while executing on short-term acquisition goals and optimizations. Ability to anticipate media consumption trends and growth opportunities.

• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with previous experience being responsible for reporting out to leadership on results or initiatives.

• Collaboration: Excellent interpersonal skills with a high level of emotional intelligence, including the ability to collaborate between diverse teams and individuals

• Problem Solving: Excellent planning and problem solving, with the ability to evaluate and resolve challenges.

• Customer-Focus: Deep understanding of customer acquisition funnels, user behavior, and subscription models with a passion for consumers.

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of our society and the world around us. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page (https://careers.wbd.com/global/en/accessibility) for instructions to submit your request.

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and/or performance. Base pay is just one component of Warner Bros. Discovery’s total compensation package for employees. Pay Range: $110,320.00 - $204,880.00 salary per year. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and sick time and vacation.