Reports to: Director of Customer Marketing
About Us
The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party-political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.
The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.
Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over. We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.
In 2024 The Independent’s portfolio of brands increased through a new licencing partnership with BuzzFeed Inc. To operate the BuzzFeed brands in the UK - BuzzFeed UK, Tasty, Seasoned and HuffPost UK. The additional brands echo the existing business ethos and allow for increased audiences and a further strategic diversification of revenue streams.
Job Purpose
As the Head of Customer Retention, you will lead the strategy to maximise subscriber/member engagement, reduce churn and increase customer lifetime value. You will develop data-driven retention initiatives, audience centric customer lifecycle programmes which highlight the full range and value of our product offering, optimise the paying customer journey and enhance personalised experiences to ensure long-term loyalty and advocacy. Collaborating with editorial, brand marketing, product, audience, ecom, studios and commercial teams, you will drive sustainable growth while reinforcing the value of our journalism. You will be responsible for:
- Developing and implementing a customer retention strategy to reduce churn and increase engagement
- Analysing paying customer behaviour and churn drivers using insights to refine retention tactics and improve customer experience
- Optimising the paying customer lifecycle, from onboarding and engagement to renewal and win-back campaigns
- Leading CRM and marketing automation efforts using segmentation and personalisation to enhance retention
- Collaborating with product and UX teams to improve the paying customer experience
- Designing loyalty and rewards programmes that deepen reader relationships and reinforce brand value
- Testing and scaling retention strategies leveraging A/B testing, predictive analytics and behavioural insights
- Working cross-functionally with editorial, audience and content teams to align retention messaging with audience interests
- Owning retention KPIs, tracking performance and continuously refining tactics to improve renewal rates
- Managing a high-performing retention team fostering data-driven and customer-first culture.
Customer Marketing
The purpose of this team is to attract, engage and retain readers whilst driving customer revenue, increasing ad revenue and enhancing brand loyalty. They do this through the effective communication of the value of our brands content and products to individual consumers and convert casual readers into loyal customers by developing personalised customer experiences at scale which build deeper, longer lasting relationships in turn driving revenue for our business.
They collaborate holistically across the business to identify new initiatives that drive data collection which feed the insight loop, develop and amplify products and services which enhance our strategic growth pillars.
Their goal is to shape the future of customer engagement, leveraging data, creativity and innovation to build meaningful relationships with millions of readers worldwide.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone.
We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.
The Independent is an equal opportunities employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.
About You
A strategic Head of Customer Retention able to develop and execute strategies that maximise audience loyalty, increase customer lifetime value and drive engagement among both known and paying readers.
- Experienced retention, engagement and loyalty marketer with a background in digital publishing
- Track record of designing and optimising successful retention strategies which increase customer lifetime value and reduce churn
- A keen interest in the MarTech space and using data and technology to deliver personalised experiences at scale
- Excellent communication skills, including with C-level stakeholders (both internal and external).
- Self-motivated, highly organised and able to work to demanding deadlines.
- Evidenced experience in building strong, lasting relationships with platform providers, marketing agencies and key internal stakeholders.
- Known as a trusted expert, always acting in the interest of the business.
- Able to work autonomously while making informed decisions in consultation with key stakeholders.
- Proactive and intelligent approach to problem-solving in a fast-paced environment.
- A brand advocate, championing all of the Independent and BuzzFeed brands in the wider marketplace.
- Knowledge of global digital news consumption, business models, and competitor landscapes.
- A willingness to continuously improve, being adaptable and agile to align working methods with the needs of the business.
- Clear eye for detail, with strong time management, administration, and organisational skills.
- Efficient in meeting deadlines while maintaining high-quality execution
Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities - what is delivered
- Deliver against your monthly and quarterly revenue targets agreed with your line manager.
- Deliver key projects on time and to budget
- Develop and implement engagement strategies for known and paying readers to increase loyalty
- Design and execute churn reduction initiatives to maintain and grow the subscriber/member base
- Lead the CRM strategy to ensure targeted, personalised communications that foster engagement
- Oversee the production and strategy of newsletters, ensuring they drive engagement and retention
- Optimise member, subscriber and supporter journeys, including marketing touchpoints and benefit utilisation
- Develop strategies to prevent and respond to payment failures, minimising subscriber/member loss
- Collaborate with data, product and editorial teams to enhance user experiences based on insights
- Track key metrics related to retention, churn and engagement, presenting insights to senior stakeholders
- Manage and develop a high-performing retention team fostering best practices
- Advocate of department vision and strategy, raising the bar in data services delivered to internal stakeholders
- Provide timely, accurate information to C-Suite colleagues as and when required
- Identify skills gaps within the team and look to develop these in-line with headcount budget
- Marketing owner of the relationship with the CRM technology provider (currently Braze) including of volume forecasting and associated costs
Skills and Experience
- Proven experience in customer retention, engagement and lifecycle marketing, preferably within digital media or subscription services
- Proven track record of developing CRM strategies, marketing automation, churn reduction and customer segmentation
- Experience managing newsletters and optimising content for engagement
- Strong understanding of churn analytics, predictive modelling and retention marketing strategies
- Proven track record in turning data into actionable insights
- Proven ability to develop personalised, data-driven engagement campaigns
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
- Proficiency in marketing automation, audience segmentation, CRM tools (e.g Braze), on-site journey tools (e.g Piano) and performance analytics (Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics)
- Experience in people management and leadership
- Drive and determination to deliver against business goals
- A test-and-learn mindset, with experience in A/B testing and customer journey optimisation
- Experience and interest in emerging technologies such as AI and how these can be leveraged within our business to deliver efficiency, profitability and growth
- A deep understanding of global digital media consumption trends and marketing best practices with a keen interest in news and current affairs.
- Working in close partnership with other internal teams to optimise the customer experience and achieve desired outcomes: editorial, commercial, video, finance, product, audience.
- Familiarity with The Independent and BuzzFeed brands, websites and products on and off-platform is an advantage
Our Values – you will deliver across all our values.
Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.
Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.
Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.