Associate Director, Retention

About Darkroom Darkroom is the leading next-generation growth marketing firm engineering the brands of tomorrow. Founded in 2017, we set out to redefine what a modern agency could be, by replacing the inertia of legacy advertising behemoths with a model built for speed, intelligence, and measurable impact. At our core, Darkroom is a human services company powered by Shadow, a universal AI commerce layer that integrates executive-level strategy with proprietary agentic technology. This fusion enables our teams to deliver outsized returns by enhancing creative output, operational efficiency, and revenue generation across every stage of the customer journey. Our track record speaks for itself: billions in attributable revenue driven across e-commerce marketplaces, media networks, DTC ecosystems, and social commerce platforms. Every engagement feeds into our proprietary data infrastructure, enabling a continuous feedback loop that accelerates growth, improves margins, and compounds results across our client portfolio. What began as a boutique design studio has evolved into one of the fastest-growing private companies in America (Inc. 5000) and among the most effective performance media agencies of the 2020s (Varos). Our founders were recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for advancing the intersection of technology, marketing, and advertising, cementing Darkroom's role as a defining player in the future of media innovation.

About the role
We are hiring a Senior Manager, Retention—a seasoned CRM strategist and operator who brings equal parts creativity, technical depth, and leadership maturity to the table. This is not a maintenance role; it requires strategic ownership, hands‑on execution, and a bias for measurable impact. You'll lead a team of lifecycle marketing experts to build sophisticated email, SMS, and loyalty programs that drive retention, increase LTV, and power sustained growth for a portfolio of fast‑scaling e‑commerce brands. This role demands sharp customer insight to turn data into strategy, comfort with complexity, and the ability to influence clients and internal stakeholders alike. You'll report to our Director of Retention and collaborate closely with Performance, Creative, and Strategy teams to deliver cohesive, cross‑channel campaigns rooted in data and customer psychology. Darkroom is a career accelerator for retention marketers who want to do the best work of their careers—operating at the intersection of personalization, loyalty, and performance‑driven innovation. This is a fully remote role supporting a team in the EST time zone and is open to candidates based in Portugal, Mexico, Brazil, and Spain. You Should Apply if this sounds like you: You're passionate about e-commerce and digital marketing. You're immersed in the world of direct‑to‑consumer growth marketing. We're looking for an expert Senior Manager, Retention to join our team In this role, you will join a growing team within the Retention Marketing Department to strategically develop customized CRM and retention marketing strategies that help our clients grow and scale through email and SMS, subscription, and loyalty programs. 7+ years of work experience in digital marketing. You're passionate about developing creative customer journeys that drive loyalty and lifetime value. Channel & Strategy Expertise You immerse yourself in scaling personalized D2C/e‑commerce email and SMS programs that build deep customer relationships for clients. You have experience working in Klaviyo (or a similar ESP) including list segmentation, lifecycle drip automations, and triggered events, plus working knowledge of Shopify and its tech stack (Octane AI, Okendo, Privy, Alia, Lifetimely). You develop SMS strategies that respect the channel, including segmentation, cadence, and compliance, with experience in platforms such as Attentive, PostScript, SMSBump, or Klaviyo. You design loyalty programs that meaningfully enhance LTV, from earn‑and‑burn mechanics to tier structure and program launch (Rivo, Smile.io, Yotpo). You think in subscription lifecycles and know how email and SMS drive sign‑ups, reduce cancellations, and win back lapsed subscribers, with experience in platforms such as Recharge, Stay.ai, Loop, or Skio. You're fluent in retention measurement, including cohort analysis, repeat purchase rate, and LTV:CAC, and you use it to prioritize where to invest next. Leadership & Team Development You're passionate about building teams, training them on best practices, and helping them grow into experts. You've had at least one direct report before, OR exceptional leadership skills working with cross‑functional teams. You're used to working in a fast‑paced environment and can project manage multiple tasks at once for yourself, your team, and your clients. How You Work You love making data‑driven decisions and excel at turning analytics into actionable email and SMS strategies that drive client revenue. You dedicate time to learning and being on th