Senior Retention Marketing Manager at Darkroom

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 Matter, 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 immerse yourself in scaling personalized D2C/e-commerce email and SMS programs that build deep customer relationships for clients. - You can creatively message the value propositions of any brand’s product catalog to create email and SMS campaigns that customers find to be engaging, informative, and persuasive. - You’re passionate about developing creative customer journeys and loyalty programs that drive loyalty and lifetime value. - You have experience working in Klaviyo (or a similar ESP’s) including list segmentation, lifecycle drip automations, and triggered events. Additionally, you have knowledge of Shopify and their tech stack options such as Privy, JustUno, Yotpo, Octane AI etc. - You have developed SMS and loyalty programming strategies and have experience working with SMS platforms such as Attentive, PostScript, SMSBump, or Klaviyo. - 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. - You love making data driven decisions and excel at turning analytics into actionable SMS and email strategies that drive client revenue. - You dedicate time to learning and being on the cutting edge of trends and best practices in the world of DTC marketing. - You have experience developing and executing customer loyalty programs that enhance LTV. - You've had at least one direct report before and exceptional leadership skills working with cross-functional teams. - Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills, plus ability to clearly articulate and express complex and sometimes technical ideas to a wide variety of people and groups at any level. A DAY IN THE LIFE: - Serve as the senior point of contact for select clients, working to develop best-in-class retention strategies. On a weekly basis, you will meet with clients to discuss current and future initiatives. - Develop strategic campaign calendars and prioritize projects and initiatives designed to scale your clients’ email and SMS programs. - Provide support and guidance to help Retention Specialists analyze data, develop winning retention strategies and create reports for clients happiness. - Project manage and delegate client tasks to your team, consisting of both specialists and designers. Review all client briefs and designs for approval before they are sent to the client. - Coordinate cross-departmentally with the Performance Marketing and Strategy teams to develop cohesive and creative campaigns that drive client growth. - Assign segmentation and QA email and SMS campaigns ensuring flawless delivery to customer audiences. - Report on strategic KPIs for clients, creating insights and actionable recommendations to grow client retention engagement and revenue. - Execute on automation/flow logic set-up, pop-up builds, and app integrations. WORKING AT DARKROOM Darkroom is not a typical agency. We are looking for A players that want to build something great. There is no room in our organization for mediocrity and candidates that are not at the top of their game do not last. We move fast, think deeply, and expect every team member to bring insight and rigor to everything they touch. We hold a high bar for performance, creativity, and ownership — but we also support each other relentlessly. No egos, no red tape — just world-class talent building something remarkable. We believe in autonomy with accountability, truth over comfort, and outcomes over optics. If you want to build and win alongside some of the smartest people in the business, you’ll thrive here. - Location, location, (or no) location: Remote-first culture with a strong community base. While many roles remain fully remote, employees hired to work from our New York or Lisbon HQs (opening early 2026) are expected to adopt a hybrid working model, including weekly in-office appearances. Hub locations also include the Bay Area, Philly, São Paulo, and Barcelona. - Parental Leave: flexible parental leave benefits to support new parents during this important transition, ensuring time to bond with their families while maintaining work-life balance. - Endless opportunities for growth: Our agency is founded on an interdisciplinary approach, giving Darkroomers insights into services far beyond your job description. Grow your skills and interests beyond your niche and stay at the forefront of the industry through total immersion in cross-functional collaboration. Equal Opportunity Statement Darkroom is an equal opportunity workplace—we are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national orientation, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.