Head of Growth Marketing

Head of Growth MarketingLocation: Remote / Chicago, ILReports To: CEODepartment: Sales & MarketingAbout HoundsyAt Houndsy, were reimagining the dog feeding experience to be more convenient, consistent, and beautiful. Were on an ambitious growth trajectory in 2026 and beyond, with a longer-term vision to build a smart feeder ecosystem that redefines how people care for their pets. Were a lean, founder-led team that moves fast, thinks big, and holds each other accountable.The RoleWere looking for a Head of Growth Marketing to own and scale Houndsys customer acquisition engine, improve conversion, increase customer lifetime value, and build the brand that fuels all of it. This is a senior leadership hireyoull report directly to the CEO and take full P&L ownership of the growth marketing function, managing a team of seven specialists across paid media, organic social, email/SMS, influencer, outbound sales, and PR.Houndsy is a premium pet brand, and that standard extends to everything we put in front of customers. We expect high-quality advertising, thoughtful creative, and a customer-centric mindset at every touchpoint. Youll partner closely with the Product Manager, Head of CX, and Fractional CFO to ensure Houndsys growth is profitable, diversified across channels, and resilientnot dependent on any single platform.This role is ideal for someone whos operated at scale in D2C eCommerce, thrives on data, and can move fluidly between strategy and execution. You should be as comfortable digging into an ad account as you are presenting a quarterly growth plan to the leadership team.ObjectivesFull P&L ownership of the growth marketing budget, with clear revenue and ROAS accountability tied to Houndsys 2026 revenue plan.Lead paid media strategy and execution across paid search & socialManage channel-tier performance targets: hold scaled channels (Meta, Google) to internal ROAS benchmarks while applying separate CAC and payback-period benchmarks for emerging channels that reflect their maturity curve.Own the marketing data stackattribution, reporting dashboards, and testing frameworksso the team can make fast, confident decisions. Conduct weekly attribution reviews to catch spend drift early.Channel Diversification & AcquisitionSystematically reduce Meta dependence by building durable non-Meta acquisition channels, targeting 2530% of new customers from non-Meta sources by EOY 2026, scaling toward 50% over 24 months.Build and manage a structured test calendar, allocating 1025% of paid budget to non-Meta experiments with clear success criteria and kill timelines.Launch and scale a creator/affiliate program with defined economics and performance targets.Oversee the influencer program, aligning partnerships with brand positioning and measurable acquisition goals.Build and support durable, lower-CAC channels: SEO/content, brand PR, and organic social.Manage outbound sales to drive B2B, partnership, and wholesale revenue opportunities.Conversion Rate Optimization & Site PerformanceStand up Houndsys CRO program from scratch: select and implement testing tooling, define a prioritization framework, and build toward a cadence of 24 meaningful tests per month as traffic supports statistical significance.Coordinate with the web design and development partner on test implementation, landing page optimization, and site performance.Develop and iterate on bundle strategy, upsell/cross-sell at cart, and PDP optimization to increase AOV and profit per visitor.Optimize shipping fee strategy in partnership with the Fractional CFO, experimenting with free shipping thresholds based on margin analysis and demand curve modeling.Retention, Email/SMS & Lifetime ValueGrowth owns the retention marketing engine. Product owns the products and services that create recurring value.Own the email and SMS programautomated lifecycle flows, campaigns, segmentation, and deliverabilitywith clear revenue attribution.Build and manage loyalty, referral, and win-back programs that drive measurable repeat purchase rate improvement.Collaborate with the Head of CX on save offers, proactive outreach to high-value customers, and CX-driven referral loops.Partner with the Product Manager to ensure marketing support is in place for new product launches, bundles, and accessories that drive LTV.Brand Health & AwarenessOwn Houndsys brand presence across all marketing-managed channelsorganic social content production, influencer, PR, and contentensuring cohesive positioning as a premium, design-driven pet brand.Track brand health indicators: branded search volume growth, social share of voice, and engagement rates as leading indicators of acquisition efficiency.Coordinate messaging and visual identity across paid and organic touchpoints in partnership with the CEOs brand storytelling efforts.Cross-Functional CollaborationPartner with the Fractional CFO to align spend to margin targets, conduct unit economics reviews by channel, and eliminate unprofitable spend.Work with the Product Manager on pricing strategy, launch timing, and bundling decisions that balance margin improvement with demand impact.Collaborate with the Head of CX to leverage customer sentiment, ad resonance feedback, and support-driven insights for campaign optimization.Partner closely with the CEO on brand storytelling, positioning, and investor narratives, and with the COO/CPO on product launches including the smart feeder roadmap.Team & Direct ReportsYou will lead, mentor, and develop a cross-functional growth marketing team:Paid Search ManagerPaid Social Ads ManagerPaid Media Strategist Organic Social Media Manager Email Marketing ManagerOutbound Sales Influencer ManagerYou will also coordinate with contractors and agency partners for PR, Web Design & Development, Blog/SEO and Brand IP Protection.Success MetricsPrimary (you are directly accountable):Revenue vs. Plan: Marketings contribution to the 2026 revenue target, tracked monthly.Marketing Efficiency: % of marketing to net sales on or below target; high blended ROAS on scaled channels, with channel-appropriate benchmarks on emerging channels.Channel Diversification: 2530% of new customers from non-Meta channels by EOY 2026.Profit Per Visitor: Increasing trend, driven by CRO and AOV improvements.Retention Marketing Revenue: Measurable improvement in email/SMS contribution to total revenue and repeat purchase rate.Supporting (you influence alongside other leaders):LTV: Improvement year-over-year (shared with Product Manager).Brand Health: Branded search volume, social share of voice, engagement trends.CRO Test Velocity: Ramping to 24 tests/month as infrastructure and traffic allow.Referral Rate: Growth in customer referrals (shared with Head of CX).What Were Looking For7+ years in growth marketing, performance marketing, or digital marketing leadership, with at least 34 years in D2C eCommerce.Proven track record scaling a D2C brand to $15M+ in revenue with profitable unit economics.Deep expertise in paid media (Meta, Google, TikTok), with hands-on experience managing six- to seven-figure monthly ad budgets and holding channel-level P&L accountability.Deep fluency in paid media metrics, attribution models, and creative testing methodologies. Comfortable with ambiguous attribution in upper-funnel channels.Experience building non-paid acquisition channels at meaningful scale: affiliate/creator, influencer, SEO, and email/SMS.Hands-on CRO experience: selecting tooling, designing tests, and interpreting results with statistical rigor.Strong people leadershipexperience managing and developing a team of 5+ across multiple marketing disciplines.A builders mindset: comfortable standing up new programs (CRO, affiliate, loyalty) from scratch, not just optimizing existing ones.Excellent communicator who can present strategy clearly to founders and cross-functional partners.Entrepreneurial mindset: you take ownership, move fast, and dont wait to be told what to do.Bonus PointsExperience in pet, home goods, or lifestyle D2C brands.Familiarity with Shopify, Klaviyo, Triple Whale or Northbeam, and similar eComm tools.Experience launching or marketing connected/smart hardware products.Background in building growth functions from early stage through scale.What We OfferA high-impact leadership role with direct CEO access and real strategic influence.Competitive salaryEquity participationthis is a role for someone who wants to build, not just operate.Remote-friendly work environment with a collaborative, low-ego culture.The opportunity to shape a brand and product category from the ground up.How to ApplySend us your resume along with a brief note on what excites you about Houndsy and how youd approach the first 90 days. We value clarity, conviction, and evidence of results over polished cover letters.Houndsy is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members. recblid yxseittfjfjmf6i1le1pcjsurt6t81