At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead retention strategies to reduce churn and enhance customer experience.
- Company: Fast-growing DTC brand in the premium pet products space.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, performance bonuses, and fully remote work.
- Other info: Dynamic team culture focused on creativity and data-driven decisions.
- Why this job: Shape a thriving company and work closely with the founder.
- Qualifications: 5-6+ years in retention at DTC brands, subscription expertise required.
The predicted salary is between 115000 - 145000 £ per year.
The mission of this role is to own retention A-Z to fuel the growth to 9-figures. This role comes in to drive three things: lower churn, significantly higher lifetime value, and a better customer experience across the board. Success is lower churn, stronger retention, much higher lifetime value, more revenue from email and SMS, and happier customers.
We are a profitable DTC brand selling premium pet products. We sell across Shopify, Amazon and Chewy, and we're one of the fastest-growing brands in the pet space – $50M+ in annual revenue and scaling to $100M+. We recently launched a second brand, expanding into a new customer base. We're a 100% remote, lean, senior team that moves fast, and every person here has a massive impact on the business.
Culture-fit is our #1 factor when hiring! We have a genuine will-to-win. No work is beneath us if it moves us towards our goals. We use creativity to do more with less – and quickly. We use data to make decisions and live by four core values:
- Better Everyday: have a retention test live every week across subscriptions, flows or the post-purchase experience, and write down what each result teaches.
- Speed Is King: spot a churn, refund or CSAT problem the day it shows up and have a fix in motion that week.
- Work Smart: AI and automation first. Claude reads cancellation reasons, reviews and tickets to find why customers leave, AI drafts flow copy and segments, and retention KPIs report themselves every week.
- Overdeliver: bring the CEO the next big retention lever before being asked, and get more lifetime value from every customer than the plan called for.
If you want to challenge yourself and shape a fast-growing company, work directly with the founder, and play a big role in scaling it to $100M+, then you've come to the right place.
Outcomes (what success looks like):
- Churn goes down: monthly subscription churn and save rate, by brand.
- Retention improves: repeat purchase rate and cohort retention at 3, 6 and 12 months.
- Lifetime value rises significantly: 12-month lifetime value by cohort and brand vs the same cohorts last year.
- Email and SMS drive more revenue: email and SMS share of total revenue, and revenue per recipient.
- Customers are happier across the board: CSAT, review rating, refund rate and tickets per order.
Key Objectives:
- Own the subscription program for both brands: offers, cadence, bundles, the customer portal and the cancellation flow.
- Build and test save offers, skip, swap and pause options, and win-back flows to cut churn.
- Own email and SMS strategy for both brands, and manage the retention agency's calendar, flows, targets and results.
- Build the lifecycle journey from first order to loyal customer: welcome, post-purchase, replenishment, cross-sell, win-back and VIP flows.
- Map and improve the full post-purchase journey, and run a loyalty, referral or VIP program if the numbers support it.
- Lead the customer experience team and set customer service policy that protects both the customer and the margin.
- Report cohort retention and lifetime value against target every month, and name the biggest lever.
Fully remote, based outside the US. Fluent in English.
Retention Leadership: 5-6+ years in retention or lifecycle at DTC brands, including leading retention at a subscription brand doing $30-50M+ a year (ideally nine figures). This is a must.
Subscription Expertise: you have grown a subscription program and know churn, saves, cohorts and MRR inside out.
Lifecycle Marketing: you build email and SMS programs (Klaviyo or similar) that drive a large share of revenue without burning the list.
Tools: deep hands-on experience with Klaviyo (or similar) and Loop (or a similar subscription platform).
Analytical: you read cohort, lifetime value and churn data fast and find the lever that moves the number.
Testing Discipline: you run clear tests on offers, flows and save tactics, and read results honestly.
Leadership: you have led a retention and customer experience team, including managing agencies, through KPIs and goals.
Commercial Judgement: you protect margin, and know when a discount or save offer earns its cost.
Customer obsessed: you understand why customers stay or leave, and fix the cause, not the symptom.
Excellent cultural fit as per our values above. Excited to play a big role in scaling the company and work closely with the founder.
Accountabilities:
- Subscriptions and churn: own the subscription program for both brands, keep at least one save or retention test live every week, grow the share of new customers who subscribe, and report subscribers, MRR, churn and save rate by brand every week.
- Email, SMS and lifecycle: own email and SMS strategy, manage the retention agency, keep the calendar live and flows in testing, keep list health and deliverability strong, and plan sale and launch campaigns with the Head of Growth and the Head of Brand & Community.
- Post-purchase experience and loyalty: ship at least one post-purchase improvement every month, and use cancellation reasons, reviews, surveys and support contact reasons to find why customers leave and fix the cause with the owning team.
- Customer experience and support: lead the Customer Experience Manager, own the weekly CX KPI scorecard (CSAT, first response time, AI resolution rate, refund rate and chargebacks), set customer service policy, and grow 4- and 5-star reviews.
- Retention data and reporting: track cohort retention, repeat purchase rate and lifetime value by brand and channel, report retention KPIs weekly, run a monthly retention review with the CEO, and write the retention playbook as SOPs so it runs without one person.
How Our Hiring Works & How We Operate:
- Application + Screening Interview
- In-Depth Interview with our CEO
- Reference Calls
- Final Interview with our CEO
Salary Expectation: USD $115,000 to $145,000 a year (based on experience and expertise) + performance bonus of 15-20% of base after the trial period.
Head of Retention, DTC Subscription in London employer: KittySpout
At KittySpout, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic and innovative work culture that empowers our employees to take ownership of their projects. As a fully remote company, we offer flexible working arrangements, competitive compensation, and opportunities for professional growth in the fast-paced world of e-commerce. Join us to make a meaningful impact on our Shopify DTC brands while collaborating with a passionate team dedicated to driving success.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Retention, DTC Subscription in London
✨Get to Know the Company Culture
Before jumping into applications, it’s super helpful to understand the vibe at KittySpout. Check out their social media, read reviews on sites like Glassdoor, and see how they engage with customers. It'll give you clues on their values and help tailor your conversation during interviews.
✨Join Customer Support Communities
Dive into online communities like those on Reddit or LinkedIn where customer support pros hang out. Participating in discussions or asking questions can make you more visible to potential recruiters and help you learn about job openings at companies like KittySpout before they even post them.
✨Attend Job Fairs or Networking Events
Look out for local job fairs or events specifically for customer support roles. This is your chance to meet hiring managers face-to-face, and you might even get the opportunity to interview on the spot!
✨Show Off Your Skills with Customer Interactions
In the customer support world, showcasing your communication skills is key. Consider creating a short video introducing yourself or even doing a mock call to showcase your abilities. It's a memorable way to stand out, especially if you can share this during your interview process!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Retention, DTC Subscription in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Communication Skills:In customer support, clear communication is key. Make sure your CV highlights any experience you've had in customer-facing roles and your ability to resolve issues. Don't shy away from including specific examples of how you've gone above and beyond to help customers – this really shows your potential in the role.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to KittySpout:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Tell us why you want to work at KittySpout specifically. Mention any unique aspects of our company that resonate with you and how your skills can enhance our customer support. This personal touch will set your application apart from the rest!
Highlight Any Relevant Tools or Tech Skills:If you've used customer support software like Zendesk or Freshdesk or have experience with CRM systems, make sure to mention these in your application. Being familiar with industry-standard tools can be a big plus for us when we’re reviewing applications, as it shows you can hit the ground running!
Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills:Customer support roles often require a knack for problem-solving. In your application, share examples of past experiences where you've tackled tough situations or resolved conflicts effectively. This will give us a good sense of how you handle challenges—an essential skill for success at KittySpout!
How to prepare for a job interview at KittySpout
✨Show Off Your People Skills
In customer support, it's all about communicating effectively. Prepare to share instances from your past experiences where you handled difficult customers or resolved conflicts. We want to hear how you empathised and found the best solutions, so think of specific examples to back up your stories!
✨Know the Tools of the Trade
Familiarise yourself with common customer support tools like Zendesk or Freshdesk, and make sure to review how you’ve used any similar systems in the past. During the interview, being able to discuss your hands-on experience with software or ticketing systems can really set you apart from the competition, so don’t skip this prep!
✨Show Genuine Enthusiasm
As this is a full-time role, employers want someone who isn’t just looking for any job, but wants to grow within customer support. Make sure to express your enthusiasm for helping customers and your desire to develop your skills. Show them why you're passionate about this field!
✨Practice Common Scenarios
Be prepared for role-playing scenarios where you might have to reassess a solution with a frustrated customer or explain a complex process in simple terms. Practising these common scenarios can help us feel more confident and demonstrate our practical skills effectively during the interview.
