Acquisition Lead (paid) in London

Your Team: You will be joining the Marketing team, a commercially driven and strategic group focused on the digital evolution of The Sun. We work at the intersection of content and commerce, collaborating closely with editorial, product, and data teams to grow our subscriber community and deliver measurable business impact.

Your Role: The Sun is looking for a commercially driven and strategic Acquisition Lead to lead subscription growth and engagement across our paid channels. Reporting to the Head of Acquisition, this role will be pivotal in planning and delivering campaigns to convert new audiences — using data-driven strategies, compelling value propositions, and optimised user journeys. This is a hands-on, high-impact role focused on measurable results, ideal for someone with a strong understanding of paid acquisition marketing.

Responsibilities:

• Own and execute the subscription acquisition strategy across paid channels.
• Develop and optimise always-on and tactical campaigns to drive audience and subscriber growth with robust testing plans.
• Use data and audience insights to identify high-conversion opportunities and develop targeted messaging and journeys.
• Partner with editorial, brand, and wider marketing team to align acquisition messaging with brand tone and content strategy.
• Collaborate with Retention Teams to ensure smooth transition from acquisition to onboarding and beyond.
• Track, analyse, and report on acquisition performance using key metrics such as CPA, conversion rate, and ROI.
• Stay on top of industry trends and competitors to inform strategic improvements.

What we’re looking for:

• Proven experience in acquisition marketing, preferably in a subscription, publishing, or digital media environment.
• Deep understanding of paid digital channels and how to use them to drive performance.
• Strong commercial acumen and performance mindset.
• Ability to translate insights into actionable plans and clear reporting.
• Comfortable working cross-functionally in a fast-paced, content-rich environment.
• Exceptional project management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong copy and creative instincts, especially in positioning value propositions.

If you think you have what it takes but don’t tick every requirement on the list, please do apply. We recognise that considering someone’s potential as well as their experience is a great way to hire. We want to hear from people who have a passion to learn and develop.

About News UK: News UK is one of the leading media businesses in the UK and Ireland. Our newsbrands include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and The TLS. Our national broadcast brands include talkSPORT, Times Radio and Virgin Radio UK, and we have market-leading local stations across Ireland. Our world-famous brands provide news, analysis, opinion and entertainment to almost 40 million people each month. Spanning print and pixel, audio and video, events and experiences, our multi-format brands are home to a plurality of opinion, representing the diverse communities we serve. Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose, we exist to promote a fair society, freedom of speech and a little bit of fun. Rethinking continually the business of storytelling, we represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter.

At News UK, we embrace a hybrid work model, currently requiring a minimum of three days per week in the office. This approach fosters collaboration, innovation, and team spirit within our workspace. Certain roles may necessitate additional in-office days; please discuss this with your recruiter for specific requirements.

Life at News: Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose. We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter. We inform our audiences so that they can make decisions based on trusted information. We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter most. To ensure these stories resonate with as broad an audience as possible, it is essential that our organisation reflects the diversity of the people we reach. Whether through age, gender, ethnicity, disability, social class or sexuality, we are committed to representing the rich variety of voices that make up our society. And we champion a culture where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and thrive as we continue to innovate and drive long term sustainable growth. This is done through our Diversity Strategy.

At News UK, we take pride in our exceptional employee-led networks that bring together individuals with shared interests and create a vibrant sense of community. We believe our networks play a vital role in fostering a collaborative and supportive work culture at News UK. Groups that we support include the African & Caribbean Network, Parents and Carers, and LGBTQ+ group News Is Out, and the Apprentice Society.

Benefits: Some of our benefits include:

• Private medical insurance including coverage for pre-existing conditions.
• Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly in person/ virtual exercise classes.
• ‘Bikes for Work’ and ‘Electric Car’ scheme.
• Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books.
• Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks.
• Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times.
• Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities.
• Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP, physio/massage and counselling.
• A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%.
• Wide range of training available, plus full LinkedIn Learning access.
• 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays.