Head of Growth

Head of Growth

Full-Time 67500 - 82500 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Proton

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead product-led growth for Proton Mail & Calendar, driving user activation and retention.
  • Company: Join Proton, a mission-driven tech company focused on privacy and user empowerment.
  • Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, health coverage, stock options, and flexible working hours.
  • Other info: Diverse team culture with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact on millions' privacy while collaborating with top talent globally.
  • Qualifications: Experience in product-led growth and strong analytical skills required.

The predicted salary is between 67500 - 82500 £ per year.

Join Proton and build a better internet where privacy is the default. Proton was founded in 2014 by scientists from CERN on a simple truth: privacy is a fundamental human right. Since then, we've built the world's largest encrypted email service (Proton Mail) and expanded into Proton VPN, Proton Drive, Proton Pass, and Proton Calendar - tools used by millions globally to protect their freedom, fight censorship, and keep their data safe. We are profitable, independent (no VC control), and selectively hire from the top 1% of applicants. Our 700+ team members across 50+ countries come from leading organizations and elite academic backgrounds. We move fast, keep hierarchy light, and prioritise impact over optics. If you want to do meaningful work with exceptionally high-calibre people, this is it.

Purpose of the role

We're looking for a Head of Growth to own product-led growth for Proton Mail & Calendar. The focus is on finding and building the mechanisms inside the product itself that drive activation, conversion, retention, and virality, while partnering closely with marketing to align product-led and marketing-led efforts into a single growth strategy. You'll work closely with product, engineering, and marketing to design, ship, and iterate on growth loops, owning the roadmap and the metrics that come with it.

What you will do

  • Own the end-to-end user funnel, including signup, onboarding, activation, free-to-paid conversion, upgrade paths, and retention, and identify where friction or leverage exists at each stage.
  • Design and ship in-product growth experiments (onboarding flows, activation nudges, paywalls, upsell moments, referral and invite mechanics) in close partnership with product managers and engineers.
  • Partner closely with product marketing, influencer, social, and performance marketing teams to develop cross-functional growth strategies that connect top-of-funnel acquisition with in-product activation and retention.
  • Partner with the other product teams on core Mail and Calendar features that maximise retention and LTV.
  • Build and own a rigorous experimentation pipeline, including hypotheses, A/B tests, instrumentation, and clear read-outs that inform both the product and marketing roadmaps.
  • Identify and build virality and network-effect loops (referrals, sharing, collaboration features) that drive organic growth, coordinating with marketing on how these loops are amplified externally.
  • Define the core growth metrics for the business (activation rate, conversion rate, retention/churn, LTV, referral coefficient, etc.) and be directly accountable for moving them.
  • Partner with data and analytics teams to build the instrumentation and dashboards needed to see the funnel clearly and act on it.
  • Synthesize user research and behavioral data into product and marketing bets that improve the funnel, acting as the user's advocate inside planning across both functions.
  • Directly influence the product roadmap, treating growth as a core input into what gets built next.

Job requirements

  • Proven experience owning product-led growth at a SaaS or consumer tech product, having built or scaled onboarding, activation, conversion, or retention systems from inside the product.
  • Experience working cross-functionally with marketing teams (product marketing, performance, social, influencer) to align product and marketing growth efforts.
  • Fluency in experimentation: designing tests, understanding statistical validity, and knowing when a result is actionable versus noise.
  • Strong technical and analytical fluency, comfortable in product analytics tooling, and able to speak credibly with engineers about implementation trade-offs.
  • Experience building or scaling virality and referral mechanics, ideally in a product with network effects.
  • Leadership by influence, with the ability to align product, engineering, marketing, and data stakeholders outside your reporting line around a shared growth vision.
  • A strong bias toward shipping and testing, matching Proton's culture of hands-on builders.
  • A cost-efficient, scrappy mindset, as Proton is bootstrapped and wins through smart execution rather than big budgets.
  • Comfort with ambiguity and a willingness to make bold, high-conviction calls about where the growth potential lives in the product.

Why Proton

  • Work that Matters: millions of people trust Proton with their privacy. We answer only to our users — not advertisers, not investors with conflicting agendas, not governments. The work you do here is real, and the impact is measurable.
  • A great Team: Our team is diverse, collaborative, and tight-knit with people coming from all walks of life, including many of the world’s top academic institutions and organizations.
  • Technology: you'll get the right hardware and the right software you need to do your best work.
  • Learning & Development: we invest in your growth because sharp people make us better.
  • Employee Benefits: your wellbeing isn't an afterthought. We offer strong health coverage, solid retirement options, generous leave, and wellness support.
  • Stock Options: at Proton, we all have the opportunity to be owners of the company.
  • In-Person Collaboration: Amazing things happen when passionate, smart, and purposeful people get together in the same room.
  • Food: Lunch and snacks are on us every day in our offices.
  • Transport: getting to the office shouldn't cost you. We cover public transport, bike allowances, or parking.
  • Flexible Working: you own your schedule. Set hours that work for you and your team.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Proton, we believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our mission to provide privacy as a default for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals feel valued and empowered.

Candidate Privacy Notice

When you apply for a position, your information is stored in accordance with our Service Privacy Policy. This information is used to evaluate your suitability for the posted position.

Head of Growth employer: Proton

Proton is an exceptional employer that champions privacy and user experience, making it a perfect fit for those passionate about technology and ethical practices. With a strong emphasis on employee growth, a collaborative work culture, and the opportunity to tackle complex challenges, you will thrive in an environment that values creativity and innovation. Located in a vibrant tech hub, Proton offers unique advantages such as flexible working arrangements and a commitment to work-life balance, ensuring that you can make a meaningful impact while enjoying a fulfilling career.

Proton

Contact Details:

Proton Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Head of Growth

Get to Grips with Data Visualisation Tools

If you're aiming for a full-time role in business intelligence, brush up on your skills with popular data visualisation tools like Tableau or Power BI. Showcasing projects where you've transformed raw data into clear visual insights can give you a real edge.

Join Local Business Intelligence Meetups

Look for local business intelligence meetups or analytics conferences in your area. These events are not just great for learning but also for networking with industry professionals who could lead you to opportunities at companies like Proton!

Engage with Online BI Communities

Join online forums or communities focused on business intelligence—think LinkedIn groups, Reddit threads, or even dedicated Slack channels. Engage actively by sharing your insights and asking questions; this can help you build visibility and connect with potential employers.

Leverage Your University’s Career Support

If you're a recent graduate, definitely tap into your university's career services. Many have connections with companies in need of full-time BI specialists, and they can guide you on how to pitch yourself effectively—don't miss out on that!

We think you need these skills to ace Head of Growth

Product-Led Growth
Onboarding Systems
Activation Strategies
Conversion Optimisation
Retention Mechanisms
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Experimentation Design

Some tips for your application 🫡

Highlight Your Analytical Skills:In the business intelligence field, showcasing your analytical skills is a must. Make sure your CV includes relevant experience with data analysis tools, programming languages like SQL or Python, and any projects where you've interpreted complex data sets to drive business decisions.

Showcase Your Business Acumen:Don't just focus on data; show us how you can apply your insights to real-world business problems. Highlight projects where you made a tangible impact on company performance, and be prepared to explain your thought process in your cover letter.

Tailor Your Documents for Us:When applying for a full-time role at Proton, tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect our organisational goals and strategies. Mention specific tools and methodologies that align with what we do—this shows you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in our mission!

Include Relevant Certifications:Certifications like Google Data Analytics or similar qualifications can really make you stand out in business intelligence. Include these in your application, as they demonstrate your commitment to the field and your willingness to stay current with industry standards.

How to prepare for a job interview at Proton

Show off your analytical skills

In a business intelligence role, you're going to need to demonstrate your analytical prowess. Be prepared to discuss specific tools you've used, like SQL, Tableau, or Power BI. Have real-world examples ready where you’ve turned data into actionable insights – this is what makes us shine in interviews!

Practice your technical know-how

Expect some technical questions during the interview that dive deep into your understanding of data modelling and analytics frameworks. Brush up on your knowledge of data warehousing concepts and be ready to tackle any real case scenarios they might present. They’ll want to see how you approach problems using your BI toolkit.

Portfolio of Projects

Since it's a full-time role, having a strong portfolio is key! Compile case studies demonstrating your previous projects, preferably showing how your insights led to business improvements. This can help us display how you think through complex datasets and your problem-solving process, which is what employers are keen on seeing.

Know their business model

Get familiar with Proton’s business model and recent data-driven decisions. Be prepared to discuss how your skills can specifically support their objectives or challenges. Understanding their landscape shows that you’re not just a data buff, but you’re also genuinely interested in how BI can impact their bottom line.