At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategies to engage and retain members in the fashion and beauty industries.
- Company: Join The Business of Fashion, a global leader in fashion and beauty insights.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, diverse workplace, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Inclusive culture that values diversity and supports personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on member experiences and shape the future of fashion.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in retention strategies and data-driven decision-making.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
The Business of Fashion is seeking a strategic, commercially minded and member-obsessed Director of Customer Engagement & Retention. Your primary mission is to maximise member lifetime value by driving frequency of usage, building lasting member habits and reducing both voluntary and involuntary churn across the entire BoF Professional portfolio, including Individual, Executive and Student memberships. You will embed engagement-by-design principles across every product, editorial and marketing touchpoint. This role requires a "Right Brain, Left Brain" approach: combining genuine empathy for our members with rigorous, data-led decision-making and full-lifecycle technological optimisation.
Who we are: The Business of Fashion is recognised around the world for its authoritative, analytical point of view on the global fashion and beauty industries. Our mission: to open, inform and connect the global fashion and beauty industries. Serving members in more than 125 countries, The Business of Fashion combines independent, agenda-setting journalism with practical business advice, online learning, career-building tools and immersive events, powering positive change in fashion and the wider world.
Commitment to Diversity: BoF is committed to building a diverse workforce and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunities employer. All applicants and employees receive equal treatment regardless of race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity.
Commitment to Inclusivity: BoF is committed to building an inclusive environment where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work and reach their full potential within their roles using a growth mindset. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture for our employees globally.
Commitment to Accessibility: BoF is committed to providing an accessible environment for all applicants throughout any stage of the recruitment process, by removing any barriers to ensure we offer a process that gives all of our applicants an opportunity to shine.
What We Need You To Do: Leading a small team spanning lifecycle marketing you will own, develop and execute the strategy to engage, retain and grow the value of our existing members: the fashion and beauty professionals who power the creative economy and shape global culture. You will be the voice of the members across the business.
- Strategic Retention Leadership: Champion the strategic hypothesis that frequency of usage is the primary mechanism for building member habits and de-risking the business from AI-driven displacement and translate it into a retention-first roadmap that delivers ambitious lifetime value, tenure and churn targets.
- Engagement Council: Establish and chair the Engagement Council, aligning decentralised initiatives across Editorial, Product, Data and Marketing into a single, prioritised strategy that balances future-state ambition with immediate goals.
- Engagement-by-Design: Partner with Product and Editorial to shape product development and UX that increase frequency of usage and value perception, owning the associated test and development roadmap.
- Lifecycle Strategy & Segmentation: Define audience segmentation and omnichannel lifecycle strategies across the full member journey: onboarding (first 30 days), nurture, intensive care for at-risk cohorts, advocacy and upsell, and save/win-back.
- Churn Mitigation & Payment Success: Act as the business owner of the Recurly relationship, partnering with Finance and Product to salvage revenue lost to failed payments through automated dunning, smart retries and payment-failure communications.
- Product Portfolio Management: Drive engagement, retention and value across diverse tiers, including BoF Professional for Individuals, Executives, and Students.
- Data & Technology Mastery: Define the technical requirements for our engagement engine, activate zero- and first-party member data to deliver hyper-personalised content and recommendations.
- Commercial Performance: Own engagement and retention performance, partnering with Data and Finance on lifetime value modelling, forecasting and revenue recovery.
- Test & Learn Culture: Embed continuous testing and optimisation across messaging, copy, offers and channel delivery.
- Lead a high performance team: Demonstrating high levels of EQ, you will line manage individual contributors and people managers.
Who You Are: You will have a proven track record in a senior retention, lifecycle, or CRM leadership role within a subscription or membership-based business. You will be an expert in lifecycle strategy, marketing automation and member experience, and you confidently use data to understand what members value, why they leave and how to keep them.
- Experience & Technical Proficiency: Proven ability to define and champion retention-first strategies, advanced expertise in predictive audience segmentation, and strong working knowledge of ESPs such as Braze and subscription billing platforms such as Recurly.
- Commercial Acumen & Performance Modelling: Highly proficient in lifetime value modelling and forecasting.
- Cross-functional Leadership: Strong executive presence with the ability to chair cross-functional councils.
- Constructive Collaborator: Excellent stakeholder management skills.
- Exceptional written English: Strong copywriting and proofreading skills.
Job Complexity & Discretion: A strategic, battle-tested leader who collaborates with other leaders at BoF to establish strategic plans and objectives and makes final decisions on operational matters within their remit.
You’ll Know You’re Successful When… A retention-first, full-lifecycle engagement strategy has been established, aligned through the Engagement Council and is being executed across Product, Editorial and Marketing.
Director, Customer Engagement & Retention in London employer: The Business of Fashion
The Business of Fashion is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in the heart of London where creativity meets strategy. With a strong commitment to diversity and inclusivity, employees are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work while benefiting from ample opportunities for professional growth and development. Joining BoF means being part of a pioneering team that shapes the future of the fashion and beauty industries through innovative partnerships and thought leadership.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Director, Customer Engagement & Retention in London
✨Get to Know the Company Culture
Before jumping into applications, it’s super helpful to understand the vibe at The Business of Fashion. 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 The Business of Fashion 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 Director, Customer Engagement & Retention 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 The Business of Fashion:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Tell us why you want to work at The Business of Fashion 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 The Business of Fashion!
How to prepare for a job interview at The Business of Fashion
✨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.
