Head of Customer

Reports to
:
Director of Customer Marketing

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party-political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper;

and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy
100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over. We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

In 2024 The Independent’s portfolio of brands increased through a new licensing partnership with Buzz Feed Inc. to operate the Buzz Feed brands in the UK - Buzz Feed UK, Tasty, Seasoned and Huff Post UK. The additional brands echo the existing business ethos and allow for increased audiences and a further strategic diversification of revenue streams

As the Head of Customer Growth, you will be at the forefront of scaling audiences, driving engagement and increasing revenue through innovative, data-driven marketing strategies. You will blend performance marketing, storytelling, experimentation and brand-building to create bold, customer-first campaigns that fuel subscriptions, membership, engagement and new revenue streams. Specifically you will:

• Define and execute customer growth strategies that drive acquisition, engagement and retention
• Scale registered user and subscriber growth through innovative, audience-first marketing
• Balance long-term brand building with short-term performance and revenue delivery
• Use first- and zero-party data, personalisation and automation to create relevant customer journeys
• Lead experimentation, testing and optimisation to continually improve acquisition efficiency
• Build and lead a high-performing growth team, working closely with editorial, product, brand, data and commercial partners to align customer marketing with business strategy

Stay ahead of industry trends and use cutting edge marketing techniques to drive awareness and loyalty

You are a senior growth leader with a strong creative instinct and a proven track record of driving audience and revenue growth  thrive in fast-paced, test-and-learn environments and bring a customer-first mindset to everything you do.

You combine imaginative brand thinking with performance rigour, using data, technology and insight to inform decisions. You are confident leading teams, influencing senior stakeholders and delivering against ambitious commercial goals.

Curious, adaptable and commercially minded, you have a strong interest in how media, technology and consumer behaviour intersect. You are known as a trusted expert, acting in the best interests of the business while championing bold ideas and continuous improvement.

• We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone.
• We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Data & Marketing department is the intelligence powerhouse of the business, representing the customer. Our goal is to inspire, engage and grow a loyal readership by…