Director, Lifecycle & Retention

ISSA is looking for a Director, Lifecycle Growth & Retention! Remote position: (must reside in an ISSA-eligible state: AZ, CT, FL, GA, , IL, IN, NC, NV, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI). About ISSA

ISSA is an education and certification company for fitness trainers, personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionists, nutrition coaches, yoga instructors, health coaches, medical professionals, and more! For over 35 years, ISSA has developed a personal fitness training program that combines gym experience with practical and applied sciences. With over 300 employees, we have certified nearly 500,000 trainers in 174 countries.

We were recently recognized as a Best Place to Work and Healthiest Employer by The Phoenix Business Journal, Fastest Growing Private Company by Inc. Southwest Regionals, and Top Workplace by USA Today!

ISSA is seeking a highly strategic, growth-oriented leader to own and drive returning student bookings across the business. This role sits at the intersection of lifecycle marketing, product, automation, AI, and customer growth, with a primary focus on increasing retention, repeat purchases, and customer lifetime value.

• The Director, Lifecycle Growth & Retention, will operate with a strong ownership mindset, waking up every day focused on how to grow returning student bookings and deepen customer engagement across ISSA offerings. This leader will partner closely with Product, Marketing, Analytics, and Operations to identify growth opportunities, improve the customer journey, and develop innovative offers, bundles, and lifecycle programs that drive revenue growth.

• Own and drive lifecycle contribution to returning student bookings and retention growth
• Develop and execute lifecycle strategies across acquisition, onboarding, engagement, renewal, reactivation, and upsell
• Partner closely with Product to understand customer behavior, identify friction points, and improve customer experiences
• Collaborate with Product and Marketing teams to develop compelling bundles, specialization packages, and offers that appeal to returning students
• Identify creative and data-driven ways to increase repeat purchases across ISSA offerings
• Build and scale lifecycle programs using automation, segmentation, personalization, and AI-driven opportunities
• Own lifecycle roadmap across email, SMS, automation, and retention initiatives
• Guide and prioritize execution through internal resources and contractors, including managing 1 individual
• Continuously analyze performance, test new strategies, and optimize for growth and lifetime value

• Approximately 60% focused on strategy, growth initiatives, analysis, and cross-functional partnership
• Approximately 40% focused on guiding execution, reviewing campaigns, prioritization, and ensuring alignment with business goals
• This role is responsible for strategy, ownership, prioritization, and business impact, not day-to-day campaign builds

• Measurable growth in returning student bookings
• Increased retention and customer lifetime value
• Strong cross-functional partnership with Product and Marketing
• Improved customer engagement and lifecycle conversion rates
• Successful implementation of automation and AI-driven lifecycle improvements
• Clear lifecycle roadmap tied directly to business growth outcomes

• 8+ years of experience in lifecycle, retention, CRM, growth, or product marketing roles
• Proven experience owning revenue-impacting growth or retention initiatives
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical skills, and growth mindset
• Experience with marketing automation and ESP platforms, Hub Spot required
• Experience using Tableau and GA4 to analyze customer behavior and performance trends
• Strong understanding of lifecycle strategy, segmentation, personalization, and customer journey optimization
• Experience managing 1 or more people and partnering cross-functionally with Product, Analytics, and Marketing teams
• Familiarity with AI tools and automation opportunities within lifecycle marketing

• Experience in EdTech, education, subscription, or certification-based…