Director, App Acquisition & Lifecycle Marketing · Commercial Marketing

KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is a leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car and vacation package. We’re also transforming business travel with a new corporate travel solution, KAYAK for Business.

As an employee of KAYAK, you will be part of a travel company that operates a portfolio of global metasearch brands including momondo, Cheap flights and Hotels Combined, among others. From start-up to industry leader, innovation is in our DNA and every employee has an opportunity to make their mark. Our focus is on building the best travel search engine to make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

We’re looking for a Director, Lifecycle Marketing & App Acquisition to join our Brand Marketing team and help shape how millions of travelers discover and engage with KAYAK. In this role, you’ll lead the strategy behind our lifecycle marketing programs and app acquisition efforts - connecting the right message to the right traveler at the right moment. You’ll report into our SVP of Global Brand & B2B Marketing and collaborate with a globally distributed team spanning brand, creative, performance marketing, and commercial partnerships.

This role requires you to commute to our Cambridge, MA
; Norwalk, CT; or Miami, FL offices 3 times per week.

• Define and lead KAYAK's lifecycle marketing strategy and CRM efforts as a key lever for app performance — partnering with lifecycle specialists on email, push notifications, and in-app messaging to drive activation, repeat usage, and retention for acquired users; ensuring communications are timely, relevant, and personalized.

• Lead and scale KAYAK’s global app acquisition strategy, owning the end-to-end app growth funnel from awareness and install through to first booking — with a strong emphasis on volume, user quality, and cost efficiency.

• Design and execute multi-channel paid app acquisition programs (e.g., across search, social, and other app networks), defining clear KPIs and optimization frameworks to drive sustainable growth.

• Own and evolve the “Get the App” (GTA) and web-to-app journey, partnering with Product and Engineering to improve deep linking, on-site placements, and conversion from web traffic into installs.

• Oversee App Store Optimization (ASO) across iOS and Android, improving organic discoverability, rankings, and store conversion in collaboration with Creative and Product teams.

• Define and align app growth targets and forecasts with Commercial Marketing and Finance, creating a clear view of channel performance, budget needs, and expected returns.

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team (including specialists across app acquisition and lifecycle), setting clear goals, providing regular feedback, and creating growth opportunities that help each person do their best work.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Brand Marketing, Product, Engineering, Analytics, and regional marketing teams to ensure app acquisition and lifecycle plans are aligned with broader brand, product, and commercial priorities.

• Partner closely with Analytics and Data Science to refine measurement and attribution (e.g., CPI, CAC, ROAS, LTV, payback), run experiments, and translate insights into actionable recommendations for senior leadership.

• Stay current on platform changes, privacy developments, and industry best practices in mobile growth, bringing new ideas into the roadmap and helping KAYAK maintain a competitive edge in app marketing.

• 8+ years of experience in growth marketing, CRM, lifecycle marketing, or mobile app marketing.

• Proven track record managing high-performing engagement and acquisition programs at scale.

• Deep expertise in CRM channels including email and push notifications.

• Strong understanding of mobile app ecosystems, app growth strategy, and performance marketing.

• Experience owning paid acquisition and re-engagement campaigns across major digital platforms.

• A data-informed approach to decision-making — you're comfortable analyzing campaign metrics, running experiments, and using insights to guide strategy.

• F…