Customer Lifecycle Marketing Practice Lead

dentsu•Detroit, NY

2d•Remote

About The Position

The Customer Lifecycle Marketing (CLM) Practice Lead, reporting to the President, Data-Driven Marketing, serves as the commercial owner and market-facing leader of Merkle's CLM practice. This leader operates as a mini-P&L owner across four interconnected capability areas: lifecycle marketing and email/CRM platform execution, loyalty strategy and technology, promotions and gamified experiences, and the first-party data and identity infrastructure that connects them. The role sits at the intersection of go-to-market strategy, offer development, and senior client leadership, and forms one leg of the practice's leadership team. This is a commercial leadership role, not a delivery management role. It requires the credibility to engage CMOs and VP-level buyers across the full spectrum, from loyalty program economics to first-party data strategy to paid media activation. Success is measured through practice revenue and pipeline growth, win rate, cross-practice attach, and the strength of Merkle's market position in loyalty, lifecycle marketing, and data-driven CRM.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in CRM, loyalty, lifecycle marketing, or marketing technology, including a minimum of five years in a commercial, practice leadership, or client partnership role at a services firm
Demonstrated track record of owning or co-owning a practice revenue target, pipeline number, or growth responsibility in a consulting, agency, or services environment
Direct experience in loyalty strategy and program design (earn/burn, tiered, coalition, and experiential models), loyalty technology platform selection or implementation (e.g., Salesforce Loyalty, Talon.One, Punchh, or Kognitiv), and program economics including breakage and ROI modeling
Experience designing or selling promotional strategy, offer architecture, or gamified CRM experiences at scale, including incrementality measurement and offer personalization
Working knowledge of one or more lifecycle marketing/ESP platforms (Braze, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Adobe Journey Optimizer, Iterable, or Klaviyo) at the level of scope definition and program performance benchmarking
Familiarity with first-party data strategy, identity resolution, and clean room use cases (e.g., LiveRamp, AWS Clean Rooms, Google ADH), and how CRM data activates into paid media channels
Ability to articulate and sell the strategic connection between loyalty data, CRM audiences, and paid media efficiency to CMO and VP Media buyers; direct experience managing or co-selling this connection is strongly preferred
Experience leading or materially contributing to competitive RFP responses for loyalty, CRM, or lifecycle marketing mandates, including commercial pricing, scope defense, and executive presentation
A hunter orientation, with a proven ability to build pipeline across a full capability spectrum rather than manage within a single sub-domain, paired with the commercial rigor to read a P&L, build a pricing model, and defend deal economics
Comfortable operating in CMO, SVP CRM, VP Loyalty, and VP MarTech conversations without a delivery lead or subject-matter specialist present
Bachelor's Degree required

Nice To Haves

MBA or equivalent graduate degree preferred but not required if offset by a clear track record

Responsibilities

Own commercial performance of the CLM practice, including revenue, pipeline, forecast accuracy, and margin contribution across all four capability pillars
Develop and maintain the annual CLM growth plan, aligned to organizational go-to-market priorities and key vertical and platform opportunities
Approve commercial scope, pricing, and deal economics on CLM-led pursuits, engaging senior sales leadership on larger or cross-practice opportunities
Own the CLM offer portfolio across lifecycle marketing, loyalty, promotions, and first-party data/identity, in partnership with strategy and solutions teams
Articulate Merkle's integrated CLM story to the market: how loyalty strategy, promotions design, journey orchestration, and paid media activation combine into a customer equity growth system
Maintain external market positioning through analyst relationships, industry events, and published thought leadership on the convergence of loyalty, promotions, and paid media
Partner with strategy teams to translate platform partner developments into updated offer packages, and represent the practice in partner co-sell conversations
Lead the CLM-specific pursuit motion across loyalty RFPs, lifecycle marketing retainers, promotions engagements, and first-party data strategy mandates
Build pursuit teams that draw on the full CLM capability stack to ensure proposals reflect Merkle's integrated breadth
Coordinate with demand generation and sales teams on origination specific to CLM buyer personas (e.g., VP CRM, VP Loyalty, VP Marketing Technology, Chief Digital Officer)
Represent the practice at partner events, client advisory boards, and industry conferences as a named commercial voice on loyalty, lifecycle marketing, and data-driven CRM
Maintain executive-level relationships with the CLM practice's primary buying personas across a portfolio of key accounts
Serve as executive sponsor on flagship CLM accounts, supporting retention, expansion, and reference development
Bring the CLM practice into integrated pursuits where loyalty, promotions, or first-party data activation is the commercial entry point for broader engagements
Champion integrated storytelling that connects loyalty program performance to paid media efficiency and customer lifetime value
Identify and develop commercial talent within the CLM practice across all four capability pillars
Build the next generation of pursuit-capable solutions leads with fluency in loyalty economics, promotions architecture, and first-party data strategy