Sr Manager, Digital Marketing - AG Retention

Mattel•El Segundo, CA

About The Position

The Opportunity: As Sr. Manager, Retention Marketing, you will lead American Girl’s retention and loyalty strategy across CRM, SMS, loyalty, direct mail, and lifecycle marketing for the DTC business. This role is responsible for driving customer lifetime value, repeat purchase, engagement, and retention performance through cross-channel strategy, operational excellence, and cross-functional leadership. You will own key retention programs end to end, from business case and strategy through implementation, optimization, reporting, and stakeholder alignment. What Your Impact Will Be: Customer Retention Marketing Shape the strategy, planning, and execution of customer lifecycle communications across email, SMS, loyalty, and other retention touchpoints. Drive lifecycle and retention initiatives that improve repeat purchase, engagement, loyalty participation, customer retention, and lifetime value. Oversee loyalty program strategy, roadmap, and performance, including member engagement, tier progression, benefits, and retention impact. Manage loyalty platform and vendor relationships, including capability evaluation, business requirements, implementation prioritization, and ongoing optimization. Translate customer and business needs into scalable loyalty capabilities and experiences in collaboration with cross-functional partners. Map customer journeys, identify gaps, prioritize opportunities, and align retention initiatives with business goals, campaign calendars, and operational readiness. Guide complex cross-functional retention initiatives from concept through launch across Product, IT, Finance, Retail, Customer Care, Data, and Marketing. Create alignment across stakeholders by defining requirements, decision frameworks, timelines, and communication plans. Serve as the retention lead in cross-functional planning and executive discussions Operational Leadership & Process Management Establish operating models, processes, and project management tools that improve visibility, accountability, and execution across retention initiatives. Create and maintain documentation, workflows, and governance practices to support efficient team and cross-functional collaboration. Analytics, Measurement & Optimization Own retention reporting frameworks, KPI definitions, and performance storytelling across CRM and loyalty programs. Partner with analytics and data teams to improve attribution, forecasting, reporting infrastructure, and decision-making tools. Translate performance data into clear recommendations that inform business decisions and channel optimization. People Leadership & Team Development Lead and develop direct reports through clear goal-setting, regular feedback, coaching, and performance management. Support individual growth by identifying development opportunities, strengthening capabilities, and encouraging ownership within the team. Foster a collaborative, inclusive team environment that promotes communication, knowledge sharing, and effective cross-functional partnership. Manage team workload and resourcing to balance business priorities, team capacity, and continuity of work.

Requirements

8+ years (6+ with MBA) of digital marketing experience across lifecycle and retention marketing, including email, CRM, loyalty, site marketing, and customer segmentation.
Demonstrated success leading end-to-end lifecycle, CRM, and/or loyalty programs in a fast-paced direct-to-consumer environment.
Proven track record of driving customer engagement, repeat purchase, and long-term lifetime value growth.
Deep understanding of segmentation, customer lifecycle strategy, and cross-channel journey planning.
Strong analytical mindset with the ability to interpret performance data, identify actionable insights, and translate findings into optimization opportunities.
Strong knowledge of CRM, marketing automation, and campaign orchestration tools, including email service providers and audience management platforms.
Working knowledge of customer data, reporting, and campaign operations, including audience management, tagging, and platform workflows.
Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and aligning stakeholders across functions to deliver against business goals.
Strong prioritization, project management, and operational skills, with the ability to balance strategic opportunities, team capacity, and business timelines.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly present plans, recommendations, and performance updates to senior management, peers, and direct reports.
Experience leading and developing high-performing teams through clear communication, coaching, feedback, and accountability.
Curious, proactive, and solution-oriented, with a strong understanding of industry trends, customer behavior, and evolving retention best practices.

Responsibilities

Shape the strategy, planning, and execution of customer lifecycle communications across email, SMS, loyalty, and other retention touchpoints.
Drive lifecycle and retention initiatives that improve repeat purchase, engagement, loyalty participation, customer retention, and lifetime value.
Oversee loyalty program strategy, roadmap, and performance, including member engagement, tier progression, benefits, and retention impact.
Manage loyalty platform and vendor relationships, including capability evaluation, business requirements, implementation prioritization, and ongoing optimization.
Translate customer and business needs into scalable loyalty capabilities and experiences in collaboration with cross-functional partners.
Map customer journeys, identify gaps, prioritize opportunities, and align retention initiatives with business goals, campaign calendars, and operational readiness.
Guide complex cross-functional retention initiatives from concept through launch across Product, IT, Finance, Retail, Customer Care, Data, and Marketing.
Create alignment across stakeholders by defining requirements, decision frameworks, timelines, and communication plans.
Serve as the retention lead in cross-functional planning and executive discussions
Establish operating models, processes, and project management tools that improve visibility, accountability, and execution across retention initiatives.
Create and maintain documentation, workflows, and governance practices to support efficient team and cross-functional collaboration.
Own retention reporting frameworks, KPI definitions, and performance storytelling across CRM and loyalty programs.
Partner with analytics and data teams to improve attribution, forecasting, reporting infrastructure, and decision-making tools.
Translate performance data into clear recommendations that inform business decisions and channel optimization.
Lead and develop direct reports through clear goal-setting, regular feedback, coaching, and performance management.
Support individual growth by identifying development opportunities, strengthening capabilities, and encouraging ownership within the team.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive team environment that promotes communication, knowledge sharing, and effective cross-functional partnership.
Manage team workload and resourcing to balance business priorities, team capacity, and continuity of work.