About this role.
DuckDuckGo is seeking a senior paid marketing leader to build and scale a profitable subscriber-acquisition program for its consumer privacy products. The Director will own KPI design, CPA and break-even modeling, media strategy, budget allocation, experimentation, and high-confidence performance measurement. This role requires deep experience in app subscription growth, including paid social, app-store advertising, mobile networks, LTV/payback economics, and incrementality testing. The leader will coordinate closely with product, design, data science, user insights, finance, and marketing while developing team capability in a remote-first, high-ownership environment. The position is US-remote, full time, and includes periodic travel for company and team gatherings.
Role DNA
A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.
Job Complexity
5/5Pace & Pressure
5/5Autonomy Level
5/5Communication Load
5/5Salary analysis
Estimated compensation compared with the broader US market for similar roles.
Core skills
Skills and capabilities most closely associated with this opportunity.
Sample interview questions
I would begin by aligning on the subscription unit economics: contribution margin, retention assumptions, LTV, payback window, and an allowable CPA. I would then create a channel and creative test plan, establish aggregate measurement and incrementality baselines, and set stage-gated investment thresholds. As evidence accumulates, I would reallocate budget toward tactics that demonstrate incremental, durable subscriber growth rather than simply last-click efficiency.
I use a layered measurement approach that combines platform reporting with first-party aggregate outcomes, geo or audience holdouts where feasible, lift studies, time-series analysis, and modeled attribution. Each source has limitations, so the objective is not false precision but a coherent decision framework with confidence intervals. I would document assumptions, reconcile results across methods, and increase investment only when results are directionally consistent and economically viable.
I would calculate expected contribution margin per acquired subscriber using subscription price, payment fees, support and service costs, refund rates, retention curves, and any applicable trial conversion rates. From that, I would define allowable CPA by target payback period and incorporate scenario ranges for retention and conversion uncertainty. The model would be reviewed with finance and product and used to set channel-level targets, investment guardrails, and test-readout criteria.
I would create a structured test framework that defines what can vary, what must remain consistent with brand and privacy commitments, and the metrics required to scale a result. Fast testing does not require careless execution; it requires modular creative, clear hypotheses, pre-agreed decision rules, and close collaboration with brand, product, and legal stakeholders. This approach allows learning velocity while protecting user trust and long-term brand equity.
I prioritize work through expected business impact, confidence, effort, and opportunity cost, then make tradeoffs explicit to stakeholders. I establish a clear roadmap with accountable owners, measurable milestones, and regular decision forums to resolve dependencies quickly. I also invest in developing team members so that ownership is distributed and the organization can execute high-value work without unnecessary management overhead.
Who We Are
Hi, we’re DuckDuckGo, the online protection company and remote-first team of 300+ on a mission to raise the standard of trust online. Founded in 2008 and profitable since 2014, annual revenue now exceeds $100m USD and millions use our browser on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, our search engine, and the latest — Privacy Pro. Our culture of trust, inclusivity, and empowered project management underpins everything we do, where each team member takes full ownership of their projects, from scoping and execution to postmortem. If you’re seeking end-to-end ownership of your work — you’ve come to the right place!
Your Team and Role
As a Director, Paid Marketing, working on the Marketing & Communications team, you’ll be a strategic leader responsible for building and scaling a profitable paid subscriber acquisition program and related projects. Partnering closely with marketing, product, design, user insights, data science and finance teams, you will own KPI development, campaign strategy, budget and resource allocation, and performance measurement.
You’ll lead strategic roadmapping, prioritize high-impact projects, resource cross-functional teams, and ensure marketing performance is measured with a high degree of confidence. The right person is excited to prove that paid marketing growth and privacy-respecting advertising practices aren’t at odds — they’re our edge. You know how to use aggregate measurement, experimentation, and strong judgment rather than user-level targeting and tracking.
Example projects include:
Leading the development of and alignment around a break-even model that defines a profitable CPA
Planning integrated campaigns and securing buy-in to drive profitable paid subscriber growth
Designing and executing rapid testing cycles to identify and scale successful tactics
About You
10+ years of professional experience, including 4+ years in a senior leadership role driving profitable app subscription growth (ideally 1M+ subscribers).
Deep strategic expertise with a strong hands-on understanding of marketing channels (e.g., app store ads, paid social, mobile app networks), integrated campaign planning and execution, performance measurement, audience alignment, and creative best practices.
Proven track record of launching paid app subscription acquisition programs from the ground up, including setting cost-per-subscription targets, developing media plans, establishing measurement frameworks, and shaping creative and messaging.
Experience working at a consumer-facing tech company with a meaningful US user base (ideally 10M+ MAUs) and multiple products.
Skill in developing others, not just directing them, with demonstrated improvements in collaboration, expertise, productivity, and business impact.
Ability to apply first-principles thinking to break down ambiguous growth opportunities, challenge assumptions, identify the key drivers, and turn them into focused, achievable initiatives.
Comfort working in resource-constrained orgs where opportunity cost and impact are key drivers for prioritization and resource allocation.
High capability in analytics and measurement, including app economics (payback, LTV), incrementality/lift testing, modeling, and data analysis.
Excellent communication skills — you can clearly articulate recommendations and rationale, verbally and in writing, at all organizational levels.
Willingness to use AI and build effective workflows, accelerating work through AI agents.
Compensation
$243,800 USD annually and stock options. Compensation is identical within professional levels, regardless of geographic location or team. Compensation for each professional level is transparent across the organization.
Eligibility for company-sponsored health benefits is limited to team members based in the United States. This program does not extend to team members located in other countries, such as Canada or the UK.
Our Team Member Support Guide explains how we prioritize your wellbeing including paid parental leave, office setup, and co-working allowances.
Hiring Process
Hiring works best when it’s a two-way street. Learn how we help you get to know DuckDuckGo, envision your future role here, and find out more about how we hire.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
DuckDuckGo provides equal work opportunities to all team members and applicants, and it prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, caste, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by our policies or federal, state, or local laws.
We want to ensure that our hiring process is accessible. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an email to careers@duckduckgo.com to let us know the nature of your request.
Please note that:
You’ll be required to attend meetings on camera via video conferencing
Expect to travel at least two times a year: once for our all-hands meetup and again for a team retreat (each around 4-5 days). While extenuating circumstances may impact attendance, everyone is strongly encouraged to attend.
While we offer a flexible work arrangement with no core hours, expect an average full-time commitment of 40 hours per week.
A successful candidate must pass a background check as a condition of joining the team.
By applying for this role, you confirm that all information submitted is accurate and complete. You further acknowledge that providing false or fraudulent information during the application process is cause for denial of an offer, revocation of any existing offer, or other adverse action, up to and including termination after the start of your commencement of work.
Disclosure Statement: Use of AI in Hiring Process
As part of our commitment to enhancing our recruitment process, we utilize artificial intelligence (AI) technology to assist in reviewing and summarizing job applications and test projects, including those tools integrated into our recruitment vendor platforms. We use AI to flag potentially fraudulent applications, analyze and summarize applicants’ experience, interviews, and project performance, and help streamline our selection process.
Key Principles:
Data Privacy: All information provided in your application will be handled in accordance with our Recruiting Privacy Policy. We ensure that your personal information is protected and used solely for recruitment purposes.
Human Oversight and Accountability: The AI technology is designed to support our hiring team by providing insights and summaries of applications and evaluations of test projects against scoring rubrics. All final evaluations and hiring decisions, however, will be made by our hiring team, who will consider the AI’s input alongside other factors.
Transparency: We believe in transparency regarding our hiring practices. If you have any questions about how AI is used in our recruitment process, please feel free to reach out to us.
By submitting your application, you acknowledge and consent to the use of AI technology in our review process. If you would like to request an alternative selection process, please contact us as at careers@duckduckgo.com. Thank you for your interest in joining DuckDuckGo!
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