Director Lifecycle Marketing – Fintech AI Leadership Role in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
Senior Leadership Opportunity in a High-Growth Fintech: This Director of Lifecycle Marketing role at Upstart sits at the intersection of AI, fintech, and marketing leadership — a rare combination that commands premium compensation. The $195k–$271k range is at or above market for Director-level lifecycle/CRM roles, which typically range $160k–$230k at comparable tech companies.
Skills You'll Build or Deepen:
- Enterprise marketing automation at scale (Iterable, CDPs)
- AI-driven marketing experimentation and workflow automation
- Multi-product lifecycle strategy across regulated industries
- Managing managers — critical for VP-track career progression
- Cross-functional influence across Product, Analytics, and Growth
Career Trajectory: This is a strong stepping stone toward a VP of Marketing or CMO path, particularly given Upstart's public company status (UPST on NASDAQ) and continued product expansion. Leading lifecycle for a multi-product fintech with AI at its core is a differentiated resume builder.
Green Flags: Generous 401(k) match (2:1 up to $15k), quarterly equity vesting, ESPP, and a clear digital-first culture signal a mature, employee-friendly environment. The emphasis on AI adoption internally suggests the company is investing in productivity tools, not just cutting headcount.
Watch For: At 10+ years required experience, this is a senior IC-to-leader transition role. Candidates without experience managing other managers may find the bar high. The regulated fintech environment also requires comfort with compliance constraints on messaging and channel strategy.
About Upstart
At Upstart, we're united by a mission that matters: to radically reduce the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. Every day, we bring creativity, experimentation, and advanced AI to reshape access to credit, helping millions move forward financially with clarity and confidence.
As the leading AI lending marketplace, we partner with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit through technology that's both radically intelligent and deeply human. Our platform runs over one million predictions per borrower using more than 3,000 signals, powering smarter, fairer decisions for millions of customers.
We're proudly digital-first, giving most Upstarters the flexibility to do their best work from wherever they thrive, alongside teammates across 80+ cities in the US and Canada. We're intentional about in-person connection through team onsites, planning sessions, and moments that spark creativity and trust. Whether you choose to work primarily from home or collaborate in-person from one of our offices in Columbus, Austin, the Bay Area, or New York City, you'll have the support to work in the way that works best for you.
The Team
Upstart's Lifecycle Marketing team is responsible for driving engagement and growth across the customer lifecycle for every Upstart product. The team develops and executes lifecycle strategies that help customers discover, adopt, and deepen their relationship with Upstart through personalized, data-driven experiences across multiple owned channels.
As the Director of Lifecycle Marketing, you will lead the strategy, performance, and evolution of Lifecycle Marketing across Upstart's growing product portfolio. You'll oversee an experienced team of marketing leaders, shape the long-term roadmap for the channel, and partner closely with Product, Analytics, Creative, Product Marketing, and Growth teams to drive meaningful business outcomes.
How You'll Make an Impact
- Define and execute the long-term Lifecycle Marketing strategy across Upstart's products and customer journeys.
- Lead and develop a high-performing team of lifecycle marketing leaders, establishing clear priorities, performance expectations, and opportunities for growth.
- Own revenue and performance goals for Lifecycle Marketing, using experimentation, optimization, and automation to improve customer engagement and business results.
- Partner closely with Product, Analytics, Creative, Product Marketing, and Growth Marketing teams to prioritize initiatives and deliver customer experiences across email, push, SMS, in-app messaging, and emerging channels.
- Establish scalable lifecycle infrastructure, governance, and measurement frameworks that support a growing portfolio of products and more complex customer journeys.
- Champion thoughtful adoption of AI and automation to improve lifecycle operations, accelerate experimentation, and increase team productivity while maintaining high quality standards.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
- 10+ years of experience in B2C Lifecycle Marketing.
- 5+ years of direct people management experience, including experience leading managers.
- 4+ years of hands-on experience building and operating enterprise marketing automation platforms.
- Experience owning revenue-driven Lifecycle Marketing programs with accountability for performance targets, experimentation, and measurable business growth.
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of enterprise marketing automation platforms such as Iterable.
- Experience building lifecycle marketing programs for complex, regulated, or high-consideration customer journeys.
- Experience using customer data platforms (CDPs) to create and activate customer audiences.
- Ability to leverage AI tools to improve experimentation, workflow efficiency, campaign development, and marketing decision-making.
- Skill in translating long-term business strategy into scalable lifecycle programs while influencing cross-functional stakeholders.
Position Location: This role is available in the following locations: Remote
Time Zone Requirements: The team operates on East/West coast time zones.
Travel Requirements: As a digital-first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. Most employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S. but are encouraged to spend high-quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. The in-person sessions' cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2–4 consecutive days at a time.
Compensation
At Upstart, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. The anticipated base salary for this position is expected to be within the range below. Your actual base pay will depend on your geographic location — with our "digital first" philosophy, Upstart uses compensation regions that vary depending on location. Individual pay is also determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
United States | Remote — Anticipated Base Salary Range: $195,800–$271,000 USD
In addition, Upstart provides employees with target bonuses, equity compensation, and generous benefits packages (including medical, dental, vision, and 401k).
What You'll Love
At Upstart, our benefits for full-time employees are designed to support your health, financial well-being, family, and personal growth. Here's what you can expect:
- Competitive compensation, including base pay, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants that vest quarterly
- Retirement benefits including a 401(k) or Group Retirement Savings Plan with a company match of $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 annually
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees (US only)
- Comprehensive health coverage including medical, dental, vision, and wellness resources
- Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans (US only)
- Income protection benefits, including life insurance and disability coverage
- Paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays
- Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments
- Family-centered benefits to support fertility, parenthood, and caregiving needs
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering mental health support and life-centered resources
- Financial wellness resources, including access to financial planning tools and a financial concierge service (US only)
- Annual wellness allowance to support physical and emotional well-being and personal development
- Annual productivity allowance to invest in tools and resources needed to do your best work
- Connection and community through team events, all-company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs)
- Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens when working from offices in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City
For roles based in Canada, please note that we are not currently able to hire in Quebec.
Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. Just as we are dedicated to improving access to affordable credit for all, we are committed to inclusive and fair hiring practices.
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please email [email protected]
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