About this role
OpenAI is building the next generation of advertising for an AI-powered world, creating a platform designed to help small and medium-sized businesses connect with customers in new ways. The SMB Ads Marketing team is establishing this opportunity from the ground up, defining how businesses discover the advertising platform, achieve success, and grow their investment over time.
As the Lifecycle Marketing Manager, the selected candidate will own and lead lifecycle programs for SMB advertisers, operating in a zero-to-one environment to guide businesses from initial interest to sustained growth. Responsibilities include setting lifecycle strategy, mapping advertiser journeys, and driving execution across email, in-product experiences, and education channels in close collaboration with Product, Engineering, Data Science, and Sales teams.
Ideal candidates bring a demonstrated track record of building and leading lifecycle programs from strategy through execution with measurable activation and retention results. Success in the position requires independent judgment, analytical depth, cross-functional leadership, and hands-on execution using CRM and marketing automation platforms.
What you will do
- Manage the lifecycle program portfolio encompassing prospect conversion, activation, retention, repeat spend, reactivation, and expansion.
- Map advertiser journeys using cohort analysis, product behavior, campaign performance, and customer feedback to identify growth opportunities.
- Build segmented, triggered journeys that connect advertiser needs, intent, readiness, and behavior to relevant messaging and next steps.
- Launch onboarding and education programs that help advertisers create campaigns, understand performance, adopt capabilities, and grow their investment.
- Test audiences, messaging, channels, timing, frequency, and offers while using holdouts and downstream results to measure incremental customer impact.
- Coordinate delivery across email, in-product and onsite experiences, retargeting, education, and sales engagement with channel and product teams.
What you need
- Demonstrate a track record of building and leading lifecycle programs from strategy through execution, with measurable activation, retention, or customer-growth results.
- Translate customer behavior into effective engagement strategies through customer empathy, clear communication, and disciplined prioritization.
- Build behavioral segmentation and triggered programs using product and customer signals across multiple channels.
- Apply cohort analysis, funnel diagnostics, retention measurement, and experimental design to distinguish engagement from incremental customer outcomes.
- Bring hands-on experience with CRM and marketing automation platforms, such as Marketo or comparable tools, including journey logic, personalization, and quality assurance.
- Lead cross-functional programs with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Sales, and Marketing Operations, aligning priorities and driving delivery.
Nice to have
- Experience building lifecycle programs for SMB advertisers or self-serve advertising platforms.
- Track record launching onboarding and education programs that accelerate first campaign creation and repeat spend.
- Experience connecting email, in-product messaging, retargeting, and sales engagement into coordinated customer journeys.
- Experience using holdout tests and cohort analysis to measure incremental retention and revenue impact.
- Experience applying AI to improve personalization, content development, and campaign analysis.
Benefits
- Offers Equity
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What is the work location and remote policy?
San Francisco, CA. This role requires a hybrid schedule with an in office requirement from Monday - Wednesday.
What is the compensation for this role?
The salary is $227K – $252K alongside offers for equity.
What teams will this role work closely with?
Working closely with Product, Ads Engineering, Data Science, and Sales, this position combines customer insight, rigorous experimentation, and fast execution.