Director, App Acquisition & Lifecycle Marketing

Job Summary

KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is seeking a Director, Lifecycle Marketing & App Acquisition to join our Brand Marketing team. This role requires commuting to our Cambridge, MA; Norwalk, CT; or Miami, FL offices 3 times per week.

About the role

You will lead the strategy behind our lifecycle marketing programs and app acquisition efforts, connecting the right message to the right traveler at the right moment. You'll report into our SVP of Global Brand & B2B Marketing and collaborate with a globally distributed team spanning brand, creative, performance marketing, and commercial partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead KAYAK's lifecycle marketing strategy and CRM efforts as a key lever for app performance
• Partner with lifecycle specialists on email, push notifications, and in-app messaging to drive activation, repeat usage, and retention for acquired users
• Ensure communications are timely, relevant, and personalized
• Lead and scale KAYAK’s global app acquisition strategy
• Own and evolve the "Get the App" (GTA) and web-to-app journey
• Own App Store Optimization (ASO) across iOS and Android
• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team (including specialists across app acquisition and lifecycle)
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Brand Marketing, Product, Engineering, Analytics, and regional marketing teams
• Partner closely with Analytics and Data Science to refine measurement and attribution

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in growth marketing, CRM, lifecycle marketing, or mobile app marketing
• Proven track record managing high-performing engagement and acquisition programs at scale
• Deep expertise in CRM channels including email and push notifications
• Strong understanding of mobile app ecosystems, app growth strategy, and performance marketing
• Experience owning paid acquisition and re-engagement campaigns across major digital platforms
• Data-informed approach to decision-making — comfortable analyzing campaign metrics, running experiments, and using insights to guide strategy
• Familiarity with lifecycle marketing platforms (e.g., Braze, Iterable, Leanplum, Airship) and mobile measurement tools (e.g., Adjust, AppsFlyer, Branch)
• Proven experience building and leading CRM, lifecycle, or growth marketing teams
• Strong communication skills, able to present strategies and results clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience
• Experience in travel, e-commerce, or consumer technology
• Experience working with globally distributed teams or across multiple markets
• Knowledge of privacy regulations and their impact on lifecycle marketing and mobile attribution

Benefits and Perks

• Work from (almost) anywhere for up to 20 days per year
• Focus on mental health and well-being: Company-paid therapy sessions through SpringHealth, Company-paid subscription to HeadSpace, Company-wide week off a year - the whole team fully recharges (and returns without a pile-up of work!)
• No meeting Fridays
• Paid parental leave
• Generous paid vacation + time off for your birthday
• Paid volunteer time
• Focus on your career growth: Development Dollars, Leadership development, Access to thousands of on-demand e-learnings, Travel Discounts, Employee Resource Groups, Competitive retirement and health plans, Free lunch 2 days per week