YouTube Strategist & Retention Lead

Hammer Media is the digital media company behind Caleb Hammer and his YouTube channels, including the hit show Financial Audit. In just three years, we’ve grown to 3.5+ million subscribers and over 4 billion views, making Financial Audit one of the fastest-growing personal finance shows on the internet. Our content breaks down real financial situations, helping millions of people better understand their money and make smarter financial decisions. We’ve built an entire ecosystem around financial literacy—combining engaging media, real financial stories, and practical tools that help people create lasting change in their financial lives. As we continue to grow, Hammer Media is expanding into new shows and formats, reaching wider audiences and creating more ways to educate.

About the Role

Hammer Media is looking for a YouTube Strategist & Retention Lead to help maximize the performance of Financial Audit, a long-form, unscripted YouTube series combining interviews, reality television, storytelling, and personal finance. This role is responsible for increasing audience retention, watch time, and overall channel growth by identifying what keeps viewers engaged and turning those insights into repeatable strategies. You'll work closely with producers, editors, thumbnail designers, and channel leadership to optimize every stage of the viewer journey—from title and thumbnail through the final seconds of every episode. You'll analyze performance, identify trends, test new ideas, and continuously improve our content strategy for Financial Audit. Your work will directly impact guest selection and episode premise, episode structure, storytelling, as well as rough cuts and fine cuts.

Responsibilities

• Help manage content and strategy for Financial Audit
• Analyze YouTube data including audience retention graphs, watch time, AVD, and engagement metrics to identify opportunities for improvement
• Review every published video and provide actionable feedback to producers and editors
• Identify where viewers drop off and recommend changes to pacing, storytelling, editing, scripting, graphics, music, and structure
• Develop best practices for hooks, intros, transitions, pattern interrupts, and end-of-video retention
• Collaborate with editors throughout post-production to maximize audience engagement
• Analyze title and thumbnail performance
• Build dashboards and recurring reports that highlight key performance metrics and insights
• Present findings and recommendations to leadership and creative teams
• Help establish repeatable frameworks and playbooks that improve performance across every channel
• Stay current on YouTube algorithm changes, platform updates, and emerging best practices

Requirements

• You live and breathe YouTube content. You have experience growing YouTube channels or optimizing long-form digital content
• Deep understanding of YouTube Analytics and the metrics that drive channel growth
• Strong ability to interpret retention curves and identify why viewers leave
• You know how to improve watch time and average view duration through data-driven decisions
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong understanding of storytelling, pacing, editing, and audience psychology
• Experience creating reports and communicating insights clearly to both creative and business stakeholders
• Self-starter who takes ownership and thrives in a fast-paced environment

Benefits

• In-office team (East Austin or Dallas) with a high-energy, collaborative culture focused on radical accountability
• Awesome office environment with a stocked snack bar, catered lunches, and a team that enjoys spending time together
• Unlimited PTO with a focus on results and time management
• 100% coverage for employee health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Lunch stipend and quarterly team-building activities
• Pet-friendly office