Head of Performance Marketing

Career Guide
A Head of Performance Marketing leads paid and measurable marketing programs that drive customer acquisition and revenue. This role owns channel strategy, budget allocation, testing, and reporting, and partners closely with brand, product, sales, analytics, and finance to hit growth targets efficiently.

Key Responsibilities

  • Set performance marketing strategy aligned to growth goals
  • Own paid media budget planning and spend allocation
  • Define acquisition targets and efficiency targets
  • Lead channel mix decisions across paid acquisition programs
  • Build and manage a team of performance marketers
  • Oversee campaign planning and launch execution
  • Run structured testing and experimentation programs
  • Improve conversion rates across key funnel steps
  • Create performance reporting and executive updates
  • Partner with analytics on measurement and attribution
  • Coordinate with creative teams on ad concepts and refresh cycles
  • Manage agencies and external partners where needed
  • Ensure compliance with privacy and platform policies

Top Skills for Success

Growth Strategy
Budget Management
Leadership
Stakeholder Management
Experiment Design
Conversion Rate Optimization
Performance Reporting
Marketing Analytics
Attribution Modeling
Paid Search
Paid Social
Programmatic Advertising
Lifecycle Marketing
Landing Page Optimization
Creative Testing

Career Progression

Can Lead To
Director of Performance Marketing
Vice President of Growth
Vice President of Marketing
Chief Marketing Officer
Transition Opportunities
Head of Growth
Head of Acquisition
General Manager
Revenue Operations Leader

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
Incrementality TestingMarketing Measurement StrategyFirst Party Data StrategyPrivacy ComplianceForecastingUnit EconomicsCreative OperationsTeam ScalingExecutive Communication
Development SuggestionsStrengthen measurement by building an incrementality testing plan, tighten forecasting with clear assumptions, and improve creative throughput with a repeatable testing process. Pair these with stronger executive updates that link spend to revenue and profit.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry LevelUSD 140,000 to 180,000
Mid LevelUSD 180,000 to 240,000
Senior LevelUSD 240,000 to 320,000
Growth Trend
Strong demand in ecommerce, software, and consumer apps, with increased emphasis on measurement quality, efficient growth, and durable acquisition channels.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers
AmazonGoogleMetaUberAirbnbShopifyDoorDashBooking HoldingsWalmartPayPalIntuitSalesforce
Industry Sectors
EcommerceConsumer TechnologySoftwareMarketplacesFinancial ServicesTravelMediaRetailHealthcare Technology

Recommended Next Steps

1
Build a portfolio of case studies showing spend, results, and what changed after testing
2
Create a simple measurement plan that includes clean tracking, consistent definitions, and review cadence
3
Develop a 90 day strategy for channel priorities, testing roadmap, and budget allocation
4
Practice forecast scenarios that connect acquisition volume to revenue and margin
5
Strengthen people leadership by defining roles, expectations, and performance coaching habits
6
Stay current on platform changes, privacy shifts, and new ad formats through ongoing learning