Lifecycle, Loyalty & Retention Manager

Your Role

As the new Lifecycle, Loyalty & Retention Manager at Kuru Footwear you will own Owned Media performance-email, SMS, and loyalty. You'll be accountable for one number: Owned Media Revenue (with subscription rate, repeat purchase rate, and loyalty engagement as your core drivers).

This role blends merchandising, storytelling, and performance. You'll design lifecycle flows, campaigns, and loyalty experiences that don't just sell products-they create moments of humanity at scale. Every touchpoint should make a customer feel cared for, understood, and excited to come back.

You'll lead the strategy and execution for email, SMS, and rewards-building processes, optimizing flows, and ensuring every send reflects the best of KURU: science-driven comfort with a human soul.

The Company

At KURU, we don't just make shoes-we help people get their lives back. Every pair comes loaded with our patented tech that hugs your heels and tackles foot pain right at the source. The result? Relief that feels like a revelation (and actually works).

When we say, "It's more than a shoe, it's a KURU!"-we mean it. These aren't just shoes that cushion your step-they help you chase what matters. From 12-hour shifts to long-distance runs to "just one more errand," KURU helps people go farther, feel better, and stay on their feet-with a lot less fuss.

Every style we design is built for real life: high performance, everyday comfort, and bounce-back power when your feet need it most. This is where comfort meets hustle, science meets storytelling, and customers say: "Because of KURU, I can _______ again."

We believe the moments after purchase are just as important as the moment before. That's why we need a Lifecycle, Loyalty & Retention Manager who can turn transactions into relationships, and customers into lifelong fans.

What You'll Focus On

Owned Media Strategy

• Own and scale KURU's owned media strategy across email, SMS, and loyalty.
• Drive revenue through lifecycle flows, campaign sends, and loyalty programs.
• Balance sales-driving content with moments that strengthen brand love and customer trust.

Channel Management & Growth

• Manage the email channel end-to-end: campaigns, flows, transactional emails, segmentation, and deliverability.
• Manage SMS channel: growth, campaigns, segmentation, and personalization.
• Optimize website subscription rate (new subscribers/sessions) through on-site merchandising and offers.

Process Creation & Documentation

• Build and document scalable processes for email, SMS, and loyalty.
• Create playbooks for lifecycle flows (welcome, post-purchase, winback, etc.) that balance merchandising and storytelling.
• Establish reporting cadence, dashboards, and testing frameworks for all owned media channels.

Loyalty & Retention Programs

• Manage and grow loyalty and rewards programs, ensuring they drive repeat purchase and engagement.
• Partner with CX to integrate loyalty into service interactions, surprise-and-delight moments, and customer recovery.
• Identify opportunities for exclusive experiences, perks, or moments that reinforce brand love.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with Growth on segmentation, offers, and campaign testing.
• Partner with Creative to ensure assets are scroll-stopping, on-brand, and emotionally resonant.
• Partner with Ecommerce to ensure lifecycle and loyalty are integrated into the site experience.
• Collaborate with Ops and Product to align lifecycle storytelling with launches, merchandising, and inventory.

Your #1 Goal

Owned Media Revenue Growth

Measured by:

• Owned Media Revenue % of Total
• Subscription Rate (new subscribers/sessions)
• Repeat Purchase Rate
• Loyalty & Rewards Engagement Rate

You'll Thrive in This Role If You...

• Are equal parts merchant and storyteller-you know how to sell, but you know how to make people feel while doing it.
• Have 5–7 years experience in lifecycle marketing, retention, or CRM (preferably DTC).
• Have managed email and SMS programs at scale, including segmentation, automation, and deliverability.
• Can translate data and customer insights into storytelling that drives repeat purchase.
• Obsess over flows, subject lines, CTAs, and design details that create meaning and momentum.
• Are fluent in tools like Klaviyo (or similar ESPs), SMS platforms, and loyalty systems.
• Have experience with loyalty program design, execution, and measurement.
• Think in journeys, not blasts-understanding how moments add up to lifetime value.
• Believe owned media is more than a channel-it's a relationship.

Why KURU?

• We're on a mission to sell 1 million pairs of shoes by 2028.
• We're rewriting the rules of foot health-building the anti-orthopedic, orthopedic brand.
• You'll create the moments that turn one-time buyers into lifelong fans.
• Work alongside a team that values imagination, curiosity, scrappiness, and making it count.

Benefits & Perks

Wondering what it's like to work for KURU Footwear? You'll enjoy coming to work AND receive these benefits:

• Hybrid remote / in-office work environment
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Education assistance available
• Employee referral bonuses
• 401(k) with company match
• Annual bonus potential
• Sabbatical at 3 years of employment
• And of course, a stellar team discount on KURUs!

This description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities and qualifications. The position, duties, and qualifications are subject to change at any time.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $150,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance
• Work Location: Hybrid remote in Salt Lake City, UT 84123