Senior Director, Marketing

Job description

**About Fuel Cycle**: Fuel Cycle empowers leading organizations with agile research solutions that deliver decision-ready insights — fast, flexible, and fully integrated. As a market research disruptor, our AI-powered Insights Platform is built for speed, precision, and scale. With cutting-edge tools and seamless audience connectivity, we help brands ditch the guesswork and make smarter, customer-led decisions at lightning speed. **Why work at Fuel Cycle?** Join a high-growth team where curiosity is valued, ownership is encouraged, and your work drives real-world impact. Whether you’re based at our Los Angeles HQ, New York City hub, working remotely across the U.S., or part of our global team in India, you’ll help shape the future of decision intelligence for some of the world’s most iconic brands. **Overview:** We are seeking a bold, outcome-driven Director of Marketing to lead Fuel Cycle's next wave of growth. This leader will own the narrative around our AI-first platform, drive category creation around the AI-first Research Engine, and build a modern marketing engine that generates pipeline, accelerates product adoption, and expands customer lifetime value. This is a leader-doer role — built for someone who is equally comfortable setting the strategic vision and rolling up their sleeves to execute. You will be hands-on across campaigns, messaging, launches, and analytics. You thrive at the intersection of AI innovation and high-velocity GTM execution. You think in business outcomes, move at startup speed, and know how to turn AI-first capabilities into compelling market narratives that resonate with senior decision-makers (CMOs, CPOs, CFOs, UX and Insights leaders). You understand PLS not as a buzzword, but as an end-to-end motion spanning self-serve acquisition, in-product activation, and expansion-led revenue. You are energized by change, driven by urgency, and ready to architect a lean, AI-first marketing engine that delivers bold results — not just bold ideas. **Location:** Los Angeles, CA **Work Arrangement:** This is an **onsite** role requiring five days per week in the office. **Key Responsibilities:** **Demand Generation & Revenue Marketing** - Build and scale full-funnel campaigns — inbound, outbound, paid, ABM, and PLS — to generate pipeline and accelerate deal velocity across segments. - Own conversion optimization across all digital channels: website, landing pages, in-product CTAs, and campaign flows. - Align tightly with Sales to improve MQL quality, increase SQL conversion, and grow marketing-attributed and influenced revenue. - Develop ABM strategies targeting Fortune 1000 accounts, combining data-driven personalization with executive-level content. - Track and optimize key performance metrics: MQLs, SQLs, CPL, CPA, ROAS, and pipeline contribution. **Brand & Strategic Positioning** - Own and continuously evolve the brand narrative across the AI-powered Research Engine, AI Agents, Online Communities, and UX solutions — positioning Fuel Cycle as the defining platform for AI-native consumer intelligence. - Lead category creation efforts that establish Fuel Cycle's AI-powered Research Engine as the standard for modern insights — creating clear separation from legacy platforms and traditional research firms. - Develop and execute full-funnel marketing strategies to drive awareness, demand, and revenue growth across all channels and buyer segments. - Establish and amplify Fuel Cycle's thought leadership voice in AI-driven market research, agentic insights workflows, and the future of consumer intelligence. - Translate strategic company goals into actionable, measurable marketing plans aligned with executive priorities. **AI-First GTM Strategy & Product Marketing** - Lead GTM strategy for Fuel Cycle's AI-first capabilities — including the AI-first Research Engine, AI Agents, and embedded generative AI features — ensuring sharp positioning, compelling messaging, and rapid market adoption. - Partner with Product management to craft launch strategies for AI-powered features that speak directly to the speed, scale, and intelligence buyers demand in 2026 and beyond. - Define and evolve Ideal Customer Profiles (ICP), AI-relevant personas, and segmented messaging frameworks that resonate across enterprise buying committees. - Drive pricing strategy, sales enablement content, and competitive differentiation that crystallizes Fuel Cycle's AI advantage in the market. - Lead GTM coordination across Product, Sales, and Customer Success to ensure seamless, high-impact launches. **AI-Driven Marketing Operations & Innovation** - Champion an AI-first approach to marketing operations — deploying generative AI for content at scale, predictive analytics for lead scoring, and intelligent automation across campaign workflows. - Embed experimentation and rapid iteration into the marketing team's operating rhythm, using AI tools to test, learn, and optimize faster than the competition. - Leverage AI for hyper-personalized customer journeys across lifecycle stages — from first touch to renewal and expansion. - Evaluate, implement, and optimize a modern martech stack that enables PLG measurement, attribution, and AI-powered execution. - Ensure marketing's AI capabilities are matched by rigorous data governance, attribution modeling, and performance transparency. **Executive Audience & Enterprise Engagement** - Develop marketing programs and thought leadership content tailored to C-level buyers — CMOs, CPOs, CFOs, and UX and Insights leaders — who are navigating AI transformation in their own organizations. - Elevate Fuel Cycle's brand among Fortune 1000 decision-makers through executive roundtables, curated events, strategic communications, and analyst engagement. - Identify and capture whitespace opportunities by aligning marketing narratives with enterprise pressures: AI adoption, cost efficiency, speed-to-insight, and research modernization. **Team Leadership & Organizational Development** - Lead and continuously evolve a lean, high-impact marketing team — acting as the orchestrator of Fuel Cycle's growing AI agent workforce, directing agents as functional contributors across content, campaigns, analytics, and lifecycle marketing. - Partner with Fuel Cycle's AI programmer to co-design and deploy marketing AI agents — defining their tasks, evaluating their outputs, and continuously evolving their capabilities as the business scales. - Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Sales, and Customer Success to drive GTM alignment and market execution. - Manage marketing budget, vendor relationships, and agency partnerships to ensure ROI on every program and initiative. - Report marketing performance to the CEO and executive team with clarity, candor, and strategic context. **Product-Led Sales (PLS) — Core GTM Motion** - Drive and scale PLS as a core growth motion — encompassing self-serve acquisition, freemium models, in-product engagement, and expansion-led revenue, within an enterprise solution sales paradigm. - Drive PLS-specific conversion metrics: free-to-paid conversion, time-to-value, product-qualified lead (PQL) generation, and in-product activation rates. - Partner with Product and Engineering to shape roadmap decisions that unlock PLG growth levers — including onboarding flows, in-app prompts, and feature adoption triggers. - Leverage user behavior analytics (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Pendo) to instrument the full PLS funnel, identify friction points, and optimize conversion and retention. - Build lifecycle marketing programs that engage, retain, and expand users from initial activation through enterprise upsell. **Your Success Metrics:** **Demand Generation & Performance** - Growth in MQLs, SQLs, and opportunity conversion rates - Optimized CPL, CPA, and ROAS across all channels - Scalable, data-driven campaign execution across inbound, outbound, and ABM **Revenue & Pipeline Contribution** - Growth in marketing-sourced and influenced pipeline and closed/won revenue - Marketing-attributed ARR and expansion revenue tied to PLS motions - Alignment with Sales on shared revenue targets and funnel efficiency **Brand & Market Positioning** - Growth in brand awareness, share of voice, and executive visibility - Analyst recognition, media coverage, and AI category leadership benchmarks - Clear differentiation of Fuel Cycle's AI-native positioning vs. competitors **Customer Acquisition, Retention & Expansion** - CAC aligned with industry benchmarks across PLS and enterprise segments - Improved NPS, retention rates, and lifecycle marketing engagement - Upsell/cross-sell revenue influenced by product marketing and PLS campaigns **PLG & Product Adoption** - Free-to-paid conversion rate and time-to-value for self-serve users - Product-qualified lead (PQL) volume and PQL-to-opportunity conversion - In-product activation rates and feature adoption benchmarks **Who you’ll work with?** - CEO and Executive Leadership Team - Product Management and Design Teams - Sales Leadership and Sales Enablement - Customer Success and Client Strategy - Data, Engineering, and AI Teams - External Vendors, Agencies, and Strategic Partners **Core Skills, Competencies & Attributes:** **Skills** - **Strategic AI & PLS Marketing Leadership:** Proven ability to develop and execute AI-first marketing strategies and PLS growth motions — combining category creation, brand positioning, and product-led acquisition into a unified growth system within the enterprise solution domain. - **Full-Stack B2B Marketing Expertise:** Comprehensive experience across demand generation, ABM, product marketing, brand, content, and PLS — including self-serve funnels, freemium models, in-product engagement, and lifecycle marketing. - **AI-First Marketing Fluency:** Deep familiarity with generative AI tools, predictive analytics platforms, and AI-powered martech — applied to content scaling, campaign optimization, personalization, and operational efficiency. - **Data-Driven Decision Making:** Strong analytical skills for interpreting market trends, customer insights, PLG funnel metrics, and campaign performance. Proficiency with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, Pendo, and modern attribution platforms. - **Strategic Storytelling & Executive Communication:** Ability to craft AI-centric narratives that resonate with enterprise buyers and position Fuel Cycle as the inevitable AI-powered Research Engine for consumer intelligence. - **AI Agent Orchestration & Workflow Design:** Proven ability to direct AI agents as functional team members — assigning tasks, reviewing outputs, and evolving agent design in close partnership with technical teams. Comfortable being both the strategist and the system architect of an AI-powered marketing function. **Competencies** - **Cross-Functional Leadership:** Proven track record building high-performing marketing teams and driving alignment across Sales, Product, Engineering, and Customer Success. Experienced in partnering with Product and Engineering to shape PLS-enabling roadmap decisions. - **Customer-Centric Focus:** Deep understanding of enterprise buyer journeys, AI adoption anxieties, and the decision-making dynamics of CMOs, CPOs, and Insights leaders. - **Market & Industry Acumen:** Familiarity with market research technologies, AI/ML trends, and the evolving needs of enterprise insights buyers across healthcare, finance, consumer goods, and technology sectors. **Attributes** - **Results Orientation:** Committed to measurable outcomes — pipeline, brand equity, PLS metrics, and AI-driven efficiency gains. Agile and able to pivot quickly in response to market shifts. - **Entrepreneurial Agility:** Driven by speed, experimentation, and rapid iteration. Hands-on with a strong execution focus and bias for action over process. - **Visionary Leadership:** Inspires teams through a clear point of view on where AI and PLS are taking the insights industry — and exactly how Fuel Cycle wins. **What you’ll bring:** - 7+ years in B2B marketing roles, including 2+ years in a marketing leadership or management position within B2B SaaS, AI-powered software, or insights/research technology - Demonstrated success leading GTM efforts for AI-native, disruptive, or emerging category products with clear market differentiation - Deep expertise in PLS mechanics: self-serve funnels, freemium models, PQL frameworks, in-product engagement, and PLS-to-enterprise expansion motions - Proven application of AI tools in marketing strategy, content operations, campaign execution, and performance optimization - Experience deploying or directing AI agents in a marketing context: Treats AI as a force-multiplier and the default first answer to capacity questions. Proven instinct to build agent-powered solutions rather than scale headcount. - Strong command of user analytics and behavior tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Pendo) to instrument and optimize PLS funnels - Experience engaging enterprise-level buyers — CMOs, CPOs, CFOs, and Insights leaders — with targeted content, ABM strategies, and executive programs - Track record of building high-performing, cross-functional marketing teams and launching integrated campaigns that drive measurable revenue impact - Proven ability to align PLS, growth, product, and lifecycle marketing around unified business goals - Based in Los Angeles — this is an in-person, HQ-based role in West Los Angeles **Preferred, but Not Required** - Experience in high-growth, venture-backed SaaS companies scaling through PLS motions - Familiarity with AI/ML platform marketing, agentic software, or the market research technology ecosystem - Advanced degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field - Experience with modern martech stacks: marketing automation, CDP, ABM platforms, and AI-native analytics tools **Benefits & Perks:** Fuel Cycle is committed to supporting the well-being, flexibility, and growth of our team. We offer a competitive and inclusive benefits package that includes: - **Comprehensive Health Coverage**: Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans - **401(k) with Company Match**: Plan for your future with our retirement savings program - **Equity Purchase Option**: Participate in Fuel Cycle’s long-term success - **Flexible Work Schedule**: Empowering you to balance life and work - **Generous Time Off**: - 15 vacation days and 7 sick days per year - 12 company holidays - 4 floating holidays/recharge days to rest or celebrate what matters to you - **Paid Parental Leave**: Time to bond with your growing family - **Monthly Internet & Phone Stipend**: Support for remote work setup - **Wellness & Lifestyle Perks**: Access to tools like **Rightway (healthcare navigation), Headspace (mental wellness), Peloton (fitness)**, and more - **Team Connection Perks**: - **Weekly community lunches**, refreshments, and snacks at our LA & NY headquarters **Compensation Overview:** The expected starting salary range for this position is **$175,000 - $215,000.** This range represents the typical starting compensation offered to candidates hired into this role. Final base salary will be determined based on a variety of factors, including location, work experience, skills, knowledge, education, and certifications. In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for a discretionary bonus with a target of 10% of base salary. Actual bonus amounts, if any, are determined at the company’s sole discretion and may vary based on individual performance, company performance, and market conditions. This role may also be eligible for an equity grant or purchase option. These components make up your total compensation package, which will be reviewed in greater detail during your initial recruiter conversation. **Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Equal Opportunity:** At Fuel Cycle, we embrace the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion and are committed to fostering an inclusive company culture. We believe that everyone, regardless of their background or identity, should have equal access to opportunities for growth and advancement. Our selection processes and career pathways are designed to be fair, transparent, and free from bias. We value the unique perspectives and contributions of each team member, knowing that this diverse range of experiences strengthens our team. Fuel Cycle stands firmly against discrimination based on disability, sex, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, or any other protected status under the law. Fuel Cycle is an equal opportunity employer and fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities, as needed, to enable them to perform the essential functions of their job and participate in the application and interview process. If you require accommodations during any part of the application process, please contact us at [hr@fuelcycle.com](mailto:hr@fuelcycle.com) to discuss your needs.