Director of Paid Acquisition

At Acorns, our mission is to look after the financial best interests of the up-and-coming, beginning with the empowering, proud step of micro-investing. How do we accomplish our mission? Our values.

Lead With Heart - With compassion, integrity, and tenacity, inspire yourself and others to move past all previous thresholds of possibility

Make Bold Decisions - We are creating a new world. Be optimistic, adventurous, and courageous. Leap fearlessly into the future

Always Build Trust - Say what you mean, mean what you say, and do what you say you’re going to do. We are all owners. We are one team

Never Stop Growing - Change IS the constant. Stay hungry and curious. Be relentless in the pursuit of progress

Find a way - Never settle, no excuses, nothing is impossible. Just make it happen

Our values guide us, and our mission drives us. Come join us and help deliver financial wellness for the whole family, putting the tools of wealth-making into everyone’s hands.

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Director of Paid Acquisition | Acorns

Acorns is seeking a Director of Paid Acquisition who thinks like an entrepreneur. This leader will own profitable subscriber growth, modernize our AI-powered growth engine, and expand our reach to new audiences, while improving customer quality, trust, and long-term value.

Acorns is a remote-first organization, offering the flexibility to work remotely while providing optional access to office space in Irvine, CA.

What you will do at Acorns:

• Strategic Leadership: Own profitable subscriber growth across all paid channels, driving CAC efficiency, LTV/CAC improvement, and sustainable scale. Define and execute the paid acquisition strategy to hit ambitious growth targets while strengthening cohort quality and plan mix. Lead and develop a high-performing team with clear accountability and performance standards.

• AI-Driven Efficiency: Integrate AI into campaign optimization, creative testing, budget allocation, and forecasting to accelerate learning velocity and improve performance. Build a scalable, data-driven growth engine that continuously optimizes toward long-term value.

• Growth Experimentation & Channel Expansion: Develop a disciplined testing framework to identify and scale new channels, audience segments, and upper-funnel opportunities. Diversify and future-proof the acquisition portfolio while maintaining performance rigor.

• Advanced Measurement: Lead the cutting-edge of incrementality testing and deliver key inputs into the Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) to prove the impact of spend and ensure maximum efficiency across large budgets. Create a holistic view of brand and performance impact to inform scaling decisions.

• Cross-Functional Growth Partnership: Collaborate with Product, Lifecycle, Analytics, SEO, and ASO teams to optimize the full funnel, from acquisition through activation and retention, strengthening product-led growth loops and conversion efficiency.

• Brand & Performance Integration: Align paid media with core brand narratives to drive both reach, trust and conversion. Partner with Brand and Creative to ensure campaigns address key barriers to growth while improving marketing recall and performance outcomes.

• Operational Excellence: Build scalable reporting, automation, and workflows that enable fast, informed decision-making. Ensure clarity, accountability, and high standards across internal teams and agency partners.

What you will bring to Acorns:

• Education: BS/BA in Business, Marketing, or a related field.

• Experience: 10+ years of acquisition marketing experience for mobile apps and web, with a proven record of managing large-scale budgets efficiently.

• Technical Expertise: Deep knowledge of paid acquisition channels, alongside experience in offline channels, brand media campaigns, and native ads.

• Growth Mindset: A result-driven professional with a mindset of relentless experimentation and broad exposure across digital and traditional acquisition channels.

• Precision & Attention to Detail: You possess an uncompromising eye for the "small things" that drive big results. Whether it’s auditing a complex tracking implementation, ensuring brand consistency across 100+ AI-generated ad variations, or catching a 0.1% discrepancy in an MMM report. You believe that excellence is in the details.

• Strategic Problem Solving: You are a natural "first-principles" thinker who thrives in ambiguity. When a channel plateaus or attribution breaks, you don’t just look for a quick fix; you diagnose the root cause and build a scalable solution that turns a roadblock into a growth opportunity.

• Analytical Rigor: Strong analytical skills, including mastery of Excel, analytics platforms, and advanced growth automation/bid management tools.

• Holistic Marketing Knowledge: An understanding of how paid signals influence organic rankings (SEO) and app store visibility (ASO).

• Mission Alignment: A passion for our mission and an understanding of how growth and acquisition support our goal of looking after the financial best interests of our customers.

• Hunger to deliver game-changing products.

• Exceptional drive and precision in delivery.

• A belief that your work is tied to your life's mission.

• Optimistic about the potential of societal change.

People Management Requirements:

• 5+ years of people management experience.

• Demonstrated experience motivating, supporting, and developing team members to meet performance expectations and build their careers.

• Ability to align company vision and organizational goals with team execution.

• Commitment to upholding policy and procedures per company standards.

• Own strategic decision-making and effectively communicate direction to team members.

You are not expected to have experience with all listed requirements. If you feel passionate about Acorns' mission, vision, and values, please apply.

What we offer:

• Competitive salary and stock options.

• A comprehensive benefits package for you and your family.

• Flexible work location, hours, and paid time off.

• 401(k) matching.

• Monthly Acorns account contribution & GoHenry account for your family.

• Mindfulness and Financial Wellness resources (Headspace and Addition Wealth).

• Acorns Career Development Program and Roots Leadership Program.

• Community week onsite gatherings and various virtual events.

• Talented and motivated team members who care deeply about one another, our mission, and our customers.

• The rare opportunity to create a new world and solve big societal challenges.

About Acorns:

Acorns is a financial wellness app that helps everyday people and families save and invest money for the long term. Since 2014, Acorns has grown into a global company with multiple life-stage products serving the needs of kids, teens, adults, and parents. Named one of Time’s “World’s Best Brands of 2024,” Acorns has helped over 14 million people save & invest over $25 billion dollars, much of it from spare change and small amounts.

Management Principles:

• Managers are constantly raising the bar.

• Managers ensure all team members have a voice and a path.

• No surprises - Managers give and receive feedback early and often.

• Managers continuously assess performance and act on concerns quickly.

• Managers foster a resilient, results-oriented mindset.

Compensation Information:

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $205,00 and $220,000/year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including equity grants, and discretionary cash bonus awards in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave), dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.

If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

Work Authorization:

Acorns participates in E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. For more information about E-Verify, please visit www.e-verify.gov