The posting
Head of Subscriber Growth
Monocle has built one of the world’s most distinctive media brands. Now we are entering the next phase: growing the subscription business that underpins our independent journalism. This role will lead that effort, from setting the strategy to delivering the results.
Please note that this role can be based in either London or Zürich.
About Monocle
Monocle is an independent, global media brand founded in London in 2007. We cover international affairs, business, design, culture, travel and fashion through our monthly magazine, daily newsletters, 24-hour radio station, digital platforms, books, shops, cafés and an international programme of events.
From our bureaux and shops in London, Paris, Zürich, Merano, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Toronto, we reach a discerning global audience that values independent journalism, original perspectives and exceptional quality. Our subscribers are central to that community and to the continued growth of the business.
This is an exciting moment to join Monocle. We are investing in the way we attract, understand and engage our audience, with an ambitious focus on expanding the subscription business that underpins our journalism.
About the role
Reporting directly to the Chief Marketing Officer, the Head of Subscriber Growth will lead one of Monocle’s most important commercial priorities: growing our global subscriber base. This is a high-profile role with visibility across the organisation. You will drive acquisition, retention and renewal by shaping campaigns, optimising pricing and proposition, improving conversion and reducing churn, while ensuring that every initiative reflects the quality and value of the Monocle brand.
Working closely with Monocle’s editors, digital, creative and customer teams, you will turn our reporting, ideas and experiences into sustained subscriber growth. You will be an excellent communicator who can bring colleagues with you, influence decisions and create clarity around priorities, performance and opportunity.
You will be equally comfortable setting direction and rolling up your sleeves, interrogating data, improving performance, leading campaigns and optimising the subscriber journey.
As the subscription function develops, you will also have the opportunity to shape and build the team around you.
This role is ideal for an ambitious manager or senior manager ready to take the next step into a broader commercial leadership role. You will take ownership of an entire subscriber-growth function, with the autonomy to shape strategy, build capability and deliver measurable commercial results.
What you’ll do
- Own subscriber-revenue targets across Monocle’s print and digital products.
- Set and deliver acquisition, retention and renewal strategies.
- Plan and execute campaigns across email, onsite and paid channels.
- Optimise pricing, proposition and packaging to improve conversion and lifetime value.
- Work closely with marketing, editorial and digital teams to align subscriber-growth activity with Monocle’s wider strategy and output.
- Analyse performance, identify opportunities and translate insight into decisive action.
- Establish clear reporting and communicate performance, priorities and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
- Identify and deliver improvements to lifecycle journeys and the customer experience across the full subscription funnel.
- Develop a structured programme of testing and learning to improve performance continuously.
- Shape the future subscriber-growth function and build the specialist capability needed to support Monocle’s ambitions.
What you’ll bring
- Proven ownership of subscriber or recurring-revenue growth, ideally within magazines, publishing or another premium subscription-led business.
- Strong commercial judgement and a clear understanding of the factors that drive acquisition, conversion, retention and lifetime value.
- An analytical mindset and the ability to turn complex performance data into clear priorities and practical action.
- Hands-on experience with lifecycle platforms (such as Klaviyo), subscription platforms (such as Piano) and analytics tools (including GA4).
- Confidence managing paid acquisition with clear accountability for return on investment.
- Excellent stakeholder-management and communication skills, with the ability to influence colleagues across editorial, commercial, marketing and digital teams.
- The confidence to work autonomously, set direction and maintain momentum in a fast-moving business.
- A structured and curious approach to testing, learning and improving performance.
- An understanding of how to grow a premium global audience without diluting the value or distinctiveness of the brand.
- The ambition to build a function and develop a team as the subscription business grows.
The role can be based at either Midori House in Marylebone, London, or our Seefeld office in Zürich, and is office-based five days a week.
