Head of performance marketing

Overview Our Why Smartly helps thousands of Kiwi businesses pay their people right — and we’re on a journey to become one of New Zealand’s most trusted multi-product Saa S brands. We’re passionate about combining smart tech, human insight, and exceptional service to make business simpler, faster, and more connected. About the Role (your why) We have an incredible opportunity for a senior leader to help shape the future of how Smartly attracts and converts prospects to customers in the age of AI — as Head of Performance Marketing . This high-impact role sits at the heart of our growth strategy, transforming our digital channels into high-performing engines of customer acquisition and conversion. You’ll own our end-to-end digital performance strategy — from SEO/AEO and website optimisation to paid digital campaigns and conversion rate optimisation (CRO). You’ll work closely with Product Marketing, Mar Comms, Revenue Operations, Sales, Product, and Data & AI to ensure every digital touchpoint is tuned for measurable commercial impact. Our offices are based in New Zealand . We love bringing our people together in person, but we know the benefits of flexibility for work/life balance — so we trust teams to figure out what works best together. Responsibilities Leading Smartly’s digital acquisition and website strategy to deliver measurable pipeline and revenue growth at pace. Owning KPIs including CAC, LTV, ROI, and funnel conversion performance, with regular reporting to senior leaders. Embedding frameworks for experimentation (A/B, multivariate, incrementality) across all digital activity. Optimising our website as a key sales channel — improving UX, sign-up flows, and conversion rate outcomes. Driving paid and organic performance strategies across search, paid social, display and other growth channels – staying abreast of emerging growth trends and adopting these into Smartly. Partnering with stakeholders across Sales, Product Marketing and Mar Comms to integrate performance levers into GTM activities. Selecting and deploying the right tech stack, automation, and AI solutions for digital optimisation. Managing relationships with agencies, platforms and vendors to extract maximum commercial value. We are an agile business — things change quickly, and your role will continue to evolve to meet strategic priorities and seize new opportunities. Qualifications Required experience: Relevant Marketing, Communications or Business degree. 10+ years in performance marketing, digital growth or acquisition leadership (Saa S or B2 B preferred). Proven expertise in SEO, CRO, paid media, website optimisation, and UX for conversion. Strong commercial acumen — experienced in managing CAC, LTV, ROI, and unit economics. Demonstrated success in embedding a test-and-learn culture and measurable experimentation frameworks. Experience managing agencies, vendors and platforms (Google, Meta etc). Ability to influence at executive level, connecting technical detail to commercial impact. Collaborative leadership style and capability-building mindset. Nice to have: Experience in customer-centric Saa S product environments. Knowledge of advanced AI and automation solutions for marketing performance. Deep familiarity with B2 B growth levers in small- to mid-enterprise markets. Why join us Why join us at Smartly? We’re more than just payroll — we’re building tools to make Kiwi business life easier, and we’re growing fast. As part of the Smartly team you’ll: Work on big-impact projects with decision-making room and real ownership. Be part of a culture that values curiosity, experimentation, and data-driven insight. Enjoy flexibility, social events, and plenty of opportunity to grow your skills. Collaborate with talented, passionate people across multiple disciplines. This is a defining career opportunity to lead at the intersection of creativity, technology, and commercial growth — turning curiosity into conversion and potential customers into long-term advocates #J-18808-Ljbffr