Sr Manager, Conversion Experimentation (CRO)

In the dynamic world of online education, where the mission is to democratise learning and unlock human potential, the demand for effective digital strategies has never been greater. At 2U, the company behind the renowned edX platform, this mission is at the heart of everything they do. They are actively seeking a seasoned Senior Manager for Conversion Experimentation (CRO) to join their Cape Town-based team. This role is pivotal in optimising the digital experience for their Executive Education portfolio, ensuring that prospective students can easily find and engage with the vast array of high-quality online programmes offered.

About the Role

This is a strategic position focused on driving continuous improvement through experimentation. The Senior Manager will be responsible for developing and executing an "Always-On" experimentation roadmap. This involves identifying and prioritising tests that target high-traffic areas, both from paid advertising channels and organic search, with the ultimate goal of enhancing conversion rates and revenue opportunities. You will be the central point of contact for Conversion Rate Optimisation within the Executive Education team, working closely with the Paid Media and Organic Search departments.

The core of this role lies in fostering innovation. You'll be tasked with devising novel strategies to improve the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, ensuring that landing page experiences are finely tuned to resonate with specific audience segments. By delving into traffic performance data across various channels, you will pinpoint underperforming segments and implement targeted page variations to uplift engagement. Furthermore, a close collaboration with the SEO team will be essential for developing and testing on-page optimisations specifically for the organic programme pages.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will encompass a wide range of activities, all geared towards data-driven optimisation:

• **Develop and Execute Experimentation Roadmaps:** Own the strategy and implementation of A/B tests and other experimentation initiatives across the Executive Education portfolio.
• **Cross-Functional Collaboration:** Act as the primary CRO partner for Paid Media, Organic Search, and Web Production teams, translating insights into actionable testing plans.
• **Insight-Driven Hypothesis Generation:** Transform quantitative and qualitative data into robust, testable hypotheses for both landing pages and organic programme pages.
• **Performance Analysis:** Analyse traffic performance by channel to identify opportunities for improvement and deploy targeted page variations.
• **Test Lifecycle Management:** Oversee the entire testing lifecycle, from initial concept and brief creation to execution, analysis, and reporting.
• **Data Interpretation:** Analyse test results, ensuring statistical significance and a clear understanding of business impact.
• **Knowledge Sharing:** Maintain a library of successful "Winning Mechanics" to inform future testing strategies.
• **Stakeholder Communication:** Present performance updates and insights to Marketing and Product leadership, ensuring alignment with broader business objectives.
• **Alignment with Product:** Partner with Product Management to ensure that experimentation efforts are integrated with broader site architecture and development plans.
• **Measurement Frameworks:** Collaborate with the Analytics team to establish and maintain appropriate measurement frameworks for all experiments.

What They're Looking For

To be successful in this role, you will need a strong foundation in CRO and digital marketing, coupled with a data-centric mindset. Essential qualifications and experience include:

• A minimum of five years of experience in Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO), Digital Marketing, or Growth Marketing.
• Demonstrated success in optimising both paid landing pages and organic programme pages.
• Deep familiarity with enterprise-level experimentation platforms.
• Proficiency in analysing data using tools such as Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Segment, and Tableau.
• Excellent written communication skills, particularly in crafting clear and data-driven creative briefs.
• A strong understanding of user behaviour and how to translate insights into effective optimisation strategies.

This role offers a fantastic opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven organisation that is at the forefront of digital education. You'll be working within a collaborative environment, leveraging data to make a tangible impact on student acquisition and engagement. The position is based in Cape Town, offering a chance to be part of a growing and influential sector within South Africa's digital landscape. In South Africa, senior CRO roles in established companies often command competitive salaries, reflecting the critical nature of driving online growth and revenue. This position is ideal for an analytical and strategic marketer looking to shape the future of online learning.

• 5+ years of experience in Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Digital Marketing, or Growth Marketing.
• Proven experience optimizing both paid landing pages and organic program pages.
• Deep familiarity with enterprise experimentation platforms.
• Strong ability to analyze data in tools like GA4, Segment, and Tableau.
• Excellent written briefing skills.