Director of User Acquisition

Team: Growth & Marketing Report to: VP, Growth & Marketing Location preferred: Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Malaysia About ELSA: ELSA is a global leader in AI-powered English communication training, dedicated to transforming how people learn and speak English with confidence. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, we operate across the U.S., Vietnam, Portugal, Indonesia, Brazil and Japan. Powered by proprietary speech-recognition technology and generative AI, ELSA delivers real-time, hyper-personalized feedback to help learners improve pronunciation, fluency, and overall communication effectiveness. With over 50 million learners and 1 billion hours of anonymized speech data, ELSAs depth of language training intelligence is unmatched in the industry. Our B2B flagship platforms ELSA Enterprise and ELSA Schools empower organizations and educational institutions to elevate communication capabilities and unlock personal and professional opportunities for their people. We design engaging, bite-sized learning experiences that adapt to each learners goals and context, ensuring measurable improvement and lasting confidence. Our vision is to become the global standard for real-time English communication training, enabling 1.5 billion language learners worldwide to speak clearly, be understood, and share their stories with the world. Backed by world-class investors including Googles Gradient Ventures, Monks Hill Ventures, and SOSV, ELSA has been recognized among the top global AI innovators: - Forbes Top 4 Companies Using AI to Transform the World - Research Sniper Top 5 Best AI Apps - ASU+GSV EdTech 150 - CB Insights Top 100 AI Companies Join us in shaping the future of language learning and empowering millions to unlock opportunity through confident communication. About The Position: We are seeking a strategic and data-driven Director of User Acquisition to lead and scale our customer growth efforts across paid media and app store optimization. This role will be responsible for developing, executing, and optimizing multi-channel acquisition strategies to drive user growth, maximize ROI, and ensure sustainable business expansion. You are a hands-on marketer who is curious, not afraid to go deep into data as well as the psychology of great advertising. You don't mind getting your hands dirty while also leading a team of marketers and agencies, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and leveraging analytics to refine our global acquisition funnel. You can deal with the complexities of an international business - multiple countries, languages, platforms. This role will primarily support B2C growth, with the potential to also extend support to B2B user acquisition as business needs evolve. Key Responsibilities: Strategy & Execution: - Drive incremental business growth in our key markets by developing and implementing a comprehensive user acquisition strategy across paid media channels and App Store Optimization. You understand the difference between attributed and incremental/true growth - Lead performance marketing efforts across Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, Apple Search Ads, programmatic, influencer marketing, app store optimization and emerging/experimental channels - Optimize acquisition campaigns through A/B testing, audience segmentation, and creative iterations to drive efficient growth. Think through test structures, implement them, analyze and optimize based on learnings - Collaborate with the creative team and influencers to build great marketing creatives across channels - Stay ahead of industry trends, new platforms, AI, and algorithm changes to capitalize on evolving digital marketing opportunities - Analytics & Optimization: - Define and track KPIs such as incremental CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), LTV (Lifetime Value), ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), Trial to Paid and user quality - Partner with data teams to implement attribution models, marketing mix modeling, and predictive analytics to improve decision-making - Use data-driven insights to optimize conversion rates, improve user journey experience, and maximize marketing efficiency. Team Leadership & Collaboration: - Manage and mentor a team of user acquisition managers and growth marketers - Work cross-functionally with analytics, creative, and product/engineering teams to improve marketing performance and user experience. - Collaborate with finance and executive leadership to set growth forecasts, budgets, and reporting frameworks - Manage stakeholder communication from cross-functional teams Qualifications: - 10+ years of experience in user acquisition, growth marketing, or performance marketing, preferably in B2C, mobile apps or gaming - Expert in incrementality testing - You understand how to measure the incremental impact of marketing on business and expand it. You know A/B experiments, confidence intervals and p-values - Strong expertise in paid media buying, SEO, ASO (App Store Optimization) and affiliate marketing. - Deep knowledge of Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Apple Search Ads, TikTok, Snapchat, and emerging ad platforms. - Proven experience scaling user acquisition efforts with a data-driven and analytical mindset. - Proficiency in Google Analytics, AppsFlyer, Looker, and A/B testing frameworks. - Exceptional leadership skills with a track record of building and leading high-performance teams. - Strong understanding of user psychology and marketing funnels Preferred Qualifications: - App Store Optimization experience - Experience in subscription-based businesses or gaming industries Why ELSA? - Competitive compensation package + Stock options - Free ELSA Premium membership to help you sharpen your English skills - International, collaborative, and high-energy work culture - Be part of a well-funded, fast-growing Silicon Valley startup, where innovation and agility are at the core of what we do - Work at the storefront of AI applied to language learning.