CRM Manager
A CRM Manager owns retention and repeat purchases by building segments and email, push, and SMS journeys that bring back users and paying customers.
What a CRM Manager does
A CRM Manager is responsible for everything that happens with a user after their first registration or first purchase: how they are re-engaged, how they are retained, and how their value to the product is increased. In high-risk verticals, where traffic acquisition is expensive and limited by regulators, retention often becomes the main source of profit. That is why the role matters in gambling, dating, crypto, fintech, and e-commerce.
A CRM Manager usually reports to the head of marketing or head of retention. In larger teams, the role manages CRM specialists, copywriters, and segment analysts. It works closely with product, analytics, support, and finance, because every campaign is tied to bonuses, limits, and compliance rules.
Responsibilities
- Design and run the user lifecycle: onboarding, activation, reactivation, upsell, and win-back
- Segment the database by behavior, payments, engagement, and risk
- Write and launch email, push, SMS, and messenger campaigns, and agree copy with compliance
- Set up automated scenarios (triggers based on actions and on inactivity)
- Test offers, copy, frequency, and send times through A/B tests
- Agree bonuses and promo codes with finance and the anti-fraud team to prevent abuse
- Analyze channel and campaign reports, and propose hypotheses and conclusions to the team
- Work with product and development on tracking events and the data needed for segments
- Monitor unsubscribes, complaints, and deliverability to avoid losing domains and channels
Skills
- Understanding of the retention funnel and retention unit economics
- Segmentation and cohort analysis
- Copywriting for different channels and audiences
- Ability to formulate hypotheses and interpret A/B test results
- Knowledge of advertising and payment platform restrictions and regulatory requirements
- Data work: exports, basic SQL, and understanding of events
- Prioritization and managing several workstreams at once
- Communicating with product, finance, and support in a shared language
Tools
- Braze or similar CRM automation platforms
- Mailchimp, SendGrid, or other email services
- Firebase, OneSignal, or other push tools
- SQL and BI dashboards (Looker Studio, Metabase)
- Google Analytics and product analytics (Amplitude, Mixpanel)
- Jira or Trello for tasks and campaign calendars
How performance is measured
- Retention on D1, D7, D30, or monthly subscriber retention
- Share of reactivated users
- Repeat purchases and average order value per customer
- LTV and its growth by cohort
- Campaign conversion and CTR by channel
- Unsubscribe and complaint rates for mailings
By vertical
Dating
In dating, the CRM Manager works with paid subscriptions and in-app currency. The role brings back inactive users, nudges them to upgrade to premium features, and follows up with those who did not reach payment. It is important not to overload users with messages and to account for how sensitive the topic is.
E-Commerce
In e-commerce, the role focuses on repeat orders, abandoned carts, and loyalty programs. The work relies on product range, stock levels, and margins, so campaigns are often synchronized with logistics and purchasing.
Levels
Management
Leads a team of CRM specialists, defines the retention strategy and the budget for tools, and aligns plans with product and finance. Owns the overall retention and LTV metrics, not just individual campaigns.
How to get there
People usually enter the profession from marketing, analytics, support, or work on product mailings. Experience in email marketing, copywriting, Excel, and basic SQL is useful. Understanding high-risk verticals and platform restrictions is a significant advantage.
To get started, learn product analytics, segmentation, A/B testing principles, and funnel building. Practice on real campaigns, even small ones, matters more than theoretical courses. Keeping your own log of hypotheses and results is a good habit.
Growth usually goes from executing mailings to owning the CRM direction, and then to leading a team. The wider the scope of responsibility over data, product, and budget, the higher the level of the role.
Next steps: Head of CRM, Retention Manager, Head of Growth, Lifecycle Marketing Manager, Head of Retention
FAQ
How is a CRM Manager different from a marketer?
A marketer usually focuses on acquiring new users, while a CRM Manager works with people who have already registered or purchased. Their metrics relate to retention, repeat purchases, and LTV. In small teams, these roles often overlap.
Do I need programming experience?
Programming is usually not required, but you need to be able to read data, write simple queries, and understand how events are structured in tracking. This lets you build segments and analyze campaign results on your own.
Why is this role especially important in high-risk verticals?
Traffic acquisition is often expensive and limited by platform and regulatory rules, so retention becomes one of the main sources of profit. Strong work with the existing base reduces dependence on advertising channels.
What determines a CRM Manager's income?
Income depends on company size, vertical, level of budget and metric responsibility, and experience with data and automation. Leadership roles are usually evaluated by overall LTV and retention.
What limits apply to mailings?
Mailings must comply with regulatory requirements, platform rules, and messenger policies. You cannot promise guaranteed winnings, hide bonus terms, or send messages without user consent.
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