Senior CRM Specialist
A Senior CRM Specialist builds and runs automated communications with players and users, including email chains, push, SMS and triggered messages, to grow retention and revenue from the existing user base.
What a Senior CRM Specialist does
The Senior CRM Specialist manages the user base after registration and the first deposit, focusing on retention, repeat deposits, reactivation of dormant accounts and growth in average check. In betting and dating products, acquiring users is expensive, so companies want to get the most out of the audience they already have. This role connects data, marketing hypotheses and technical distribution tools.
Within the company, the Senior CRM Specialist usually reports to the CRM lead or Head of Retention. In larger teams, they also manage one or two middle and junior colleagues. They work closely with product analytics, the bonus team, Risk and support, because every communication must align with responsible gambling rules, regulatory requirements and bonus restrictions. Their decisions directly affect revenue and legal risk.
The key result of the role is not the number of emails sent but measurable growth in cohort performance. The Senior CRM Specialist designs segments, scenarios and A/B tests, and then ensures that the impact is confirmed by data rather than assumptions.
Responsibilities
- Design and manage the user lifecycle: onboarding, activation, retention, reactivation and VIP segments
- Build segments in the CRM and analytics tools based on behavior, deposits, bets, activity and risk signals
- Write and agree on hypotheses, run A/B and multivariate tests, and record the results
- Set up triggered chains of email, push, SMS and in-product notifications
- Coordinate bonus mechanics with the bonus team and monitor their economics and abuse
- Agree communications with lawyers and compliance: disclaimers, responsible gambling, regulatory restrictions
- Work with dashboards and reporting: LTV, retention, deposit conversion, unsubscribes, complaints
- Optimize communication cost and contact frequency to avoid base fatigue and rising unsubscribes
- Train and review the work of junior and middle CRM specialists, and review scenarios
- Work with product and development on requirements for events, tracking and integrations
Skills
- Segmentation and cohort analysis
- Designing funnels and user lifecycles
- Understanding unit economics: LTV, CAC, margin, impact of bonuses
- Setting up and interpreting A/B tests, statistical literacy
- SQL at the level of independent data pulls
- Copywriting and understanding of advertising regulations
- Task prioritization and managing multiple communication streams
- Communicating with lawyers, product and the bonus team in a shared language
- Responsible handling of personal data and marketing consent
- Mentoring and reviewing colleagues' work
Tools
- CRM platforms for messaging (for example, Braze, Mailchimp, Customer.io or the operator's in-house solutions)
- Analytics tools: Google Analytics, Yandex Metrica, internal BI dashboards
- SQL clients and data warehouses
- Push and SMS providers
- A/B testing and feature flag services
- Jira or Asana for task and hypothesis tracking
- Google Sheets and Excel for quick campaign economics calculations
How performance is measured
- Retention by cohort at day 7, 30 and 90
- Conversion from registration to first deposit and to repeat deposit
- LTV and revenue per active user
- Share of unsubscribes and complaints about communications
- Share of successful A/B tests and speed of launching them
- Cost of retaining one active user
By vertical
Betting
In betting, the CRM Specialist works with bets, accumulators, live events and the sports calendar. Communications are tied to tournaments, matches and behavior across sports. Bonus restrictions, responsible gambling rules and approval of every promotion with lawyers and the regulator are especially important.
Dating
In dating, the CRM Specialist focuses on profile activity, matches, messages and paid subscriptions. Scenarios are built around bringing users back, completing profiles and upgrading to premium plans. Tone of communication, sensitivity to data about age and interests, and control of contact frequency are critical here.
Levels
Senior
The Senior CRM Specialist independently leads a area or several products and is responsible for retention strategy and revenue results. They defend the communications budget, set priorities, and are accountable for the legal and bonus safety of scenarios. They assign tasks to junior and middle specialists, review their work and bring it to a result.
How to get there
People usually enter the profession from related roles: marketer, sales analyst, support specialist with experience working with a customer base, email marketer or product analyst. Experience with mailings, segmentation and data exports is useful. Knowledge of iGaming or dating speeds up entry but is not required at the start.
To grow, it is important to master SQL at the level of independent data pulls, the basics of statistics for A/B tests, the principles of unit economics and how CRM platforms work. It is also useful to understand the regulatory advertising restrictions in your vertical and how bonuses and their abuse work. These skills usually separate middle from senior specialists.
Growth comes through independent projects: first running individual chains and segments, then developing your own hypotheses with measurable results, and finally managing a team or several products. A resume is stronger when it includes figures on retention, revenue or reduced unsubscribes, described in the context of specific tasks.
Next steps: Lead CRM Manager, Head of CRM, Head of Retention, Retention Product Manager, Head of Lifetime Marketing
FAQ
How does a Senior CRM Specialist differ from a regular CRM Specialist?
The Senior is responsible for strategy and results, not just executing mailings. They form their own hypotheses, choose priorities, agree on scenarios with lawyers and the bonus team, and are accountable for revenue from the base. They usually also review colleagues' work.
Do you need to know programming to work as a CRM Specialist?
Programming is usually not required, but SQL at the level of independent data pulls is almost essential. It lets you build segments and test hypotheses without constant reliance on analysts. Understanding tracking events and APIs also helps when setting tasks for developers.
What affects a Senior CRM Specialist's income?
Income depends on the vertical, company size, the size of the user base, product complexity and how much the role is focused on revenue. Companies in betting and in large markets usually pay more than small projects. The salary range always depends on the specific market and employer.
What restrictions apply to CRM in high-risk verticals?
Communications are governed by regulator requirements, advertising rules and responsible gambling or user safety policies. Many promotions cannot be sent to certain groups, and some wording requires approval. That is why the CRM Specialist works closely with lawyers and compliance.
How is CRM different from performance marketing?
Performance marketing attracts new users through paid channels and optimizes registration cost. CRM works with the already registered base and is responsible for retention, repeat deposits and LTV. The two areas are closely connected, but their metrics and tools are different.
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