Performance Marketing Manager

📌 Core Information

🔹 Job Title: Performance Marketing Manager

🔹 Company: Tailscale

🔹 Location: Remote (Canada, United States)

🔹 Job Type: Full-time

🔹 Category: Marketing

🔹 Date Posted: June 27, 2025

🔹 Experience Level: 4-7+ years

🔹 Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Job Overview

Key aspects of this role include:

• Owning and scaling Tailscale's paid marketing channels
• Managing and optimizing campaigns across digital and physical channels
• Driving traffic, organization activations, subscriptions, and sales pipeline
• Collaborating cross-functionally with various teams to amplify Tailscale's GTM strategy

ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strong analytical mindset and a clear communicator who can simplify complex problems and drive cross-functional alignment.

📋 Key Responsibilities

✅ Own and operate Tailscale’s paid marketing program end-to-end, including strategy, execution, measurement, and optimization

✅ Manage spend and campaigns across Google Ads, Bing, YouTube, LinkedIn, Reddit, newsletters, podcasts, billboards, and other growth channels

✅ Develop and execute an experimentation roadmap across performance and brand campaigns to drive traffic, organization activations, subscriptions, and sales pipeline

✅ Define and track key metrics (CAC, payback, activation rate, ROAS, LTV:CAC, etc.) in partnership with growth, sales, data, and finance

✅ Write creative briefs and partner with brand and content teams to develop compelling ad creative

✅ Analyze campaign performance and share insights and recommendations across the team

✅ Support major campaign motions including product launches, competitor takeouts, and account-based marketing (ABM) initiatives

✅ Collaborate cross-functionally with product marketing, lifecycle, comms, SEO, and web to ensure performance programs amplify our broader GTM strategy

✅ Stay current on ad platform changes, best practices, and SaaS benchmarks

ASSUMPTION: The ideal candidate has deep curiosity about Tailscale's target audiences, is very knowledgeable about advertising tech, and has extensive hands-on experience in performance marketing.

🎯 Required Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience)

Experience: 4-7+ years of experience in B2B performance marketing, preferably at a high-growth SaaS company

Required Skills:

• Proven track record of scaling and optimizing paid programs across multiple channels
• Strong analytical mindset with comfort using tools like Looker, Google Analytics, and Excel/Sheets
• Clear communicator and strategic thinker who can simplify complex problems and drive cross-functional alignment
• Program manager who thinks in systems, templates, and repeatable playbooks
• Outcome-orientation and a desire to build the best performance marketing program in the industry
• Relentless curiosity about Tailscale's target audiences, users, and the company itself
• Comfort with ambiguity and a willingness to experiment and iterate quickly

Preferred Skills:

• Experience at a developer tools, infrastructure, networking, or security startup
• Desire to become a people manager

ASSUMPTION: While a degree is preferred, relevant experience and a strong portfolio can also be considered.

💰 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $131,000 - $164,000 USD (US), $176,000 - $219,000 CAD (Canada)

Benefits:

• Comprehensive group benefits with no waiting period
• Remote first company with a corporate co-working program
• Support for personal and professional development
• Paid time off and a healthy work-life integration
• Build-your-own home office setup
• Generous parental leave program

Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours/week) with flexible scheduling

ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is based on industry standards for similar roles and experience levels in the United States and Canada.

📌 Applicant Insights

🔍 Company Context

Industry: Software Development, specifically focused on secure networking and remote access solutions

Company Size: 51-200 employees, which means a mid-sized company structure with opportunities for growth and impact

Founded: 2019, with a focus on building a future for the Internet that's easy, sensible, and safe

Company Description:

• Tailscale is building the new Internet by delivering software that makes it easy to securely interconnect people and their devices, no matter where they are
• From hobbyists to multinational corporations, teams of every size use Tailscale each day to protect their networks, share access to internal tools, and more
• The company is fully distributed, with employees working remotely from various locations

Company Specialties:

• Security
• Privacy
• Log Processing
• Connectivity
• Remote Access
• 2FA/MFA
• WireGuard
• Computer Networking
• Computer Networks
• VPN
• and SASE

Company Website: https://tailscale.com

ASSUMPTION: Tailscale is a well-funded startup with a clear vision and a strong focus on innovation and security in the networking space.

📊 Role Analysis

Career Level: Mid-level to senior, with the potential for growth into a team lead role as the company scales

Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Head of Marketing or a similar position

Work Arrangement: Remote OK, with the opportunity to work from various locations or visit corporate co-working spaces

Growth Opportunities:

• Potential to grow into a team lead role as the company scales
• Chance to make a significant impact on Tailscale's go-to-market strategy and revenue growth
• Opportunities to collaborate with cross-functional teams and learn from various aspects of the business

ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique opportunity to shape Tailscale's performance marketing program and make a significant impact on the company's growth.

🌍 Location & Work Environment

Office Type: Remote-first, with the option to visit corporate co-working spaces

Office Location(s): Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Berkeley, California, United States

Geographic Context:

• Tailscale's remote work environment allows for a flexible lifestyle and the ability to work from various locations
• The company has a strong presence in North America, with employees working from both Canada and the United States
• Tailscale's fully distributed nature fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment

Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours/week) with flexible scheduling, allowing for a healthy work-life integration

ASSUMPTION: Tailscale's remote-first work environment offers a high degree of flexibility and the opportunity to work from various locations.

💼 Interview & Application Insights

Typical Process:

• Online application submission
• Phone or video screen with the hiring manager
• Technical assessment or case study presentation
• Final interview with key stakeholders

Key Assessment Areas:

• Analytical skills and problem-solving abilities
• Campaign management and optimization expertise
• Communication and collaboration skills
• Cultural fit and alignment with Tailscale's values

Application Tips:

• Highlight relevant experience and achievements in performance marketing
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to emphasize your skills and fit for this role
• Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that focus on your problem-solving skills and campaign management experience

ATS Keywords: Performance Marketing, Paid Marketing, SEM, PPC, Social Media Advertising, OOH, Sponsorships, Campaign Management, A/B Testing, Analytics, Marketing Strategy, Go-To-Market Strategy, SaaS, B2B Marketing

ASSUMPTION: Tailscale's interview process is designed to assess your analytical skills, campaign management expertise, and cultural fit with the company's values and work environment.

🛠️ Tools & Technologies

• Google Ads
• Bing Ads
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
• Reddit
• Newsletters and podcasts
• Billboards and other out-of-home advertising platforms
• Looker
• Google Analytics
• Excel/Sheets
• Asana or similar project management tools

ASSUMPTION: The ideal candidate will have experience with various advertising platforms, analytics tools, and project management software.

👔 Cultural Fit Considerations

Company Values:

• Simple and secure by design
• Focus on user experience and ease of use
• Collaborative and inclusive work environment
• Continuous learning and improvement

Work Style:

• Remote-first and flexible work arrangements
• Data-driven decision making
• Cross-functional collaboration and communication
• Results-oriented and outcome-focused

Self-Assessment Questions:

• Do you have a strong curiosity about Tailscale's target audiences and a desire to understand their needs and behaviors?
• Are you comfortable working remotely and managing your time effectively in a distributed team environment?
• Do you thrive in a data-driven, results-oriented work culture, and are you comfortable making decisions based on data and analytics?

ASSUMPTION: Tailscale values candidates who are curious, collaborative, and results-oriented, with a strong focus on user experience and simplicity.

⚠️ Potential Challenges

• Managing multiple advertising channels and campaigns simultaneously
• Keeping up with the latest trends and best practices in performance marketing
• Balancing the need for experimentation and optimization with budget constraints
• Collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams in a remote work environment

ASSUMPTION: The ideal candidate will be comfortable managing multiple priorities, working independently, and collaborating effectively in a remote team environment.

📈 Similar Roles Comparison

• Unlike traditional VPNs, Tailscale offers a simple, secure, and easy-to-use networking solution for teams of any scale
• Tailscale's performance marketing manager role focuses on driving traffic, organization activations, subscriptions, and sales pipeline, rather than just brand awareness
• This role offers a unique opportunity to shape Tailscale's go-to-market strategy and make a significant impact on the company's growth

ASSUMPTION: Tailscale's performance marketing manager role is unique in its focus on driving specific business outcomes and its potential for growth and impact.

📝 Sample Projects

• Developing and executing an A/B testing roadmap to optimize paid advertising campaigns
• Collaborating with the brand team to create compelling ad creative that resonates with Tailscale's target audiences
• Analyzing campaign performance data to identify trends, optimize spend, and maximize ROI

ASSUMPTION: These sample projects illustrate the hands-on, data-driven, and collaborative nature of Tailscale's performance marketing program.

❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview

• Can you describe the current state of Tailscale's paid marketing channels and the biggest opportunities for growth?
• How does Tailscale's performance marketing program align with the company's broader go-to-market strategy?
• What are the key priorities for this role in the first 30, 60, and 90 days?
• How does Tailscale support the professional development and growth of its marketing team members?
• What is the company's approach to remote work and collaboration in a distributed team environment?

ASSUMPTION: These interview questions are designed to help you understand the role's priorities, the company's culture, and the opportunities for growth and development.

📌 Next Steps for Applicants

To apply for this position:

• Submit your application through this link
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role
• Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that focus on your problem-solving skills and campaign management experience
• If selected, be prepared to present a case study or project that demonstrates your expertise in performance marketing
• Follow up with the hiring manager one week after your final interview to express your continued interest in the role

⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.