📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Senior Director, Performance Marketing
🔹 Company: PENN Entertainment, Inc.
🔹 Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
🔹 Job Type: Full-time
🔹 Category: Marketing
🔹 Date Posted: April 23, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 6+ years
🔹 Remote Status: Remote OK
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Leading a high-performing team across various digital marketing channels
- Owning the performance marketing strategy and budget allocation
- Driving user acquisition campaign planning and optimization
- Maximizing ROI and business growth
- Navigating a fast-paced, regulated environment
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic mindset, strong analytical skills, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic, data-driven environment.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Lead a high-performing team across paid social, programmatic, search, affiliate, and other digital marketing channels
✅ Own the end-to-end performance marketing strategy, execution, and budget allocation across all acquisition channels
✅ Drive the planning and optimization of multi-million dollar UA campaigns with a focus on ROI, LTV, and CAC
✅ Partner cross-functionally with Business Intelligence, Product, Finance, and Marketing to build scalable, automated, and measurable campaigns
✅ Design and execute marketing measurement frameworks leveraging attribution models
✅ Manage forecasting, pacing, and real-time performance monitoring to ensure efficiency and budget discipline
✅ Lead creative testing and targeting strategies to drive user engagement and conversion
✅ Stay ahead of industry shifts including privacy regulation and first-party data strategies (iOS ATT, GA4)
✅ Identify and test new growth opportunities, channels, and tools to maintain a competitive edge
✅ Collaborate with brand and creative teams to align messaging and creative with acquisition goals
ASSUMPTION: This role involves a high degree of autonomy and requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, and data-driven decision-making.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
Experience: 6+ years of experience leading growth or performance marketing in direct-to-consumer verticals, preferably within mobile apps, gaming, sports betting, or e-commerce
Required Skills:
- Deep expertise in digital acquisition channels including Meta, Google Ads, Snap Chat, programmatic DSPs, and affiliate platforms
- Proven success managing multi-million dollar annual marketing budgets and delivering against aggressive acquisition KPIs
- Strong analytical skills and experience working closely with BI teams on LTV, cohort, and retention analysis
- Fluency in media mix modeling, marketing attribution, and A/B testing methodologies
- Track record of leading and developing performance-driven marketing teams
- Comfortable navigating a fast-paced, regulated environment with shifting priorities
- Strong communication skills and ability to translate performance insights into executive-level narratives
Preferred Skills:
- Experience in the gaming, sports betting, or online gambling industry
- Familiarity with gaming regulations and compliance
ASSUMPTION: Candidates with experience in the gaming industry or familiarity with gaming regulations may have an advantage in this role.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $180,000 - $195,000 USD (initial placement within the range is based on an individual's relevant knowledge, skills, and experience)
Benefits:
- Medical coverage (day-one coverage)
- 401(k) matching
- Annual performance bonus
- Equity package
- Paid time off (earned according to local policy and increases with the length of employment)
Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week)
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for similar roles and may vary depending on the candidate's experience and qualifications.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Gaming, Entertainment, and Hospitality
Company Size: 10,001+ employees (large enterprise)
Founded: 2008 (as a result of a merger between Penn National Gaming and Pinnacle Entertainment)
Company Description:
- PENN Entertainment, Inc. is North America’s leading provider of integrated entertainment, sports content, and casino gaming experiences.
- The company operates through its subsidiaries, including Penn Interactive, which focuses on online gaming and sports betting.
- PENN Entertainment is committed to supporting its employees' career growth and offers a range of benefits and wellness programs.
Company Specialties:
- Casinos and racetracks
- Online gaming and sports betting
- Entertainment content
Company Website: www.pennentertainment.com
ASSUMPTION: PENN Entertainment's large size and diverse offerings provide ample opportunities for career growth and development.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Senior-level management role with potential for strategic influence and team leadership
Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Senior Vice President of Marketing and may oversee various marketing teams and channels
Work Arrangement: Remote OK (with potential for on-site work in the future)
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential to expand the team and take on additional responsibilities
- Opportunities to collaborate with other departments and gain a broader understanding of the business
- Possibility to transition into other senior roles within the company as the business grows
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth potential for the right candidate, given PENN Entertainment's expanding digital presence and market leadership.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Hybrid (remote and on-site work available)
Office Location(s): Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Geographic Context:
- Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and offers a diverse range of cultural, historical, and recreational attractions
- The city is well-connected by public transportation, making it easy to commute to the office
- Philadelphia has a humid subtropical climate, with warm summers and cold, snowy winters
Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours per week, with flexibility for remote work)
ASSUMPTION: The hybrid work arrangement offers a good balance between remote flexibility and in-person collaboration, while Philadelphia provides a vibrant and culturally rich environment for employees.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Initial screening call with the HR team to discuss the role and assess cultural fit
- Interview with the hiring manager to discuss the candidate's experience, skills, and career goals
- Presentation or case study challenge to assess the candidate's strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
- Final interview with senior leadership to discuss the candidate's fit within the organization
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and planning
- Data analysis and interpretation
- Leadership and team management
- Communication and presentation skills
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role
- Be prepared to discuss your approach to performance marketing, budget management, and team leadership
- Research PENN Entertainment's business and industry trends to demonstrate your understanding of the company and market
ATS Keywords: Performance Marketing, Digital Acquisition, Media Efficiency, User Acquisition, Marketing Measurement, Attribution Models, Creative Testing, Digital Marketing Channels, Analytical Skills, Budget Management, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Growth Opportunities, Communication Skills, Privacy Regulation, Team Leadership
ASSUMPTION: PENN Entertainment's hiring process is designed to assess candidates' strategic thinking, leadership, and cultural fit, with a focus on performance marketing skills and experience.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Google Analytics
- Facebook Ads Manager
- Google Ads
- Programmatic DSPs (e.g., The Trade Desk, AppNexus)
- Attribution modeling tools (e.g., AppsFlyer, Adjust)
ASSUMPTION: Familiarity with these tools and technologies is essential for success in this role, as they are commonly used in performance marketing campaigns.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Integrity
- Innovation
- Excellence
- Collaboration
- Accountability
Work Style:
- Data-driven and analytical
- Fast-paced and dynamic
- Collaborative and team-oriented
- Adaptable and resilient
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you thrive in a fast-paced, data-driven environment?
- Are you comfortable navigating a regulated industry with shifting priorities?
- Do you have strong leadership skills and the ability to develop and motivate a high-performing team?
- Are you comfortable working remotely and collaborating with team members in different locations?
ASSUMPTION: PENN Entertainment values candidates who are data-driven, adaptable, and collaborative, with a strong work ethic and a commitment to excellence.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Managing a large marketing budget and delivering against aggressive acquisition KPIs
- Navigating a fast-paced, regulated environment with shifting priorities
- Staying ahead of industry shifts and first-party data strategies (iOS ATT, GA4)
- Balancing remote work and in-person collaboration effectively
ASSUMPTION: These challenges require strong leadership, strategic thinking, and adaptability, as well as a deep understanding of performance marketing and digital acquisition channels.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role is similar to a Senior Growth Marketing Manager or Senior User Acquisition Manager, but with a broader scope and higher level of responsibility
- Unlike other roles in the industry, this position requires experience in a regulated environment and a strong understanding of gaming regulations and compliance
- Career progression in this role could lead to senior leadership positions within the marketing department or other areas of the business
ASSUMPTION: This role offers unique opportunities and challenges compared to similar roles in the industry, given PENN Entertainment's size, diversity, and market leadership.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and executing a multi-million dollar user acquisition campaign across various digital marketing channels
- Designing and implementing a marketing measurement framework to optimize campaign performance and maximize ROI
- Identifying and testing new growth opportunities, channels, and tools to maintain a competitive edge in the online gaming and sports betting market
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects demonstrate the strategic, data-driven, and innovative approach required for success in this role.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- How does this role fit into the overall marketing strategy for PENN Interactive and PENN Entertainment?
- What are the key priorities for this role in the first 90 days?
- How does PENN Entertainment support the growth and development of its employees?
- What are the most significant challenges facing the online gaming and sports betting industry, and how can this role help address them?
- How does PENN Entertainment approach remote work and collaboration, and what tools and resources are provided to support remote employees?
ASSUMPTION: These questions help assess the role's strategic fit, career growth opportunities, and the company's approach to remote work and collaboration.
📌 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 your interviews by researching PENN Entertainment's business and industry trends, and practicing your responses to common interview questions
- Follow up with the HR team after your initial screening call to express your interest in the role and ask any questions you may have
- If selected for the final interview round, be prepared to present or discuss your approach to performance marketing, budget management, and team leadership
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
