Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

The CMO will have ownership of Highrise Capital's overall marketing strategy and will work directly with executive leadership and the sales organization.

You will be responsible for building the infrastructure necessary to take Highrise Capital's marketing operation to the next level.

You will oversee the complete customer acquisition funnel:

Traffic → Lead → Application → Qualified Opportunity → Sales Contact → Approval → Funding → Repeat Business

The successful candidate will understand that generating leads is only the beginning.

The real objective is to generate high-quality opportunities that ultimately result in funded business and profitable customer relationships.

You will have significant responsibility for marketing strategy, customer acquisition, performance marketing, CRM, marketing automation, creative, analytics, brand development, team building, and conversion optimization.

Key Responsibilities

Marketing Strategy & Growth

• Develop and executeHighrise Capital's overallmarketing strategy.
• Build a scalablecustomer acquisition engine.
• Establish annual, quarterly, and monthly marketingobjectives.
• Develop and managethe marketing budget.
• Identify new channelsfor customer acquisition.
• Analyze market trendsand competitive positioning.
• Develop strategies toincrease qualified leadvolume.
• Improve the qualityand conversion ofmarketing-generated opportunities.
• Develop strategies forcustomer retention, repeatbusiness, and databasereactivation.
• Work directly withthe CEO andexecutive team toalign marketing strategywith company growthobjectives.

Lead Generation

Own Highrise Capital's lead-generation strategy across multiple channels, including:

• Google
• Meta
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Native advertising
• SEO
• Email marketing
• SMS marketing
• Retargeting
• Affiliate marketing
• Strategic partnerships
• Referral programs
• Database reactivation
• Content marketing
• Direct-response campaigns
• Emerging digital acquisitionchannels

The CMO willbe responsible fordetermining which channelsprovide the strongestcombination of:

Lead Volume + Lead Quality + Conversion + Revenue + Profitability

We are not interested in generating leads simply for the sake of generating leads.

We want to build a system that produces qualified business owners who can become funded customers of Highrise Capital.

Performance Marketing

Build and manage a data-driven performance marketing operation.

Responsibilities include:

• Developing paid acquisitionstrategy.
• Managing advertising budgets.
• Establishing campaign KPIs.
• Monitoring campaign performance.
• Managing internal mediabuyers and externalagencies.
• Developing creative testingstrategies.
• Optimizing campaigns.
• Scaling successful campaigns.
• Identifying underperformingchannels.
• Testing new advertisingplatforms.
• Improving customer acquisitioneconomics.
• Establishing appropriateattribution systems.

You should becomfortable looking atmarketing data anddetermining:

Where are we spending money?

What are we getting in return?

Which channels should we scale?

Which channels should we change or eliminate?

Sales Funnel Optimization

The CMO will work closely with Highrise Capital's sales leadership to improve conversion throughout the entire funnel.

Key metrics include:

• Cost per lead
• Lead quality
• Contact rate
• Application rate
• Qualified opportunity rate
• Approval rate
• Funding rate
• Lead-to-fundingconversion
• Revenue per lead
• Cost per fundeddeal
• Customer acquisition cost
• Marketing ROI
• Sales cycle
• Repeat customer rate

The CMO willidentify bottlenecks anddevelop strategies to improve performance atevery stage.

CRM & Marketing Automation

Develop and optimize Highrise Capital's CRM and marketing automation infrastructure.

This includes:

• Lead routing
• Lead scoring
• Automated follow-up
• Email campaigns
• SMS campaigns
• Retargeting
• Customer segmentation
• Database management
• Re-engagement campaigns
• Marketing attribution
• Sales alerts
• Campaign tracking
• Automated customer communications

The goal isto ensure thatqualified prospects receivetimely, relevant communicationthroughout their customerjourney.

Database Reactivation

One of the most valuable assets of a financial services company is its existing database.

The CMO will develop strategies to maximize the value of Highrise Capital's existing prospect and customer database.

Campaigns may target:

• Previous customers
• Previous applicants
• Older leads
• Unresponsive prospects
• Declined applicants whereappropriate
• Customers with additionalfinancing needs
• Repeat funding opportunities
• Referral opportunities

The objective isto turn existingrelationships and historicalmarketing investment intoadditional opportunitiesfor Highrise Capital.

Brand & Positioning

Develop a strong and differentiated Highrise Capital brand within the alternative business financing marketplace.

Responsibilities include:

• Brand positioning
• Messaging
• Website strategy
• Digital presence
• Marketing materials
• Sales collateral
• Customer testimonials
• Case studies
• Educational content
• Video
• Social media
• Industry-specific campaigns

Highrise Capital shouldpresent itself asa professional, credible, responsive, and knowledgeablefinancing partner forbusiness owners.

Website & Conversion Optimization

Own the strategy for Highrise Capital's digital properties.

Continuously improve:

• Website conversion
• Landing pages
• Lead forms
• Calls-to-action
• Application flow
• User experience
• Mobile experience
• Page performance
• Analytics
• SEO
• Conversion rates

The CMO shouldestablish a cultureof continuous testing.

Test:

• Headlines
• Offers
• Creative
• Messaging
• Landing pages
• Forms
• Calls-to-action
• Customer segments
• Advertising formats

Every significant marketinginitiative should havea measurable objective.

Creative Strategy

Lead Highrise Capital's creative marketing strategy.

Oversee the development of:

• Digital advertising
• Video advertising
• Social media creative
• Landing pages
• Email campaigns
• Sales materials
• Direct-response campaigns
• Educational content
• Customer testimonials
• Case studies

The CMO shouldunderstand that creativeis both anart and ameasurable acquisitiontool.

Sales Enablement

Marketing and sales must operate as one revenue organization.

The CMO will work closely with sales leadership to develop:

• Sales presentations
• Product materials
• Industry-specific campaigns
• Customer case studies
• Email templates
• Marketing collateral
• Objection-handling resources
• Competitive positioning
• Sales messaging
• Campaign-specific salesmaterials

Marketing should giveHighrise Capital's salesteam the toolsand information necessaryto convert qualifiedopportunities into fundedbusiness.

Analytics & Reporting

Build a comprehensive marketing reporting system.

Executive reporting should provide visibility into:

Marketing

• Advertising spend
• Leads
• Cost per lead
• Qualified leads
• Cost per qualifiedlead
• Conversion rates

Sales Funnel

• Contact rate
• Application rate
• Approval rate
• Funding rate
• Lead-to-fundingconversion
• Revenue per lead

Financial Performance

• Customer acquisition cost
• Cost per fundeddeal
• Marketing-generated revenue
• Return on advertisingspend
• Marketing ROI
• Revenue contribution

Customer

• Repeat business
• Reactivation
• Customer retention
• Referral activity
• Customer acquisition

The CMO willbe expected touse data tomake decisions ratherthan relying onassumptions or vanitymetrics.

Team Leadership

Build and lead Highrise Capital's marketing organization.

As the company grows, the marketing organization may include:

• Marketing Managers
• Performance Marketers
• Media Buyers
• Copywriters
• Graphic Designers
• Video Producers
• SEO Specialists
• CRM/Automation Specialists
• Data Analysts
• Marketing Coordinators
• Outside Agencies

The CMO willbe responsible for:

• Recruiting
• Hiring
• Training
• Performance management
• Compensation structures
• KPI development
• Accountability
• Team culture
• Professional development

Agency & Vendor Management

Manage and evaluate external marketing partners, including:

• Advertising agencies
• Lead providers
• Media partners
• Creative agencies
• SEO firms
• Technology providers
• CRM providers
• Data providers
• Marketing automation platforms

All outside relationshipsshould be evaluatedbased on measurableperformance, strategicvalue, and economics.

Compliance & Responsible Marketing

Highrise Capital operates in the financial-services industry, and marketing must be conducted responsibly.

The CMO will work with company leadership and appropriate legal/compliance resources to ensure that marketing campaigns, advertising, customer communications, disclosures, data practices, and lead-generation activities comply with applicable laws, regulations, platform policies, and company standards.

We expect our marketing organization to pursue growth while maintaining high standards for accuracy, transparency, professionalism, and responsible communication.

• Proven experience inperformance marketing andlead generation.
• Experience managing significantmarketing budgets.
• Demonstrated ability toconnect marketing spendto measurable revenue.
• Strong understanding ofdigital acquisition.
• Strong understanding ofsales funnels andconversion optimization.
• Experience with CRMand marketing automation.
• Strong analytical andfinancial skills.
• Experience hiring andmanaging marketing teams.
• Excellent communicationskills.
• Strong strategic andoperational capabilities.
• Entrepreneurial mindset.
• Ability to operatein a fast-paced, highly competitiveenvironment.

Preferred Experience

Experience in one or more of the following industries is strongly preferred:

• Merchant Cash Advance
• Business financing
• Commercial lending
• Alternative finance
• Fintech
• Small-business lending
• Merchant services
• Business banking
• Insurance
• B2B financial services
• Direct-response marketing
• Lead generation
• High-ticket sales
• Call-center sales

Candidates with directexperience scaling customeracquisition in financialservices will bestrongly considered.

The Ideal Highrise Capital CMO

The right person for this position is:

Revenue-focused

You measure marketing based on its contribution to revenue and profitability.

Data-driven

You understand the numbers behind customer acquisition and use data to make decisions.

Entrepreneurial

You can operate without layers of corporate bureaucracy and are comfortable building systems from the ground up.

Competitive

You are constantly looking for opportunities to improve performance and gain market share.

Analytical

You understand CAC, CPL, CPA, ROAS, LTV, conversion rates, attribution, and funnel economics.

Creative

You understand that positioning, messaging, offers, and creative can dramatically impact acquisition performance.

Hands-on

You are comfortable getting into the details when necessary.

A Leader

You know how to recruit talented people, establish accountability, and build a high-performance marketing organization.

First 90 Days

First 30 Days

The CMO will:

• Audit Highrise Capital'scurrent marketing operation.
• Review all existingacquisition channels.
• Analyze marketing spendand performance.
• Evaluate lead quality.
• Analyze the salesfunnel.
• Review CRM andmarketing automation.
• Evaluate existing agenciesand vendors.
• Establish baseline KPIs.
• Identify immediate opportunitiesfor improvement.

Days 31–60

The CMO will:

• Develop the comprehensiveHighrise Capital marketinggrowth plan.
• Establish channel-levelperformance targets.
• Begin implementing funnelimprovements.
• Develop creative testingstrategies.
• Improve marketing reportingand attribution.
• Develop database reactivationstrategies.
• Evaluate new acquisitionchannels.
• Establish marketing teamstructure and hiringpriorities.

Days 61–90

The CMO will:

• Launch new marketinginitiatives.
• Begin scaling successfulacquisition channels.
• Implement improved reporting.
• Establish ongoing testingprocesses.
• Improve marketing-to-sales communication.
• Present a longer-term marketing roadmapto executive leadership.
• Establish a repeatableframework for measuringmarketing contributionto revenue.

What Success LooksLike

The successful CMO will build a predictable, scalable, measurable customer acquisition engine for Highrise Capital.

Success will include:

• Increased qualified leadvolume.
• Improved lead quality.
• Higher lead-to-funding conversion.
• More efficient marketingspend.
• Increased marketing-attributedrevenue.
• Additional profitable acquisitionchannels.
• Improved database reactivation.
• Stronger customer retentionand repeat opportunities.
• A high-performingmarketing team.
• Reliable marketing attribution.
• A culture ofcontinuous testing andoptimization.

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Training & Development
• 6% 401(k) match
• 50% health benefit contribution