Business Unit Description

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million that helps people turn their goals and dreams into 'Real Possibilities' by changing the way America defines aging. With staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and promote the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare security, financial security and personal fulfillment. AARP also advocates for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world's largest circulation magazine, AARP The Magazine and AARP.

Integrated Communications and Marketing (ICM) is a multimedia, service-focused communications and marketing operation that leads in shaping the impression of AARP by providing communications planning, marketing, support and execution for AARP's strategic business units.
Summary

The Loyalty Director, Catalog Engagement, is central to the growth and development of AARP's loyalty platform business. They play a significant role in enabling AARP to drive societal change via the use of an engagement loyalty program. The Director will drive emotional and functional loyalty to AARP by creating an exceptional catalog experience that increases engagement, conversions, and profitability. Responsible for both the strategic and operational management of AARP Rewards' redemptions, the Director must be data driven, with a track record of clear, measurable business impact. This multi-faceted role sits squarely at the intersection of loyalty and social entrepreneurship and reports to the VP of Loyalty.
Responsibilities

The role requires a strong ability to work well at an inter-personal level in order to champion social entrepreneurship across the organization and with partners. The role is both creative and analytical and requires the ability to balance - and find - the appropriate curated mix of highly desirable, but impactful and relevant, incentives and rewards. The position requires continuous review, critique, evaluation, and revision of offerings, initiatives, and opportunities of matrixed stakeholders and other loyalty team members.

Strategy:

• Develop an in-depth understanding of AARP's users and the social challenges facing the 50+ to inform a data- and insights-driven buying strategy that drives KPIs including redemptions, satisfaction, and lifetime value.
• Understand the intersection of using incentives to drive loyalty as well as to influence short-term and sustained knowledge and behavior change in the areas of health, wealth, and self.
• Design innovative merchandise and offer strategies that increase NPS, grow user engagement, reduce churn and drive conversion and upsell.
• Develop direct and indirect revenue or monetization streams via strategic partnerships, data insights and intelligence, and unique AARP assets/value
• Identify and secure catalog relationships with targeted brands that align with the mission and purpose of AARP
• Be the incentives and rewards subject matter expert, ensuring stakeholders are fully briefed of market changes, trends and best practices.

II. Execution

• Develop business plans including inventory assortments that will deliver sales and redemption targets, inventory health, and profitability
• Build a pipeline of incentives and rewards that can be used for continual test, learn, and optimization
• Lead a diverse matrix team of seasoned digital, technology, and loyalty professionals, including agencies and other 3rd parties, responsible for execution across buying, pricing, product and experience, development, and more.
• Oversee redemption performance and optimization including monitoring inventory health (brand, category, SKU), gaming/fraud, and upsells/cross-sells

IV. Measurement and Impact:

• Create a data-driven culture that integrates testing, measurement and optimization at every stage of the redemption funnel.
• Manage the points economy and its use as a strategic asset to drive engagement within budget confines
• Apply a test and learn approach to experiment, analyze, learn, adapt, collaborate and deliver positive audience growth and retention.
• Manage catalog budget, building investment priorities based on business objectives and issuing spending guidelines to procurement partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Advanced degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in digital marketing, social entrepreneurship, loyalty strategy and marketing, cause marketing, and/or business development.
• Excellent business judgment; familiarity with a wide variety of business models in the for-profit and non-profit sectors, and the ability to see the potential application of these models in the context of loyalty
• Well-networked in retail, e-commerce, or loyalty with an ability to engage these resources to assist AARP Rewards in its mission
• Comfort and familiarity with negotiations, deal terms, and bartering as it relates to facilitating strong strategic relationships
• Highly self-motivated with excellent communication skills, both oral and written; ability to produce high quality reports and presentations that can be delivered with ease to audiences of all levels
• Demonstrated success in meeting business objectives under tight deadlines. Able to prioritize and handle several projects concurrently.
• Experience working within a matrixed organization where success was dependent on influence if not direct control.
• Comfortable being the player or the coach. Not afraid to roll up sleeves and take action.

Benefits Offered

AARP offers competitive benefits with a 401K, 100% company funded pension plan, health, dental, vision and life insurance, STD/LTD, paid vacation and sick, and other benefits.
Equal Employment Opportunity

AARP is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture. AARP does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, color, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, mental or physical disability, genetic information, veteran status, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.