Senior Conversion Rate Optimization Lead

At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to eliminate the back row in education – and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class digital education at scale. As the parent company of edX, the world’s leading online learning platform, 2U powers more than 4,000 online higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees. Together with more than 230 colleges, universities, and corporate partners, we are helping to unlock human potential.

What We’re Looking For:

2U is seeking a results-oriented Senior Conversion Rate Optimization Lead* to drive the acquisition optimization strategy for our Executive Education (Short Course) business line. In this role, you will own the performance of the high-velocity “first touch” digital experience, focusing on both our Paid Landing Page (PLP) portfolio and Organic Program Pages. 

Sitting at the intersection of Organic Search, Paid Media, and User Experience, you will be responsible for ensuring that traffic generated from high-value channels - Paid Search, Paid Social, and Organic Search, lands on experiences designed to convert. You will work alongside a dedicated testing squad - partnering with Designers and Web Developers to execute a rigorous roadmap of A/B tests aimed at maximizing Session-to-Lead and Lead-to-Enroll rates across our Executive Education partner portfolio.

[*Internal job title: Sr Manager, Conversion Experimentation (CRO)]

Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To:

Acquisition & Landing Page Strategy

• Own the “Always-On” experimentation roadmap for the Executive Education portfolio, prioritizing tests that address high-volume traffic sources (both paid and organic) and revenue opportunities.
• Serve as the primary CRO partner to both the Paid Media and Organic Search teams. For Paid, develop innovative strategies to improve “Ad Scent” (consistency between ad copy and landing page), ensuring PLP experiences are tailored to specific audience segments and intent levels. For Organic, ensure program page content and UX align with SEO intent signals to maximize conversion without undermining search performance.
• Analyze traffic performance by channel (Paid Search, Paid Social, Organic Search, Direct) to identify underperforming segments and deploy targeted page variations: PLPs for paid traffic and optimized program pages for organic traffic, to improve Quality Scores and overall conversion efficiency.
• Partner with the SEO team to develop and test on-page optimizations for organic program pages that improve both search visibility and conversion rate, ensuring CRO interventions are SEO-safe.

Testing Strategy & Execution

• Translate quantitative data (GA4, funnel drop-off) and qualitative insights (user research, heatmaps) into robust, testable hypotheses across both PLP and organic program page surfaces.
• Articulate specific testing strategies for hypotheses and test scenarios (pre/post, A/B, multi-arm, etc.), accounting for the distinct traffic behaviors and user intent differences between paid and organic audiences.
• Establish clear success criteria as well as performance guardrails for high-value tests, with separate KPI frameworks for PLP performance (Quality Score, Cost-per-Lead) and organic page performance (Session-to-Lead rate, bounce rate).
• Write clear, data-driven creative briefs for the UI/UX Design and Web Production teams. You define what needs to be built and why; they execute the vision.
• Oversee the end-to-end testing lifecycle, from hypothesis generation to QA and launch, ensuring a high velocity of experiments across both page types without sacrificing quality.

Performance Analysis & Optimization

• Analyze test results to determine statistical significance and business impact. Move beyond simple click-through rates to understand how top-of-funnel changes on both PLPs and organic program pages impact downstream enrollment quality.
• Maintain a “Winning Mechanics” library, documenting successful psychological triggers and layout patterns discovered across paid and organic surfaces to scale across other Executive Education programs.
• Present weekly & monthly performance updates to Marketing and Product leadership, clearly articulating the ROI of the experimentation program across both paid and organic channels.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner with the Product Management team to ensure that top-of-funnel acquisition tests (across both PLPs and organic pages) align with the broader site architecture and checkout experience.
• Collaborate with the Analytics team to ensure proper measurement frameworks are in place for all experiments prior to launch, with channel-appropriate attribution models for paid vs. organic traffic.
• Act as a key liaison between the Paid Media, Organic/SEO, and Web Production teams to ensure consistent messaging, UX quality, and a cohesive user journey from first click to enrollment.

Things That Should Be In Your Background:

• Experience: 5+ years of experience in Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Digital Marketing, or Growth Marketing.
• Dual-Channel Acquisition Focus: Proven experience optimizing both paid landing pages (SEM, Paid Social) and organic program or product pages. You understand the mechanics of media buying and how on-page experience affects media costs (CPC/CPM), as well as how CRO changes can impact organic search rankings and click-through rates.
• Testing Proficiency: Deep familiarity with enterprise experimentation platforms (Optimizely, FullStory or similar tools) and the ability to manage complex test setups across multiple page types and traffic segments.
• Data Fluency: Strong ability to analyze data in tools like GA4, Segment, and Tableau to identify opportunities and validate results, including channel-segmented funnel analysis.
• Communication: Excellent written briefing skills; ability to distill complex data into clear instructions for creative and technical teams.

Management Responsibilities:

• Individual Contributor 

Benefits & Culture

Our global employee base is a diverse collection of innovators, dreamers, and doers working together to transform lives through higher education. We believe that every employee can advance our shared purpose, and that life at 2U should be fun and meaningful. If you’re excited by the opportunity to provide over 40 million learners and counting with access to world-class online higher education, then join us – and do work that makes a difference. #NoBackRow

We offer comprehensive benefits (unique per country) and excellent work/life balance.
Full-time, ZA benefits include: 

• 2 complimentary Getsmarter short courses per year
• Subsidised medical aid with Discovery Health Medical Scheme
• 4% 2U contribution towards Discovery Life Pension Fund and Group Risk Benefit
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Generous leave policy including time off to volunteer for non-profit organization, study leave, sports leave and a company-wide festive season break

2U Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At 2U, we are committed to building and sustaining a culture of belonging, respect, and inclusion. We are proud of the steps we’ve taken to bring together an employee base that embodies diverse walks of life, ideas, genders, ages, races, cultures, sexual orientations, abilities and other unique qualities. We strive to offer a workplace where every employee feels empowered by what makes us different, as well as by how we are alike. 

2U is committed to providing reasonable accommodations during our recruitment process. If you need assistance or accommodations, please reach out to us at: recruitingaccommodations@2u.com. 

About 2U

For more than a decade, 2U has been the digital transformation partner of choice to great non-profit colleges and universities delivering high-quality online education at scale. As the parent company of edX, a leading global online learning platform, 2U provides over 45 million learners with access to world-class education in partnership with more than 230 colleges, universities, and corporations. Our people and technology are powering more than 4,000 digital education offerings — from free courses to full degrees — and helping unlock human potential. To learn more: visit 2U.com.

About edX

edX is the education movement for restless learners and a leading global online learning platform from 2U. Together with the majority of the world’s top-ranked universities and industry-leading companies, we bring our community of over 45 million learners world-class education to support them at every stage of their lives and careers, from free courses to full degrees. And we're not stopping there — we're relentlessly pursuing our vision of a world where every learner can access education to unlock their potential, without the barriers of cost or location. Learn more at edX.org.

Learn more at https://2u.com/careers/
#NoBackRow

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position, and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

2U is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against applicants or employees and ensures equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of their race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, age, marital status, disability, citizenship, military or veterans’ status, or any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. 2U’s equal opportunity policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, job benefits and pay. 

2U is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from South African citizens who are members of designated groups who may contribute to Employment Equity within the workplace and the further diversification of ideas. In this regard, the relevant laws and principles associated with Employment Equity will be considered when appointing potential candidates. We are required by law to verify your ability to work lawfully in South Africa. 2U requires that you submit a copy of either your identity document or your passport and any applicable work permit if you are a foreign national, along with an updated curriculum vitae.