How to Hire a Head of Growth for Your Consumer Brand

Understand the Core Metrics a Head of Growth Owns

A strong Head of Growth lives and breathes numbers. In interviews, the best candidates will quickly reference and optimize for these metrics:

• CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost):
  How much it costs to acquire a customer. For example, if you spend $100 on ads and acquire 10 customers, your CAC is $10.
• LTV (Lifetime Value):
  The total revenue a customer generates over their relationship with your brand. A supplement company might sell $50 protein tubs monthly; if a customer subscribes for five years, the LTV is $3,000+.
• CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization):
  How effectively your landing pages and site turn visitors into customers. Small lifts in conversion rates compound into major revenue.
• AOV (Average Order Value):
  How much a customer spends per transaction. Upsells, bundles, and subscriptions are key levers here.

Red flag metrics? Followers, likes, and impressions. A Head of Growth is about revenue and efficiency, not vanity numbers.

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Look for Candidates Who Have Scaled Ad Spend

The clearest signal of a high-performing Head of Growth is experience scaling paid media profitably.

In interviews, ask:

1. What was your monthly ad spend when you started, and what did you scale it to?
2. How did you achieve that growth? (Listen for data-driven testing, not “vibes.”)
3. What channels were you managing?

For most DTC brands, the typical channel priority is:

1. Meta (Facebook + Instagram) – the revenue engine for most brands
2. Google + YouTube – a solid secondary channel
3. TikTok – emerging, especially for Gen Z and viral-friendly products

If someone has only managed existing spend but hasn’t grown it, they’re a media manager, not a Head of Growth.

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Evaluate Their Creative & Offer Testing Process

A Head of Growth doesn’t just buy ads—they influence creative direction and offers. Look for candidates who can:

• Test and iterate ad creative weekly.
  Ask: “How many ads are you testing per month? What’s your win rate?”
• Leverage data to make decisions.
  Strong candidates track thumb stop rate, cost per click, average view duration, and kill underperformers fast.
• Run offer tests to increase perceived value.
  The best growth marketers know small “welcome kits” can double conversions.

Example: AG1 includes a free shaker, bottle, and guidebook that cost ~$5 to produce but feel like $50 in value.

Example: Everyday Dose offers free frothers, spoons, and stickers to boost subscriptions.

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These tactics lift AOV and reduce CAC without heavy discounts.

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Assess Their “Growth Hacker” Mindset

The best Heads of Growth are endlessly curious about new ways to acquire customers. They stay ahead of trends and test unconventional tactics, such as:

• Retention.com or similar tools: Capturing emails from anonymous visitors to retarget without paying for another ad impression.
• Advertorial landing pages: Driving ad traffic to story-driven pages that pre-sell the product before checkout.
• Whitelisting creators or influencers: Running ads through influencer accounts to borrow trust and authority.

If a candidate lights up talking about creative experiments like these, that’s a good sign.

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Confirm They Understand Direct Response Marketing

A growth hire for e-commerce needs to care about sales, not just branding.

• Direct Response: Focused on getting a purchase now, even if the ad is “ugly.”
• Brand Marketing: Focused on aesthetics, vibes, and awareness (think Nike or Apple).

Your Head of Growth should be able to craft campaigns that drive immediate action, using storytelling, social proof, and clear calls to action.

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Final Interview Checklist

Before extending an offer, ensure your candidate:

• Can explain CAC, LTV, AOV, and CRO fluently.
• Has scaled ad spend at a previous brand and can detail how.
• Runs a structured creative testing process with metrics and iteration.
• Has experience testing offers that increase perceived value.
• Brings direct response DNA, not just brand marketing experience.

If they check these boxes, you’ve likely found the kind of Head of Growth who can unlock real revenue growth for your e-commerce business.

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Bottom line:
Hiring a Head of Growth isn’t about finding someone to “run ads.” It’s about finding a data-driven operator who can scale acquisition, optimize your funnel, and turn experiments into repeatable revenue. Get this hire right, and your brand’s trajectory can change overnight.