Senior Performance Copywriter

About us

You’ve probably heard of Autotrader, but do you know what we’re all about?  

We’re the UK’s leading automotive marketplace, a heritage brand, and a tech darling of the stock market. We bring together vehicle buyers and sellers to give them real choices. Cars may be what we're best known for but we’re also the place for pretty much everything else on wheels, from e-bikes to caravans. 

In the automotive world, change is a constant, that’s why we take our job of untangling the complex car-buying journey very seriously. 
 
At our core, we’re all about people. We go our own way while embracing diversity and celebrating our differences. We dedicate ourselves to the idea that we work better together. 

Autotrader is a beautiful, surprising and vibrant place to work. We might not be for everyone, but we could be perfect for you. 

Based out of our Manchester campus, we’re looking for a senior copywriter who can craft compelling copy for digital ads, landing pages, email campaigns, and more. You'll drive creative iterations using performance insights to test new angles, formats, and CTAs weekly.

Collaborating closely with growth, paid media, design and the writing teams, you'll ensure messaging aligns with campaign goals. Mastering storytelling, you'll interpret data to create engaging hooks and refine messaging for higher conversion rates. You'll also build adaptable copy frameworks for personalisation and audience segmentation.

Championing agile marketing practices, you'll manage multiple tests, work in sprints, and pivot quickly based on results. Balancing brand voice and performance goals, you'll know when to push for direct response versus brand-building approaches. Additionally, you'll mentor junior writers and contribute to building scalable creative processes.

The ideal candidate will be able to weave storytelling into conversion-orientated messaging. You’ll be able to turn insights into action, move at pace without sacrificing quality, and adapt messaging based on real-time performance data. If you're ready to make an impact and thrive in a fast-paced environment, we can’t wait to hear from you!

Essential Criteria:

• Demonstrable experience in B2C advertising copywriting roles
• Proven success scaling paid media campaigns through iterative copy testing and optimisation.
• Knowledge of ad platform best practices (Meta, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn).
• Strong understanding of agile marketing methodologies, test matrices, and growth experiments.
• Performance copywriting expertise — can craft thumb-stopping headlines, irresistible hooks, and compelling CTAs.
• Able to embrace new technologies—such as AI—with a curious mindset and a passion for experimentation and continuous learning.
• Excellent collaboration skills — able to work at pace across cross-functional teams (teams could include growth marketers, designers, and product teams)

 
 Though not essential, it would be a big plus if you had experience or exposure to any of the following:

• Data-literate — comfortable interpreting campaign metrics, A/B test results, and adjusting creative strategy accordingly.
• Experience in B2C tech, or fast paced marketplaces.
• Direct experience supporting product launches or new market entries.
• Familiarity with AI-driven tools for creative development and optimisation.

Benefits

We’re offering a salary of £35,000 – £50,000, plus an additional 10% of your salary awarded to you in shares each year. These awarded shares will become yours in yearly instalments over the next three years, and you can choose to either sell them or keep them as shares. 

You'll have 28 days holiday per year, and that's in addition to bank holidays and half day closures on Christmas and New Year's Eve.

That’s not all. You'll be enrolled in our pension scheme, where our standard contributions are 7% and employee contributions are 5%. We also have comprehensive private medical cover, enhanced family leave provisions, a car salary sacrifice scheme, share-save options, and much more. 

We always want to give you the support you need and help prioritise your wellbeing, that’s why we provide access to 24/7 online GP and dentist, as well as specialist support for assisted fertility, gender dysphoria, menopause, period care plans and lots more.  

On top of all that, our hybrid model, Connected Working, combines the best of both worlds – office and home working. You’ll have two fixed weekly office days for team collaboration and one more of your choice to suit your work-life balance.  

Additionally, we have our remote-first periods at set times during summer and winter. During these periods, you can work remotely anywhere in the UK and from certain locations abroad.

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