Sr Manager, Conversion Experimentation (CRO)

At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to make learning limitless– and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class higher education at scale. As the parent company of edX, a leading online learning platform, 2U powers thousands of  higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees. Together with our college, university, and corporate partners, we are helping accelerate careers and transform lives. 

What We’re Looking For:

2U is seeking a results-oriented Senior Manager, Conversion Experimentation to drive the acquisition optimization strategy for our Degree and Executive Education (Short Course) business lines. In this role, you will own the performance of the high-velocity "first touch" digital experience, focusing primarily on our Paid Landing Page (PLP) portfolio and organic program pages.

Sitting at the intersection of Paid Media and User Experience, you will be responsible for ensuring that traffic generated from high-value channels (Paid Search, Social, Organic) lands on experiences designed to convert. You will lead 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 for our partners.

Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To:

Acquisition & Landing Page Strategy

• Own the "Always-On" experimentation roadmap for the Degree and Executive Education portfolio, prioritizing tests that address high-volume traffic sources and revenue opportunities.
• Serve as the primary CRO partner to the Paid Media team. Develop innovative strategies to improve "Ad Scent" (consistency between ad copy and landing page), ensuring that landing page experiences are tailored to specific audience segments and intent levels.
• Analyze traffic performance by channel to identify underperforming segments and deploy targeted landing page variations to improve Quality Scores and conversion efficiency.

Testing Strategy & Execution

• Translate quantitative data (GA4, funnel drop-off) and qualitative insights (user research, heatmaps) into robust, testable hypotheses.
• Articulate specific testing strategies for hypotheses and test scenarios (pre/post, A/B, multi-arm, etc)
• Establish clear success criteria as well as performance guardrails for high-value tests
• 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 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 impact downstream enrollment quality.
• Maintain a "Winning Mechanics" library, documenting successful psychological triggers and layout patterns to scale across other university programs.
• Present weekly & monthly performance updates to Marketing and Product leadership, clearly articulating the ROI of the experimentation program.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner with the Product Management team to ensure that top-of-funnel acquisition tests 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.

Things That Should Be In Your Background:

• Experience: 3+ years of experience in Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Digital Marketing, or Growth Marketing.
• Acquisition Focus: Proven experience optimizing landing pages for paid traffic (SEM, Paid Social). You understand the mechanics of media buying and how on-page experience affects media costs (CPC/CPM).
• Testing Proficiency: Deep familiarity with enterprise experimentation platforms (Optimizely, VWO, Adobe Target) and the ability to manage complex test setups.
• Data Fluency: Strong ability to analyze data in tools like GA4 and Tableau to identify opportunities and validate results.
• Communication: Excellent written briefing skills; ability to distill complex data into clear instructions for creative and technical teams.

Other Attributes That Will Help You In This Role:

• Experience in the Higher Education, EdTech, or E-commerce sectors.
• Understanding of behavioral psychology principles (e.g., Urgency, Social Proof, Cognitive Load) as applied to web design.
• Basic understanding of HTML/CSS (enough to communicate effectively with developers).

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 millions of learners and counting with access to world-class higher education, then join us – and do work that makes a difference. 

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

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Life insurance, disability, and 401(k) employer match
• Free snacks and drinks in-office
• Generous paid holidays and leave policies, including unlimited PTO
• Additional time off benefits include: volunteer days, parental leave, and a company-wide winter break

The anticipated base salary range for this role is ($159,800 - $184,400), with potential bonus eligibility.  Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, budget for the position and cost of labor in the market in which the candidate will be hired.

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: [email protected]. 

About 2U

2U partners with the world's top universities and companies to develop and deliver education programs that accelerate careers and transform lives. Through partnerships with the world’s leading colleges, universities, and companies, 2U delivers thousands of online programs to millions of learners worldwide on edX, its global learning platform. From executive education and professional credentialing to master’s degree programs and free, open courses, 2U transforms how top institutions deliver workforce-aligned online education, enabling professionals to advance without pausing their careers. Learn more at 2U.com.

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.