CRM Manager Job Description | Free Template + £45-60k Pay
Job Descriptions
CRM Manager Job Description | Free Template + £45-60k Pay
Retention is where eCommerce margin is won or lost, and the CRM Manager owns it. This guide gives HR managers and Heads of eCommerce a free, copy-paste CRM Manager job description template, the responsibilities, skills and tools to specify, current UK salary ranges, and how the role differs from an email or retention marketer, so you hire the person who actually grows repeat revenue. It also maps where the role sits in an eCommerce team: who a CRM Manager reports to, who they work alongside, and what they typically manage. Getting that structure clear before you advertise saves a round of mismatched applications and a renegotiated offer.
Pay sits between £45,000 and £60,000 for most UK CRM Managers, rising through senior and head-of-function levels, so the band you publish signals the seniority you are actually buying. Use the template exactly as written, or strip out the responsibilities that do not apply to your brand. Every section below is written for eCommerce rather than generic B2B CRM.
£45-60k
Typical UK CRM Manager salary
Morgan McKinley, 2026
Typical UK CRM Manager salary
Morgan McKinley, 2026
£75k
London top end
Morgan McKinley, 2026
London top end
Morgan McKinley, 2026
Free
Copy-paste JD template below
Ready to post
Copy-paste JD template below
Ready to post
10-25%
London pay premium
Market standard
London pay premium
Market standard
Quick Answer
A strong CRM Manager job description defines the person who owns customer retention and lifecycle marketing: segmentation, email and SMS automation, loyalty, and the data behind repeat revenue, measured on retention rate, repeat purchase rate and customer lifetime value. It should set out the role purpose, responsibilities, required skills and tools, KPIs, reporting line and salary. In the UK a CRM Manager typically earns £45,000 to £60,000. The free template below is ready to copy, edit and post.
Where It Sits
Where a CRM Manager Sits in an eCommerce Team
In most eCommerce teams the CRM Manager sits inside marketing, reporting to the Head of eCommerce, Head of CRM or Marketing Director. They sit alongside acquisition roles such as paid media and SEO, often manage a CRM or email executive, and work daily with trading, data and customer service.
Reports Into
Head of eCommerce · Marketing Director · Head of CRM
Head of eCommerce · Marketing Director · Head of CRM
Smaller brands report the role straight into the Head of eCommerce or Marketing Director. Once retention has its own function, a Head of CRM sits in between.
The Role
CRM Manager
CRM Manager
Owns the customer database, lifecycle automation and the retention number. Hands-on in the platform rather than purely strategic, and usually the most senior retention voice in the room until a Head of CRM exists.
May Manage
CRM Executive · Email Marketing Executive · Agency or Freelance Support
CRM Executive · Email Marketing Executive · Agency or Freelance Support
Many CRM Managers carry no direct reports at all. If yours will, say so in the job description, because line management changes both the candidate pool and the salary band.
Works Alongside
eCommerce Manager
Paid Media Manager
SEO Manager
Content Manager
Data Analyst
Trading & Merchandising
Customer Service
Paid Media Manager
SEO Manager
Content Manager
Data Analyst
Trading & Merchandising
Customer Service
Where the role sits decides how you write the brief. A first dedicated retention hire needs autonomy, platform ownership and a direct line to the person who owns the revenue target. A CRM Manager joining an established function needs to slot into someone else’s segmentation model and reporting cadence, which is a different candidate. Set the structure first, then write the advert. For the wider picture, see our guides on how to build an eCommerce team and live CRM Manager jobs, or benchmark the package against the UK eCommerce Salary Guide.
Section 01
What a CRM Manager Does
A CRM Manager owns the relationship with existing customers and turns it into repeat revenue. Where acquisition marketing brings people in, the CRM Manager keeps them, and gets them buying again. The role runs customer data and segmentation, lifecycle and retention campaigns across email, SMS and push, loyalty and win-back programmes, and the reporting that ties it all to customer lifetime value. In most eCommerce brands it reports into the Head of eCommerce, Marketing Director, or a Head of CRM.
Retention has become the pressure point in eCommerce. As paid acquisition costs climbed, brands that grow profitably do it by increasing repeat purchase rate and lifetime value, rather than by raising top-of-funnel spend. That is exactly why demand for CRM and retention talent is booming, and why the job description has to screen for someone who thinks in cohorts and margin, rather than campaign sends.
Section 02 · Free Template
Free CRM Manager Job Description Template
Copy the template below, replace the bracketed placeholders with your own detail, and trim any responsibilities that do not apply. It is written for eCommerce brands and geared to attract candidates who grow repeat revenue and lifetime value, rather than email volume.
Job Title
CRM Manager
Reports To
[Head of eCommerce / Head of CRM / Marketing Director]
Location
[Location, hybrid, two to three days in office]
Salary
[£45,000 to £60,000, plus bonus and benefits]
Role Purpose
To own [Company]’s customer retention and lifecycle marketing, growing repeat purchase rate, retention and customer lifetime value through segmented, automated campaigns across email, SMS and other owned channels.
Key Responsibilities
- Own the customer database, segmentation and lifecycle strategy.
- Plan and build automated flows: welcome, browse and cart abandonment, post-purchase, win-back.
- Run the campaign calendar across email, SMS and push.
- Manage the loyalty or rewards programme and drive sign-ups.
- Personalise content and offers using behavioural and purchase data.
- Run A/B tests on subject lines, creative, timing and offers.
- Protect deliverability, consent and data compliance under UK GDPR and PECR.
- Report on retention, repeat purchase rate, lifetime value and channel revenue.
Skills and Experience
- Hands-on experience running CRM or retention for an eCommerce or subscription brand.
- Expert in a CRM or marketing automation platform such as Klaviyo, Braze, HubSpot or Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
- Confident with segmentation, automation logic and A/B testing.
- Strong with data: comfortable in GA4 and reporting, SQL a plus.
- A clear understanding of retention metrics, cohorts and lifetime value.
- Knowledge of UK GDPR, PECR and email deliverability best practice.
Key Performance Indicators
- Customer retention and repeat purchase rate.
- Customer lifetime value and CRM-attributed revenue.
- Flow and campaign performance: conversion and revenue per send.
- List health: deliverability, engagement and unsubscribe rate.
Team and Reporting Line
- Reports to [Head of eCommerce / Head of CRM / Marketing Director].
- [Direct reports: CRM Executive / Email Marketing Executive, or no direct reports].
- Works closely with paid media, SEO, content, trading and customer service.
What We Offer
[Salary range, performance bonus, pension, hybrid working, training budget and platform subscriptions.]
Section 03
Key Responsibilities Explained
If you are tailoring the template, these are the four areas that define a genuine CRM Manager, and separate a retention strategist from someone who just schedules newsletters.
Section 04
Skills and Tools to Specify
Be specific about the platform and metrics in the job description. Naming the actual stack attracts genuine CRM operators and filters out generalists. These are the capabilities to prioritise.
ℹ
Name your platform in the advert. A job description that says “own retention on Klaviyo for a Shopify Plus brand, measured on repeat purchase rate and lifetime value” attracts far stronger candidates than one that says “manage our email marketing.”
Section 05 · Pay Guide
CRM Manager Pay Guide
Always publish a salary band in the job description. A UK CRM Manager typically earns £45,000 to £60,000, with executives from around £26,000 and heads of function reaching £100,000. Figures below draw on Morgan McKinley, Indeed and our own UK eCommerce Salary Guide. For related demand, see our digital marketing jobs in London guide.
| Level | Experience | UK salary |
|---|---|---|
| CRM Executive | 0 to 2 years | £26,000 to £35,000 |
| CRM Manager | 3 to 6 years | £45,000 to £60,000 |
| Senior CRM Manager | 6 to 9 years | £55,000 to £72,000 |
| Head of CRM / Retention | 9 years and up | £75,000 to £100,000 |
Indicative 2027 UK ranges. Add roughly 10 to 25 per cent for London, where CRM managers commonly reach £75,000. Candidates with strong data skills, subscription or high-growth eCommerce experience sit at the upper end.
Section 06
How CRM Differs From Email Marketing
The titles CRM Manager, Email Marketing Manager and Retention Manager are often used loosely, which leads to mismatched job descriptions. Email is one channel a CRM Manager uses; CRM is the wider discipline of managing customer relationships and data across the whole lifecycle. Map the difference before you write the brief.
📧
Email Marketing Manager
Focused on the email channel: building and sending campaigns, newsletters and creative. Strong on execution and copy, but usually narrower than full CRM, and often measured on channel metrics such as open and click rates.
🔄
CRM Manager
Owns the customer relationship across every owned channel: data, segmentation, lifecycle automation, loyalty and reporting, with email and SMS as delivery channels. Measured on retention, repeat purchase and lifetime value, rather than sends.
📈
Retention Manager
Often used interchangeably with CRM Manager, with a sharper focus on the commercial outcome: keeping customers, reducing churn and lifting lifetime value. In many eCommerce brands, CRM Manager and Retention Manager describe the same role.
ℹ
If you need channel execution only, hire an Email Marketing Manager. If you need someone to own data, segmentation, automation and the retention number, write a CRM Manager job description, and price it accordingly.
Section 07
CRM Manager Versus Head of CRM
A common hiring error is blurring the CRM Manager and Head of CRM levels, which produces a mismatched job description and salary. Map the difference before you write the brief.
CRM Manager
£45,000 to £60,000
+Builds and runs the campaigns and automated flows hands-on
+Owns day-to-day segmentation and reporting
+Usually few or no direct reports
Head of CRM
£75,000 to £100,000
+Owns the retention strategy and lifetime value target
+Sets budget and reports to leadership
+Manages CRM managers, executives and the tech stack
✅
Rule of thumb
If the role builds and runs retention day to day, it is a CRM Manager. If it owns the strategy, budget and lifetime value number across the function, it is a Head of CRM. Match the job description and salary to the real level, a brief that asks for strategy ownership on a manager salary will not convert.
Getting Your CRM Manager Job Description Right
A precise CRM Manager job description does most of the screening for you: it filters for people who grow retention and lifetime value, names the platform and metrics that matter, and sets the right salary expectation. Start from the free template above, tailor it to your brand and stack, and be clear about the level you need. Three steps will keep your brief sharp.
1
Confirm the role and where it sits, CRM Manager, Email Marketing Manager or Head of CRM, before you write a word.
2
Use the template, name the platform and metrics, and publish the salary band.
3
Benchmark the package with a specialist recruiter before the role goes live. See also our eCommerce salary guide.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
01What does a CRM Manager do?
A CRM Manager owns customer retention and lifecycle marketing. They manage the customer database and segmentation, build automated flows across email, SMS and push, run loyalty and win-back programmes, and report on retention, repeat purchase rate and customer lifetime value. In eCommerce, the role is focused on turning existing customers into repeat, higher-value buyers rather than acquiring new ones.
02Who does a CRM Manager report to?
A CRM Manager usually reports to the Head of eCommerce, the Marketing Director, or a Head of CRM where retention is its own function. They sit within marketing, alongside paid media, SEO and content, and work closely with trading, data and customer service. Direct reports are optional: many CRM Managers have none, while others manage a CRM or email executive.
03What should a CRM Manager job description include?
A CRM Manager job description should include the job title, reporting line, location and working pattern, a salary band, a clear role purpose, key responsibilities across data, segmentation, lifecycle automation, loyalty and reporting, the CRM platform in use, the KPIs the role is measured on (retention, repeat purchase, lifetime value), and what the company offers. Naming the platform and metrics attracts genuine CRM operators rather than channel generalists.
04What skills should a CRM Manager have?
A CRM Manager should be expert in a marketing automation platform such as Klaviyo, Braze, HubSpot or Salesforce Marketing Cloud, confident with segmentation, automation logic and A/B testing, and comfortable with data in GA4 and reporting, with SQL a plus. They need a clear understanding of retention metrics, cohorts and lifetime value, knowledge of UK GDPR, PECR and deliverability, and the commercial judgement to think in margin, rather than sends.
05What qualifications does a CRM Manager need?
There is no mandatory qualification for a CRM Manager in the UK. Most come from a marketing, business or data background, and employers weigh hands-on platform experience well above a specific degree. Certifications from Klaviyo, HubSpot or Salesforce carry real weight, as does demonstrable ownership of a retention or lifecycle programme. Screen for evidence of results on retention and repeat purchase rather than a qualification list.
06How much does a CRM Manager earn in the UK?
A UK CRM Manager typically earns £45,000 to £60,000 in 2027. CRM Executives start around £26,000 to £35,000, Senior CRM Managers earn £55,000 to £72,000, and a Head of CRM or Retention commands £75,000 to £100,000. London pays roughly 10 to 25 per cent above the national average, with CRM managers commonly reaching £75,000, and candidates with strong data or subscription experience at the top end.
07Should a CRM Manager job description include a salary band?
Yes. Publishing a salary band widens the applicant pool, filters out mismatched candidates before interview, and avoids renegotiation at offer stage. A UK CRM Manager typically sits between £45,000 and £60,000, so a band such as £45,000 to £55,000 signals the level clearly. In our experience, adverts without a band attract more speculative applications and take longer to fill.
08What is the difference between a CRM Manager and an Email Marketing Manager?
An Email Marketing Manager focuses on the email channel: building and sending campaigns, newsletters and creative, usually measured on channel metrics. A CRM Manager owns the wider customer relationship across every owned channel, including data, segmentation, lifecycle automation, loyalty and reporting, measured on retention, repeat purchase and lifetime value. Email is one channel a CRM Manager uses; CRM is the broader discipline.
09What is the difference between a CRM Manager and a Head of CRM?
A CRM Manager builds and runs retention day to day: segmentation, lifecycle flows, campaigns and reporting, usually with few or no direct reports, at roughly £45,000 to £60,000 in the UK. A Head of CRM owns the retention strategy, the budget and the lifetime value target across the function, manages the CRM team and tech stack, and typically earns £75,000 to £100,000. Match the job description and salary to the level you are actually hiring.
10What tools should a CRM Manager know?
The core tools are a CRM or marketing automation platform such as Klaviyo, Braze, HubSpot or Salesforce Marketing Cloud, plus GA4 for analytics and reporting. Familiarity with the eCommerce platform in use (such as Shopify), a loyalty or reviews app, and SQL for deeper data work are all valuable. The exact stack depends on the business, so name yours in the job description.
11Why is CRM and retention hiring growing in eCommerce?
As paid acquisition costs have risen, eCommerce brands increasingly grow profit by retaining customers and lifting lifetime value rather than only buying new traffic. Retention is more cost-effective than acquisition, so demand for CRM and retention specialists who can build lifecycle programmes and grow repeat revenue has climbed. A strong CRM hire directly protects margin, which is why the role is in demand.
12How do I write a CRM Manager job description that attracts strong candidates?
Name the specific platform, the eCommerce stack and the metrics the role owns, publish a salary band, and lead with the commercial impact, growing retention and lifetime value, rather than a list of tasks. Test for data and lifecycle thinking at interview by asking how a candidate would improve repeat purchase rate or build a win-back flow. Start from a proven template, be clear on the level, and benchmark the salary against the live market before publishing.
Sources and Further Reading
- Morgan McKinley: CRM Manager Salary in London, 2026
- Indeed: CRM Manager Salary in the United Kingdom, 2026
- PayScale: CRM Manager Salary in the United Kingdom, 2026
- ICO: Direct Marketing, UK GDPR and PECR Guidance
- Elite X Recruit: UK eCommerce Salary Guide, Live Benchmarks by Role
By the Elite X Recruit team, UK eCommerce recruitment specialists. REC members.
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