About Persephone Biosciences

Persephone Biosciences is on a mission to establish the standard of care for the human gut microbiome. We are a research and product company restoring and reinvigorating the human gut microbiome through clinical validated synergistic synbiotics.

Founded in 2017 by pioneers in microbiome science—Stephane Culler, PhD, and Stephen van Dien, PhD—our team has built a proprietary AI-driven tech platform that leverages our clinical breakthroughs to solve the biggest challenges in healthcare. With this, we’ve secured transformative, multi-million dollar partnerships in consumer health, oncology, and synthetic biology, including:

• My Baby Biome: The largest U.S. study of the infant gut microbiome
• ARGONAUT: The largest U.S. study mapping the gut-immune health of cancer patients
• AMBROSIA: A study in partnership with Kroger Health on how diet and lifestyle impacts the microbiome

With $15M+ in seed funding from top investors—including Y Combinator, Fifty Years, and BrightEdge (American Cancer Society) —Persephone is preparing to launch its first commercial product in Q1 2025.

We are looking for someone who shares our passion for gut health and believes in bringing real science and real research to consumers. Successful team members at Persephone excel in dynamic, early-stage environments. They are resourceful, comfortable wearing multiple hats, and have a strong sense of ownership.

About the Job

We are hiring a Marketing Director to lead and execute all marketing efforts for our first consumer product (launching early 2025). Reporting directly to the SVP, Consumer, the Marketing Director will drive execution across paid, earned, and owned channels to ensure a successful launch and sustainable post-launch growth.

The ideal candidate will manage both internal and external marketing partners, oversee the marketing budget and KPIs, and take full ownership of all creative and messaging efforts to build brand awareness, acquire customers, and retain subscribers. This is a hands-on role, requiring the ability to drive high-level strategy and execute tactical plans that deliver results across all marketing touchpoints.

Job Responsibilities

• Own the full marketing budget and reporting, tracking spend, performance, and ROI across channels.
• Own the marketing calendar and drive brand and performance marketing initiatives and campaigns to build awareness, acquire customers, and retain subscribers.
• Lead execution across paid/performance marketing channels, managing an external agency to drive efficient customer acquisition.
• Oversee creative development and messaging: Manage the creation of all marketing materials and assets to align with brand strategy and meet operational needs.
• Manage retention marketing strategies to grow and retain a loyal subscriber base.
• Drive and manage influencer and affiliate marketing efforts, building partnerships with creators and affiliates to expand brand reach.
• Oversee social content across channels, ensuring consistency with brand voice and strategy.
• Collaborate with the Head of Physician Engagement to develop marketing strategies and materials tailored for healthcare professionals.
• Develop and lead a team of internal resources, external agencies, partners, and consultants to deliver marketing plans on time and on budget.
• Foster a customer-first mindset and cultivate a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning as we build out the marketing team.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in consumer marketing, ideally with experience in DTC or e-commerce.
• Ownership mindset: You are organized, can drive high-level strategy, and can steer projects from start to finish.
• Ruthless prioritizer: You know how to prioritize business needs and your own workload to stay focused on the most important projects.
• Collaborator and strong cross-functional influencer: You build relationships and rapport easily and have a track record of gaining alignment with stakeholders and external partners.
• Proven success in launching and scaling consumer products. You have managed multi-million dollar media budgets
• Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire teams.
• Critical thinker: You are able to solve problems and think strategically about business challenges.
• Strong analytical skills with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic startup environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field.

This role is based in San Diego, CA, with the option to work in a hybrid or in-office model. For the right candidates, we’ll also consider San Francisco (remote) or Los Angeles (remote).

More about Persephone's core values

Our values shape how we work together and engage with our customers

• Real Science, Real Research: We apply precision medicine and conduct our own research, developing products with rigor and purpose from proprietary strains.

• Restoring What Mother Nature Intended: Our products are designed to restore the gut microbiome to the powerhouse of good health it was meant to be.

• Leading the Way: We push for innovative solutions to new health challenges, building a roadmap for the future where none existed before.

• Driven by the Individual Health Journey: Inspired by what early, proactive health can enable, we imagine a world where children grow up free from heavy disease burdens.

• A Responsibility to Educate: We prioritize making science accessible, meeting people where they are to empower them with knowledge about gut health.
• You Are Part of This: We innovate with our community in mind, ensuring our products and solutions work for everyone—together, we thrive.