Overview
Vice President of Marketing – Restaurants Jobs in United States at Leap Brands
Title: Vice President of Marketing – Restaurants
Company: Leap Brands
Location: United States
Our client is a high-growth restaurant brand with a cult-like following and a distinct cultural identity, we are seeking a Head of Marketing who is part scientist, part street-fighter, and total visionary.
Our client has successfully proven their concept and is now positioned to build a national machine. They are not looking for a legacy corporate manager to oversee a slow-moving budget; they need a "builder" to architect a world-class marketing infrastructure from the ground up. This leader will drive massive top-line growth and ensure that as the brand scales to 100+ units, its original soul and authenticity remain intact.
Responsibilities
1. Scale the Strategy (The Roadmap to 100)
- National vs. Local Balance: Develop a tiered marketing strategy that supports high-level brand awareness while providing local operators with the tools to dominate their specific neighborhoods.
- Unit Economic Growth: Focus relentlessly on Four-Wall Marketing to drive measurable foot traffic and increased average check sizes.
- New Store Openings (NSO): Create and refine a "Grand Opening" playbook that ensures every new location opens with high engagement and hits stabilization targets ahead of schedule.
2. Data, Analytics & Consumer Insights
- Build the Tech Stack: Implement and optimize the necessary CRM, loyalty programs, and attribution tools to move the organization from "guessing" to "knowing."
- Guest Intelligence: Mine data to deeply understand the guest profile, frequency drivers, and acquisition strategies for new markets.
- Funnel Optimization: Manage the end-to-end digital journey, from initial brand discovery to the third repeat visit and beyond.
3. Content, "The Hustle" & Virality
- Scrappy Content Creation: Produce high-impact content with an "unfiltered" aesthetic that wins on TikTok, Reels, and emerging platforms without requiring massive agency spends.
- Earned Media & PR: Drive "talkability" by executing bold, creative ideas that generate organic press and social conversation.
- Trend Jacking: Move at the speed of culture, ensuring the brand maintains a relevant and witty seat at the table during real-time cultural moments.
4. Community & Channel Partnerships
- B2B & Catering: Build a robust strategy to capture local offices, schools, and hospitals through proactive outreach and partnership programs.
- Influencer & Creator Relations: Move beyond traditional paid ads to cultivate a community of genuine brand evangelists who love the product.
The Ideal Candidate
- The "Integrator" Marketer: Capable of taking a founder’s big vision and translating it into an actionable 12-month calendar with clear KPIs and accountability.
- Analytical & Creative: Possesses a "Left Brain" that masters spreadsheets and a "Right Brain" that understands a boring ad is a wasted opportunity.
- High Bias for Action: Prefers to launch a strong campaign today and optimize it tomorrow rather than waiting months for a "perfect" version.
- Experienced Scaler: Ideally has navigated the "Growth Phase" before, understanding what systems break—and how to fix them—when moving from 10 to 50+ units.
Requirements
- Experience: 8+ years in marketing, with at least 3 years in a leadership role within the restaurant, hospitality, or high-growth retail sectors.
- Proven Wins: A portfolio of campaigns that demonstrably drove sales and unit-level profitability, not just brand impressions.
- Tech Proficiency: Deep experience with modern MarTech (Loyalty platforms like Punchh/Thanx, OLO, Meta Ad Manager, Google Analytics).
- Ownership Mindset: Treats the marketing budget and the brand reputation with the same care as a founder.
