CoBrand Merchant Marketing Manager

Blend360•San Francisco, CA

21h•$60 - $65•Hybrid

About The Position

This role supports the execution of integrated marketing programs on behalf of merchants and co-brand partners, with a focus on driving revenue, engagement, and portfolio growth through merchant-led channels. The position centers on partnering with merchant and co-brand clients (rather than issuer-led programs) to bring joint marketing strategies to life, optimize acquisition and lifecycle initiatives, and ensure seamless, compliant execution across a range of owned, paid, and partner-controlled channels. The ideal candidate is a proactive self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, highly matrixed environment. This person brings strong project management, communication, and presentation skills, along with a proven ability to work cross-functionally to deliver complex marketing campaigns on time and within budget. Experience supporting merchants or co-brand credit card marketing, particularly where success depends on leveraging merchant platforms and channels, is critical.

Requirements

Relevant experience in marketing or advertising for merchants and/or co-brand programs, with a strong understanding of merchant-driven marketing needs and partner collaboration models.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly present strategy, creative concepts, media approaches, and activation plans to external partners.
Demonstrated success managing end-to-end projects with a high level of attention to detail, particularly across multi-stakeholder merchant and co-brand initiatives.
Proven ability to build and manage relationships with external partners (e.g., large merchants, co-brand partners) and internal cross-functional teams.
Experience collaborating across business development, creative, media, and analytics functions to deliver integrated marketing programs efficiently.
Skilled in managing agencies and third-party vendors delivering high-quality assets aligned to merchant and co-brand objectives.
Proficiency in Microsoft tools (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Tableau) to support reporting, planning, and performance analysis.
5+ years of relevant professional experience with a bachelor’s degree, or 2+ years with an advanced degree (e.g., MBA).

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting merchant marketing in retail or travel verticals is a plus.

Responsibilities

Execute integrated marketing strategies and campaigns that support growth objectives for merchants and co-brand partners.
Support merchant and co-brand marketing engagements through complex, cross-functional omni-channel initiatives, which may include paid and owned media, sponsorships and experiential activations (e.g., sports, gaming, music, fashion), sweepstakes, research initiatives, lifecycle marketing, and creative and content development.
Leverage merchant-controlled channels to drive marketing impact, including digital properties, in-store environments, email, employee communications, and other partner platforms.
Develop clear, high-quality briefs and guide internal and external creative teams toward compelling, on-brand cardholder and customer experiences.
Coordinate closely with cross-functional partners (legal, creative, finance, sales, analytics) to align on priorities, secure approvals, and ensure execution readiness.
Manage day-to-day relationships with merchant and co-brand partners, agencies, and third-party vendors, facilitating reviews, feedback, and approvals to keep projects on track.
Uphold brand standards, regulatory requirements, and partner guidelines across all marketing materials and activations.
Lead project status meetings, assess progress, surface risks, and problem-solve to ensure timely delivery within budget.
Monitor campaign performance and translate results into clear, actionable insights to inform optimization and future strategy.
Maintain project management trackers, distribute meeting recaps, and escalate risks or dependencies as needed.
Prepare and present monthly performance updates and post-campaign wrap reports for internal stakeholders and external partners.