Director, Brand Marketing

sweetgreen • Los Angeles, CA

7d • Hybrid

About The Position

sweetgreen is on a mission to build healthy communities by connecting people to real food. We passionately believe that real food should be convenient and accessible to everyone. Every day in each sweetgreen, our 5,000 team members make food from scratch, using fresh ingredients and produce delivered that morning. And in our local communities, we’re committed to leaving people better than we found them. We’re in the business of feeding people, and we’re out to change what that means. Our teams are our most valuable ingredient, the heart of our company, the face of our brand, and what truly makes the sweetgreen experience special and unique. The Director, Brand Marketing will shape the future of sweetgreen by architecting the strategy for how our brand shows up in the world, in food and in marketing. Leading the Brand Marketing function, this role owns brand strategy and execution end to end, from breakthrough brand communications and go-to-market product launches to guest engagement campaigns, brand experiences, and menu innovation. You will lead the Brand Marketing team, own the brand marketing budget, and manage the agency and cross-functional partnerships that bring campaigns to life. Partnering closely with Culinary, Consumer Insights, Creative, Digital, and Operations, you will play a central role in menu innovation and channel strategy to grow brand awareness, guest love, and market share. Reporting to the VP of Marketing, you will join a team that manages multiple high-stakes campaigns with a guest-obsessed, culturally driven mindset. Join us for the opportunity to make your mark on the future of food.

Requirements

• Minimum 4-year degree; MBA preferred
• 10+ years of brand-building and culturally driven integrated marketing communications experience, ideally within restaurant, food and beverage, retail, or consumer brands
• 4+ years leading and developing marketing teams, including managing managers
• Demonstrated track record owning brand strategy and delivering breakthrough, full-funnel go-to-market campaigns and product launches
• Demonstrated track record overseeing menu strategy for a food brand
• Experience owning a marketing budget and P&L accountability, including business-case writing and annual planning, with a history of measurable business results
• Proven success managing agency and cross-functional partners to deliver integrated campaigns at scale

Nice To Haves

• Strategic brand leader who can set a compelling vision and translate it into clear plans and priorities for the team
• Proven people leader and coach who builds, develops, and inspires high-performing teams
• Strong financial and business acumen, with a spirit of ownership and comfort managing budgets and driving ROI
• Exceptional communicator and cross-functional collaborator who influences at all levels of the organization
• Skilled at using consumer insights and data to drive decision-making
• Deep relationships with, and the ability to get the best from, internal creative teams and external agency partners
• Curious, culturally fluent, and positively resilient in a fast-paced, high-growth environment

Responsibilities

• Set and own the annual brand plan, translating consumer insight into breakthrough points of view and campaigns that drive awareness, guest engagement, and market share
• Drive menu innovation and execution– ensuring that we’re staying at the forefront of culinary culture and placing bets that drive the business forward, engaging our customers, while ensuring operational excellence and feasibility
• Lead go-to-market strategy for new product and menu launches, ensuring a flawless, consistent guest experience across all media touchpoints and in-restaurant
• Own the annual brand planning and business-case process, partnering with Finance on the annual operating plan (AOP), budget, and forecasts, and allocating resources across channels with a clear focus on ROI and measurable business impact
• Influence and align senior leadership behind the brand strategy and annual marketing calendar, presenting recommendations and building the business case for major programs
• Lead, coach, and develop the Brand Marketing team, building the capability and structure needed to deliver against sweetgreen’s growth goals
• Direct internal and external partners, including experiential, PR, social, digital, media, creative, and agency teams, to execute the successful launch of brand campaigns
• Partner cross-functionally with Culinary, Consumer Insights, Creative, Digital, and Operations to bring insight-based communications, packaging, and product innovation to life, measuring success against established KPIs
• Serve as a senior brand steward, continuously assessing the competitive landscape, consumer trends, and culture to keep sweetgreen ahead of what’s next

Benefits

• Highly competitive pay + bonus plan
• Three different medical plans to suit your and your family's needs
• Dental and Vision insurance
• Flexible PTO plan
• 401k program
• Employee HSA and FSA
• Complimentary greens
• An opportunity to make a real impact on the people around you, both by growing them and by connecting them to real food
• To live the sweetlife and celebrate your passion + purpose
• A collaborative team of people who live our core values and have your back
• A clear career path with opportunities for development, both personally and professionally
• Free sweetgreen swag

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director