Director of Brand, Growth & Cultural Impact - K-Flavor U.S. (Food manufacturing)

Cesna Recruitment•Troy, NY

About The Position

The Director of Brand, Growth & Cultural Impact – K-Flavor U.S. will report directly to the CEO and lead the transformation, repositioning, and accelerated growth of the company’s U.S. brand portfolio. This role is responsible for: Building the K-Flavor Protein platform in the U.S. Modernizing and elevating existing American deli brands Driving retail velocity and profitable growth Creating culturally relevant, conversation-driving brand momentum The ideal candidate is a brand builder, retail growth operator, and cultural strategist with experience scaling challenger food brands in the U.S.

Requirements

10–15 years of experience building or scaling U.S. food/CPG brands
Demonstrated success in brand transformation or challenger brand growth
Strong retail and trade marketing experience
Proven accountability for market-level P&L
Experience working in growth-stage or transformation-stage organizations

Nice To Haves

Experience in protein, deli, fresh, or perimeter categories
Experience with PE-backed or founder-led companies
Experience building culturally relevant or viral food brands
Familiarity with Asian or globally inspired food categories

Responsibilities

Brand Platform & Transformation Leadership: Lead U.S. brand repositioning and transformation initiatives; Define and operationalize the K-Flavor Protein brand narrative; Build culturally resonant storytelling rooted in Korean culinary heritage; Upgrade packaging, visual identity systems, and brand architecture; Elevate legacy deli brands from commodity perception to premium protein positioning
Portfolio Strategy & Architecture: Redesign U.S. brand architecture and portfolio roles; Define premium vs. value tiers and channel-specific strategies; Lead SKU rationalization and margin optimization initiatives; Clarify master brand vs. sub-brand strategy; Align U.S. innovation priorities with consumer insights
Retail Growth & Velocity Acceleration: Develop and execute category- and channel-specific GTM strategies; Drive retail velocity, distribution gains, and shelf expansion; Partner with brokers and retail buyers across East Coast accounts; Lead trade marketing initiatives in deli, perimeter, and protein categories; Optimize pricing, promotion, and product mix for profitability
Cultural & Viral Growth Strategy: Develop culturally relevant, conversation-driving brand moments; Build social-first campaigns designed for shareability and earned media impact; Partner with creators, chefs, and food influencers to drive organic advocacy; Translate online buzz into retail sell-through; Launch retail-linked “moment marketing” initiatives to accelerate trial; Integrate digital storytelling with in-store execution
Innovation & Commercialization: Translate U.S. consumer insights into innovation pipeline priorities; Lead commercialization of Korean-inspired protein SKUs; Develop better-for-you, clean-label, and functional protein positioning; Partner with HQ R&D to localize and accelerate product launches
P&L & Performance Ownership: Hold accountability for U.S. market-level revenue, margin, and contribution; Manage marketing budgets with ROI discipline; Establish KPI dashboards across velocity, margin, and brand health; Lead corrective action plans in partnership with Sales and Finance
Cross-Functional & Global Leadership: Serve as primary U.S. brand liaison to Seoul HQ; Align global brand direction with U.S. execution realities; Partner closely with Sales, R&D, Operations, and Finance; Support post-acquisition integration and brand alignment