Director of Digital Engagement

A&W Restaurants•Lexington, KY

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a strategic and data-driven Director of Digital Engagement to lead our customer engagement and digital marketing initiatives. This role will be responsible for developing and executing comprehensive strategies across our loyalty program, online ordering platforms, customer data management, digital/social media channels, and online reputation management. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in retail, QSR or fast-casual dining marketing with deep expertise in driving customer acquisition, retention, and lifetime value through digital channels. The Director of Digital Engagement reports to the VP of Marketing & Innovation. Essential Functions Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Loyalty Program Strategy Lead development and optimization of A&W’s loyalty program strategy to drive enrollment, engagement, and repeat visits Design compelling reward structures, tier benefits, and promotional campaigns that increase customer lifetime value Analyze program performance metrics and member behavior to identify opportunities for growth Partner with operations and technology teams to enhance the loyalty experience across all touchpoints Online Ordering Strategy Lead digital ordering strategy across web, mobile app, and third-party delivery platforms Optimize the online ordering experience to drive conversion and ticket Develop promotional strategies to increase digital ordering penetration Customer Data Strategy Build and execute a comprehensive customer data strategy that unifies insights across all channels Develop customer segmentation models to enable personalized marketing and targeted campaigns Ensure data governance, privacy compliance, and ethical use of customer information Oversee integration of customer data across marketing technology platforms Digital & Social Media Strategy Oversee social media strategy across all platforms to build brand awareness and community engagement Develop content strategies that drive engagement and support business objectives Oversee awrestaurants.com Online Review Management Develop and implement strategy for managing online reviews across Google, Yelp, third-party delivery platforms, and other review sites Establish protocols for monitoring, responding to, and escalating customer reviews Create response guidelines and train teams on best practices for engaging with customer feedback Analyze review data and sentiment trends to identify operational improvement opportunities Work with operations teams to address recurring issues highlighted in customer feedback Implement programs to encourage positive reviews and increase review volume Email Marketing Strategy Design and execute email marketing programs that drive traffic, orders, and loyalty engagement Optimize email performance through A/B testing, personalization, and segmentation Ensure email deliverability and compliance with regulations Competencies Highly developed analytical and strategic leadership skills. Strong written and verbal presentation abilities. Ability to navigate and lead teams in a fast-paced work environment with time and resource constraints. Ability to execute day-to-day responsibilities at a high level while achieving long-term objectives. Requirements Supervisory Responsibility This position will have one direct report. The Director of Digital Engagement has direct supervisory responsibilities and will serve as a coach and mentor for all Marketing Team Members. Physical Demands This role is largely desk and computer focused. However, it does require some sitting, standing, bending, lifting, and moving boxes and other marketing materials up to 50lbs. Additionally, all corporate employees will be asked to work in the company-owned restaurants at least two times a year for shifts lasting 4-9 hours. Standing, cleaning and fast-paced mobility is expected during work in the restaurants. Position Type and Expected Hours of Work This is a full-time position. We offer a hybrid schedule; hours will fall between 7 am and 7 pm Monday- Friday, with some weekend and evening events required. The position would be expected to report to our Lexington, KY, headquarters. Schedules are subject to supervisor and/or Company approval. Travel Some travel may be required for this position, including professional development, site visits, and conferences. Required Education and Experience Bachelor’s Degree in marketing, business, communication, or related field. 10+ years of experience in a professional marketing, digital or social media role. Experience with leveraging social media management, social listening, and analytics tools. Experience with large-scale marketing delivery technology platforms. Relevant experience will be accepted for consideration instead of a formal degree. Preferred Education and Experience Restaurant and/or retail, franchise experience Equal Opportunity Employment It is the policy of A&W Restaurants, Inc. to offer equal employment opportunity in all aspects of the employer/Team Member relationship without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, genetic information, tobacco smoking status, or any other status protected by law. A&W Restaurants, Inc. acts in compliance with the requirements and intent of applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations to protect the right to equal opportunity employment. Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, projects, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, projects, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Classification Exempt; Administrative Exemption

Requirements

Highly developed analytical and strategic leadership skills.
Strong written and verbal presentation abilities.
Ability to navigate and lead teams in a fast-paced work environment with time and resource constraints.
Ability to execute day-to-day responsibilities at a high level while achieving long-term objectives.
Bachelor’s Degree in marketing, business, communication, or related field.
10+ years of experience in a professional marketing, digital or social media role.
Experience with leveraging social media management, social listening, and analytics tools.
Experience with large-scale marketing delivery technology platforms.
Relevant experience will be accepted for consideration instead of a formal degree.

Nice To Haves

Restaurant and/or retail, franchise experience

Responsibilities

Lead development and optimization of A&W’s loyalty program strategy to drive enrollment, engagement, and repeat visits
Design compelling reward structures, tier benefits, and promotional campaigns that increase customer lifetime value
Analyze program performance metrics and member behavior to identify opportunities for growth
Partner with operations and technology teams to enhance the loyalty experience across all touchpoints
Lead digital ordering strategy across web, mobile app, and third-party delivery platforms
Optimize the online ordering experience to drive conversion and ticket
Develop promotional strategies to increase digital ordering penetration
Build and execute a comprehensive customer data strategy that unifies insights across all channels
Develop customer segmentation models to enable personalized marketing and targeted campaigns
Ensure data governance, privacy compliance, and ethical use of customer information
Oversee integration of customer data across marketing technology platforms
Oversee social media strategy across all platforms to build brand awareness and community engagement
Develop content strategies that drive engagement and support business objectives
Oversee awrestaurants.com
Develop and implement strategy for managing online reviews across Google, Yelp, third-party delivery platforms, and other review sites
Establish protocols for monitoring, responding to, and escalating customer reviews
Create response guidelines and train teams on best practices for engaging with customer feedback
Analyze review data and sentiment trends to identify operational improvement opportunities
Work with operations teams to address recurring issues highlighted in customer feedback
Implement programs to encourage positive reviews and increase review volume
Design and execute email marketing programs that drive traffic, orders, and loyalty engagement
Optimize email performance through A/B testing, personalization, and segmentation
Ensure email deliverability and compliance with regulations