Vice President, Media

Dave & Buster's Inc.•Coppell, TX

2d•$191,600 - $273,800

About The Position

Dave & Buster's and Main Event are two of the most recognized entertainment brands in the country. The opportunity in front of us is not awareness. It is consideration. When a guest is deciding where to spend a Friday night, a birthday, or a team celebration, we want to be the choice they land on, and we want to reach them in the moment they are actually looking. That is the heart of this role. We are building a modern media function that turns investment into guests through the door and same-store sales growth we can see quarter after quarter. This is one of the most important leadership roles on our marketing team, and it sits right at the center of how we grow. Media does its best work in partnership. You will work shoulder to shoulder with our brand and creative leaders, because reach without a great idea is wasted, and a great idea that no one sees never gets a chance. When those two come together well, that is how we create breakthrough moments and real business momentum. You will also partner closely with our digital and CRM leader, who owns the website experience, email, SMS, and how we keep existing guests coming back. Both of you report to the CMO, and both of you are working toward the same goal, which is growth. Your focus is bringing new guests in and winning the consideration moment. Theirs is conversion and retention once a guest is in our world. A lot of the magic lives in the seam between the two, and you will help make that handoff feel seamless.

Requirements

Media leadership experience with a focus on growth and acquisition.
Proven ability to drive business results through media efforts.
Deep understanding of paid and organic search.
Awareness of how AI is reshaping search and brand selection.
Strong collaboration skills.
Ability to work closely with creative, CRM, and store operations.
Curiosity about the guest and their decision-making process.
Experience in segmenting, targeting, and reaching specific audiences.

Nice To Haves

Experience with AI in media functions.
Experience with both Dave & Buster's and Main Event brands.

Responsibilities

Own paid search and organic search strategy, ensuring the brand appears in Google, AI-driven answer engines like Gemini, and across the evolving search landscape.
Lead paid media across the acquisition funnel, including paid social on TikTok, Meta, and YouTube, to build reach and attract new guests to both brands.
Develop and execute hyperlocal media activation strategies, connecting national reach with local store needs.
Utilize the media mix model against clear weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals, refining it based on business insights.
Guide agency partners, manage the media budget, and ensure accountability and continuous optimization.
Integrate AI and advanced analytics into measurement, optimization, and prediction processes for faster learning and smarter investment.
Drive acquisition and achieve business results through media strategies.
Understand and leverage paid and organic search, including the impact of AI on brand discovery and choice.
Collaborate effectively with creative, CRM, and store operations teams.
Develop and mentor the inherited team.
Understand the guest's decision-making process, including occasions, plays, and reasons for choosing the brand.
Segment, target, and reach the right people with the right message at both national and local levels.