Head of Marketing

Strategy, CRM Architecture, Paid Growth, Web Conversion & Local Unit ROI The Opportunity Taste Buds Kitchen is a family-friendly franchise brand in hyper-growth, scaling from 25 to nearly 50 locations. As our business expands, we need a Head of Marketing to build, lead, and execute our strategic marketing engine. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will develop and execute our overarching marketing strategy to drive system-wide profitability. You will execute annual plans and oversee the National Brand Fund to drive system-wide results—owning national brand strategy, CRM customer journey architecture, paid digital acquisition (agency management), website conversion rate optimization (CRO), and local store community marketing playbooks—leading an internal team (a full-time Creative & Brand Marketing Manager) alongside specialized agency partners. Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Growth & National Strategy: Develop, align, and execute annual multi-channel marketing plans across all locations. Direct, allocate, and oversee the National Brand Fund to maximize system-wide results, ROI, and brand impact across all markets.
• P&L & Performance Alignment: Set core benchmarks (CAC, LTV, ROAS) and align marketing initiatives directly with unit-level P&L success and franchise growth.
• CRM Journey Architecture: Architect automated customer lifecycle journeys for local kitchen bookings, birthday parties, and summer camps. Design email/SMS nurture flows, reactivation triggers, and retention campaigns.
• Paid Media & Agency Management: Own performance marketing across Paid Social (Meta, Instagram, LinkedIn) and Search (Google). Manage agency partners, allocate budgets, set ROAS targets, and ensure high-converting creative hooks.
• Website CRO & Funnel Optimization: Lead national website strategy to maximize conversion rates across system location pages. Direct SEO/web development partners in A/B testing and booking flow optimization.
• Local Store Marketing (LSM) & Data-Backed Beta Playbooks: Translate high-level strategy into data-driven playbooks for kitchen owners. Partner with franchisees to pilot and beta-test new marketing initiatives within controlled frameworks before rolling out network-wide.
• Brand Partnerships & National Strategy: Identify, negotiate, and execute strategic co-marketing partnerships with complementary national brands (e.g., family entertainment, food/beverage, or CPG brands) to expand brand reach, drive customer acquisition, and maximize National Brand Fund impact.
• Team Leadership: Lead and mentor our Creative & Brand Marketing Manager (who owns video production, social content, influencer networks, and local toolkits) and agency partners to ensure all creative output fuels core revenue goals.
• Attribution & Dashboards: Build executive dashboards tracking sales by source, CPA, LTV, CRM retention rates, and overall ROI for leadership and franchisees. How We Measure Success
• System Revenue & Unit Growth: YoY growth in class, party, and camp bookings across all locations.
• National Brand Fund Efficiency: Demonstrable ROI and system-wide sales growth generated through National Brand Fund allocations and annual marketing execution.
• CRM & Lifecycle Engagement: Lift in database reactivation, email/SMS conversion, and repeat booking frequency (LTV).
• Marketing ROI & Performance: Measurable return on ad spend (ROAS) across paid search and paid social channels.
• Website & Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): Measurable lift in online booking conversion rates across location landing pages. Who You Are & Qualifications
• Experience: Progressive marketing leadership in a multi-unit, franchise, or multi-location system (fitness, fast-casual, family enrichment, or retail preferred).
• National Strategy & Fund Oversight: Proven experience executing annual marketing plans and managing system-wide brand funds or co-op budgets to drive collective franchise success.
• Strategic Architect: You connect brand awareness directly to unit economics, attribution, and customer LTV.
• CRM & Funnel Expertise: Deep experience in lifecycle email/SMS journeys, automated CRM pipelines (GoHighLevel, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign), and high-converting landing pages.
• Data-Driven & Experimental: You test, measure, and iterate, using hard data to gain franchisee buy-in for new initiatives.
• Performance Media Savvy: Effective at directing paid search/social strategy and managing agencies to strict ROAS targets. Benefits & Perks
• Salary: $95,000 – $115,000 + Performance Bonus
• Schedule: Hybrid (2–3 days/week in Chester, MD HQ; other days remote)
• Health & Wealth: Comprehensive Health Insurance & 401(k) with company match
• Balance: Unlimited PTO, family-first culture, and free cooking classes!
• Impact: Direct leadership role scaling a national brand while empowering local franchise business owners across the country.