Director, Brand Marketing

About the role

This role leads the brand marketing function to define how the company connects with guests through food and culture. You will oversee the end-to-end strategy for brand communications, menu innovation, and product launches while managing the marketing budget and cross-functional agency partnerships. You will use consumer insights to shape campaigns that increase awareness and market share across all relevant audiences. In this position, you will own the narrative of the brand and ensure that every initiative supports long-term category leadership. You will align culinary innovation with storytelling to reinforce the brand's relevance in a rapidly evolving cultural landscape. This role requires collaboration with internal stakeholders and external partners to execute integrated programs that resonate deeply with guests. You will be responsible for turning strategic vision into tangible campaigns that drive measurable business outcomes.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Develop and execute the annual brand plan, using consumer insights to create campaigns that boost awareness and market share.
• Direct menu innovation, ensuring new offerings align with culinary trends while maintaining operational feasibility.
• Manage go-to-market strategies for product launches to ensure a consistent guest experience across all media and restaurant channels.
• Partner with Finance to manage the annual operating plan, budget, and resource allocation with a focus on ROI.
• Present brand strategies and marketing calendars to senior leadership to secure alignment and drive enterprise buy-in.
• Lead, mentor, and structure the Brand Marketing team to meet growth objectives and foster a high-performance culture.
• Coordinate with internal and external partners in PR, social, digital, media, and creative agencies to maintain cohesive storytelling.
• Collaborate with Culinary, Consumer Insights, Creative, Digital, and Operations teams to measure campaign success against KPIs.
• Monitor competitive landscapes and cultural trends to maintain brand relevance and inform strategic decisions.
• Define the brand voice and visual identity standards to ensure consistency across all customer touchpoints.
• Analyze campaign performance and iterate based on data to optimize future activations and guest engagement.
• Drive initiatives that connect Sweetgreen to broader food, wellness, and cultural movements in the marketplace.
• Partner with retail and distribution teams to explore expansion opportunities that preserve brand integrity.
• Establish thought leadership through internal and external storytelling that highlights the brand's mission and impact.
• Guide the integration of emerging platforms and formats to keep the brand at the forefront of cultural conversation.

Requirements

• Minimum 10 years of experience in brand-building and integrated marketing communications within food, beverage, retail, or consumer brands.
• Minimum 4 years of experience leading marketing teams, including management of other managers.
• Proven history of owning brand strategy, full-funnel go-to-market campaigns, and menu strategy.
• Demonstrated experience managing P&L, marketing budgets, and business-case development.
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred.
• Ability to work in-office 4 days per week at the Los Angeles Support Center.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States; sponsorship is not provided.
• Experience in scaling consumer brands in competitive categories is required.
• Strong understanding of brand equity and how to measure it quantitatively and qualitatively.
• Demonstrated success managing cross-functional stakeholders in a matrixed organization.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for influencing at all levels.
• Capacity to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Commitment to maintaining the integrity of the brand promise in every customer interaction.
• Willingness to mentor junior team members and contribute to talent development.

Nice to have

• Experience in restaurant or quick-service consumer brands.
• Background in retail media or partnerships.
• Familiarity with design thinking and human-centered innovation methods.
• Knowledge of sustainable sourcing and regenerative agriculture principles.
• Experience with media planning and buying or close collaboration with media partners.
• Understanding of loyalty programs and guest relationship management systems.
• Prior experience launching new product lines or menu transformations.
• Exposure to data analytics tools such as SQL, Tableau, or similar platforms.

Practical notes

• Benefits include three medical plan options, dental, vision, 401k, HSA/FSA, and unlimited PTO.
• Perks include a weekly greens stipend, free company swag, 5 hours of paid community impact volunteering, and a dog-friendly office.
• The company utilizes E-Verify for employment eligibility.
• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
• This role requires 4 days of in-office presence in Los Angeles on a consistent weekly basis.
• Employment is full-time and contingent on authorization to work in the United States.
• The compensation range reflects the local market and role complexity within the specified location parameters.