VP of Marketing

Reporting to: Chief Operations Officer

Role type: Full-time, Exempt

Location: Based north of Atlanta, Georgia with regular travel to New York City (or based from New York area). Hybrid/remote flexibility available.

Travel requirement: 40-60% for meetings, site visits, shop openings, and travel related to position responsibilities.

Position Overview

PopUp Bagels is entering its next phase of growth as a multi-market, national brand. The VP of Marketing will lead this evolution, building the strategic marketing function the company needs for what's next: new market launches, existing market performance, media investment, and a marketing organization built to scale.

This leader will set the marketing agenda at a strategic level while overseeing the full marketing function: social media, partnerships & collaborations, communications & PR, creative design, and local/national consumer marketing. Each is an important piece of a broader vision to build durable brand infrastructure, plan successful new-market entries, drive in-market growth across existing corporate and franchise locations, manage marketing investment and channel strategy, and serve as a visible brand champion for PopUp Bagels. This includes working directly with franchisees to align on local field marketing strategy and providing creative oversight to ensure their execution stays true to the national brand.

This is a hands-on leadership role for a strategic, well-rounded marketing executive who can build what comes next while managing a talented, multi-disciplinary team day to day.

Key Responsibilities

1. Marketing Strategy

• Serve as the senior marketing strategist and build the marketing roadmap that supports the company's transition into a multi-market, franchise-driven business
• Identify and recommend new marketing channels, media investments, and growth opportunities aligned with brand trajectory
• Balance investment in proven channels (social, PR, partnerships) with new strategies (paid media, brand campaigns, market-specific positioning) needed for the next stage of growth
• Own the annual marketing budget, ensuring disciplined, ROI-driven investment across channels
• Commission and act on market research and consumer insights to guide expansion, menu, and pricing decisions
• Build integrated marketing campaigns that connect brand, paid media, PR, and field marketing around key business moments
• Partner with Sales, Operations, and Franchise Development to ensure marketing plans and timelines support unit growth and revenue targets
• Establish marketing analytics and performance measurement frameworks across channels (paid, social, partnerships, in-market) to guide investment decisions and track progress against KPIs
• Report regularly to the Executive Leadership Team on marketing performance, spend, and impact on brand and business growth

2. New Market Launch

• Set overall brand positioning and go-to-market strategy as PopUp Bagels enters new markets
• Develop a repeatable, scalable grand opening playbook (local media, community engagement, influencer and creator activations, and launch-day experience) that can flex to each new market
• Partner with Development and Operations to align marketing timelines with new store openings and franchise expansion
• Build localized go-to-market strategies that respect each market's culture while staying true to the national brand

3. Media, Partnerships & Brand Stewardship

• Own media buying strategy across paid, earned, and partnership channels to extend reach beyond organic social
• Continue to oversee the brand's partnerships and collaborations strategy by identifying the right brand, creator, and cultural partners, and negotiating structures that balance cost, reach, and brand value
• Serve as a visible brand ambassador for PopUp Bagels, representing the company at media, industry, partnership, and community events
• Build relationships with key media, partners, and local market stakeholders to support brand credibility as the company scales
• Maintain oversight of social media strategy, ensuring the channel that built the brand continues to perform
• Establish and maintain brand governance frameworks (standards, guidelines, and creative principles) for internal teams, franchise partners, agencies, and vendors

4. Franchisee Growth Marketing

• Build and oversee a scalable marketing operating model for franchisee's local consumer markets: toolkits, templates, approval workflows, and grand opening support that maintain brand consistency while allowing local relevance
• Oversee onboarding of new franchisees and market partners on marketing expectations, toolkits, and execution standards
• Manage pricing and promotional strategy guidance across franchisee markets in partnership with Operations and Franchise leadership
• Drive same-store and in-market growth across existing corporate and franchisee locations through localized campaigns, loyalty and retention efforts, and lifecycle marketing as markets mature
• Balance national brand consistency with thoughtful local expression as the system scales

5. Team & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Directly manage and develop the marketing department, including leaders across social media, partnerships, communications, creative design, and franchise field marketing
• Deliver ongoing coaching, feedback, and performance management to build a high-performing, accountable team
• Serve as a strategic partner to the Executive Leadership Team, translating company vision into cohesive marketing strategy
• Collaborate closely with Operations, Development, Finance, and Franchise leadership to align marketing with business priorities
• Direct external agencies, media partners, and vendors to ensure quality, efficiency, and brand alignment

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate possesses:

• 10-15+ years of progressive marketing experience, including senior leadership overseeing multi-disciplinary teams (social, PR/communications, creative, and field or franchise marketing)
• Proven experience leading marketing for a multi-location, licensed, or franchised brand - including new market launches, partner onboarding, and local marketing governance
• A track record of successful new market entries and grand opening or launch marketing, with the ability to build a repeatable playbook for expansion
• Experience managing media buys and partnership strategy, with the judgment to balance paid, earned, and organic approaches
• Comfort and credibility serving as a brand champion, representing the company externally with media, partners, and local market stakeholders
• Demonstrated experience building, leading, and developing senior leaders across varied disciplines, with strong coaching and team-development skills
• Strategic, big-picture orientation; able to identify and recommend what's next for the brand paired with the operational discipline to execute
• Working knowledge of social media and content strategy sufficient to provide executive oversight, without requiring hands-on, day-to-day execution
• Willing to travel for new market launches, grand openings, partnership activations, and brand events as needed
• Location: Based in Atlanta, Georgia or New York. Hybrid/remote flexibility available

What Success Looks Like

• A repeatable, high-performing new market launch and grand opening playbook that fuels successful expansion
• A clear marketing strategy and roadmap that takes the brand into its next phase of growth
• Strong, well-managed franchise and local market marketing support that maintains brand consistency at scale
• Effective media investment that extends brand reach beyond organic social momentum
• A high-performing, well-coached marketing team across social, communications & PR, creative & design, and franchise field marketing
• A consistently strong external brand presence, with the VP recognized as a credible brand ambassador
• Continued strength of the social media channel under executive oversight, without requiring the VP's hands-on daily involvement

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

This is primarily a light-duty role performed in an office or remote work environment. The following physical requirements reflect the nature of marketing leadership, including new market launches, grand openings, and partnership events:

• Ability to work at a computer and conduct video calls for extended periods throughout the workday
• Ability to travel domestically on a regular basis (estimated 20-30%) for new market launches, grand openings, partnership activations, brand events, and franchise market support
• Ability to attend and be present at live events and brand activations, which may require standing for extended periods, navigating event venues, and working non-traditional hours including evenings and weekends
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-stimulus environment with shifting priorities and time-sensitive decisions
• Occasional ability to participate in or oversee on-site marketing efforts, which may involve visiting new store locations, production sets, or partner facilities