Vice President, Marketing – Vernon, CA

About Our Client:

Our client is an iconic Southern California multi-unit restaurant brand with decades of history, an incredibly loyal following, and an ambitious vision for its next chapter.

As the company invests in its executive leadership team and prepares for future growth, they’re looking for a VP of Marketing who can help determine what that growth looks like from a brand perspective. This is an opportunity to build and shape the marketing function, expand the brand’s reach, and introduce it to new guests while protecting the heritage, authenticity, and product quality that have made it a Southern California favorite.

What Our Client Offers You:

• $180,000 – $200,000 base salary
• Annual bonus opportunity
• Medical benefits: 95% employer-paid medical, plus comprehensive benefits
• 401(k)
• Paid Time Off: Holiday, vacation, and sick time
• Executive impact: Direct partnership with the CEO and senior leadership team during an important stage of company growth

What You’ll Do:

As Vice President of Marketing, you’ll serve as a key member of the senior leadership team and strategic partner to the CEO, owning the overall marketing strategy and brand vision. You’ll have the opportunity to build upon an already beloved brand while developing the strategy, team, and infrastructure needed to support its next stage of growth.

• Own the brand. Define and evolve positioning, messaging, storytelling, and creative direction while protecting the authenticity and heritage behind the brand.
• Drive growth. Build annual and quarterly marketing strategies focused on guest acquisition, frequency, retention, brand affinity, and revenue growth.
• Lead digital and guest engagement. Oversee social, email, loyalty, online presence, reputation management, and emerging opportunities to connect with guests.
• Bring products to market. Partner closely with Culinary and Operations on menu innovation, new product launches, promotions, and limited-time offers.
• Win locally. Develop scalable local store marketing, community partnerships, and grassroots initiatives that drive restaurant-level traffic.
• Own performance. Lead marketing budget allocation, KPIs, analytics, reporting, and ROI optimization.
• Build the function. Lead and develop the existing marketing team, initially 1-2 direct reports with room to grow, while managing agency and vendor relationships.
• Partner across the business. Work closely with the CEO and leaders across Operations, Culinary, HR, and Finance to ensure marketing strategy supports both growth goals and the guest experience.

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred
• 10+ years of progressive marketing leadership experience, ideally within restaurants, hospitality, or a consumer-facing brand
• Strong in-house brand leadership experience required. This role is designed for a leader who has owned and executed marketing strategy from within a brand rather than primarily serving in an agency, consulting, or advisory capacity
• Proven success building, evolving, and scaling consumer brands
• Strong expertise in brand strategy, storytelling, creative direction, and consumer insights
• Deep experience across digital marketing, loyalty, guest acquisition and retention, and performance optimization
• Experience partnering cross-functionally with Operations, Product/Culinary, Finance, and other business leaders
• Executive presence and demonstrated ability to partner directly with CEOs and senior leadership
• Experience building and developing teams while managing agencies and external partners
• A balance of strategic thinking and hands-on execution, with the entrepreneurial mindset to build rather than simply inherit
• Ability to travel up to 25%

How to Apply:

If you’re excited by the opportunity to help shape the next chapter of an established restaurant brand, we’d love to hear from you.

Click Apply Now to submit your resume. A real, live Kinsa Group recruiter, Stephanie, will personally review your information and reach out if your background aligns with what our client is looking for.

Recruiter Information:
Stephanie Mattice
stephaniem@kinsa.com