Sr. Brand Manager

Marco’s Pizza is a dynamic, growth-focused brand in the QSR industry known for delivering craveable, high-quality menu offerings and guest experiences across our +1,200 locations. As we continue to expand, we are seeking a Senior Brand Manager based in Chicago, IL to lead our brand strategy and marketing promotions. The Senior Brand Manager is responsible for developing strategies that drive brand awareness, sales and order growth, market share, and consumer engagement. This role requires a mix of strategic thinking, creative execution, data-driven decision-making, cross-functional collaboration and hands-on execution to develop, launch and optimize promotional campaigns across digital, traditional, and in-store channels that deliver business results.

This individual will work closely with cross-functional teams, agency partners, and franchisees to ensure a consistent and compelling brand presence through national promotions and integrated marketing campaigns.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop the annual brand plan and national promotions calendar, outlining key objectives, strategies, and metrics to achieve business and brand goals.
• Lead the development of the promotions calendar and integrated marketing campaigns from concept to completion across key channels, including TV, radio, digital, social media, print, in-store promotions/POP, and local activations for national promotions, seasonal bursts, limited time offers, and new product launches.
• Create a learning agenda and insights roadmap to shape future marketing initiatives, including brand strategy, value proposition, creative platforms, and calendar planning.
• Define the target consumer in partnership with the broader Marketing leadership team and oversee the brand activation plan to attract and retain key customers.
• Develop pricing, promotional and merchandising strategies that balance guest value perception with profitability.
• Partner with the Innovation team to develop and execute menu category growth strategies aligned with business objectives, brand strategy and consumer needs.
• Serve as the primary liaison with agency partners, leading briefs, brainstorms, kick-offs and creative reviews to develop and deliver compelling campaigns.
• Manage photo shoots with agency and creative partners, working closely with internal and external teams to plan and execute shoots.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external agencies to develop differentiated brand positioning, compelling creative assets and breakthrough marketing campaigns.
• Manage key brand collaborations, activations, sponsorships, and promotional events to enhance brand presence.
• Develop regional and localized promotional strategies to drive traffic and sales.
• Proactively monitor and evaluate campaign performance for regional and national programs.
• Track competition, consumer trends and industry dynamics to translate into actionable marketing strategies.
• Oversee packaging and retail design to ensure consistency with brand identity.
• Ensure brand consistency across all franchise locations and customer touch points.
• Report on brand performance and provide strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
• Manage marketing budgets, ensuring cost-effective strategies and maximum impact.
• Provide essential communication for execution of all marketing promotions and integrated marketing campaigns.
• Support field marketing, franchisee relations, and regional business teams by providing category insights and recommendations for local market activations.
• Regularly present to cross-functional teams, company leadership and franchisee community.

Education and/or Experience Requirements:

• 10+ years of experience in Brand Marketing
• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing or related field

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Experience in social media platforms
• Experience developing and executing marketing communication strategies
• Experience leading Marketing agencies across creative, digital, social, and media
• Experience in analyzing data for campaign optimization and consumer driven insights
• Experience in setting paid social and SEM media KPI's and media reporting
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Strong ability to lead cross-functional team in execution of national promotions
• Independent thinker with the ability to creatively solve problems without asking for help first
• Willingness to follow processes in place, and provide suggestions for process improvements
• High levels of personal accountability
• Ability to handle multiple projects with various timelines
• Capable of working with multiple departments and personnel
• Ability to present to leadership with confidence
• Strong abilities with Microsoft Office software and use of Google
• Positive attitude and thrives in an entrepreneurial environment (fast-paced, dynamic, decision-making without full information, autonomy, willing to fail etc.)