VP of Marketing

Job Description

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

Pop Up 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 Pop Up 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.

Why This Role

• Lead marketing for one of the most culturally resonant brands in the country as we move into our next chapter
• Shape the strategy behind new market entries and in-market growth, with intention behind how Pop Up Bagels shows up in each new city
• Partner directly with the CEO, COO, and a visionary founder who values originality, taste, and creative thinking
• Lead a talented marketing team that helped build the brand from the ground up, and partner with them as the company enters its next phase of growth

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 Pop Up 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 Pop Up Bagels, representing the company at media, industry, partnership, and community events
• Build relationships