Director of Marketing - Retail & Brand

Overview

The Director of Marketing will oversee the brand and retail marketing activation teams while partnering with Ecommerce and CRM/Loyalty. The role will own the retail marketing strategy nationwide with a designated state of Arizona. This is a management role grounded in driving store traffic, basket size, and repeat visits, with accountability for turning national strategy into consistent, high-performing local execution at the store level with support teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor the marketing team by establishing goals, coaching employees, managing performance, and supporting professional development.
• Develop and manage the annual marketing budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources and strong financial stewardship.
• Own national retail marketing strategy with a clear mandate to drive store traffic, transaction volume, and customer retention across all markets and formats.
• Build and manage national promotional calendars, campaign toolkits, and execution playbooks that store teams can activate with consistency.
• Identify market-level performance gaps and deploy targeted retail tactics to close them; localizing national programs where needed.
• Define and enforce standards for in-store merchandising, visual storytelling, signage, and retail environment across all locations.
• Lead the development of campaign toolkits, POS materials, and store-ready assets that execute brand strategy at the shelf and budtender level.
• Own the retail marketing playbook for new store openings from pre-launch community awareness through grand opening and ramp-up periods.
• Lead the development of brand partner and wholesale vendor marketing programs that drive in-store visibility, trial, and sell-through.
• Track and report on key retail marketing KPIs including store traffic, conversion, basket size, promotional lift, and customer retention.
• Use sales data, customer insights, and campaign results to continuously refine strategy and reallocate spend toward highest-performing programs.
• Present performance updates and strategic recommendations to the VP of Marketing and cross-functional leadership.
• Drive consumer engagement through integrated omnichannel strategies; including events, grassroots activations, and community partnerships; that extend the brand beyond the store.
• Plan and execute local market events and community activations that build brand awareness, trial, and affinity in each Story market.
• Collaborate with digital and lifecycle teams to ensure a connected consumer journey from online discovery through in-store visit and post-purchase engagement.
• Analyze campaign performance and customer data to optimize marketing effectiveness, return on investment (ROI), and customer engagement.
• Support acquisition integration efforts by developing marketing transition plans, brand migration strategies, and communication plans for newly acquired markets.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 10+ years of marketing experience with a strong retail focus; cannabis experience required.
• Proven track record driving measurable store-level results (traffic, revenue, retention) across multiple markets.
• Experience managing new store openings, retail brand launches, and promotional programs at scale.
• Demonstrated experience planning and executing consumer events, grassroots activations, or community marketing programs.
• Deep fluency in retail marketing mechanics: promotional strategy, in-store execution, local marketing, and omnichannel integration.
• Strong grasp of brand experience principles; able to connect retail strategy to the broader consumer journey.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate sales and campaign data into actionable strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to execute and communicate enterprise-level retail marketing strategies and briefs.
• Strong executive communication and cross-functional collaboration and influence skills.
• Advanced project management capabilities; able to run multiple high-priority programs simultaneously.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, growth-stage environment.
• Familiarity with design tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Express) and strong collaboration with creative teams/agencies.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to sit, stand, or walk for extended periods during in-store visits, events, or vendor meetings.
• Occasional lifting, carrying, or transporting of marketing materials, signage, or event supplies (up to 25 lbs).
• Availability to support occasional evenings or weekends for major launches or events.