Sr. Manager, Gift Card Program

About the role

This customer-centric role is responsible for day-to-day operational administration & marketing planning of the gift card portfolio; helping to develop, implement, manage and monitor all aspects of the programs for the purpose of deepening customer loyalty and driving optimal business results for the company.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the gift card annual budget and overall P&L
• Build solid relationships internally with HQ stakeholders as well as franchisee community, along with external business partners such as 3rd party / retail brokers and other supporting vendors
• Engage frequently with Ops / Training / Guest Care teams to ensure they are well-supported and properly apprised of all program activities that could impact their daily business through proactive communications
• Manage all 3rd party marketing placement calendar and budget very tightly with a good understanding of ROIs and which programs should be repeated and which should not
• Help define the gift card strategy and build out the plan to execute those initiatives to promote portfolio growth
• Develop an annual calendar of promotions and marketing activities to help drive continued YOY program growth
• Lead / project manage new initiatives to ensure they are delivered on time, on budget and within scope seamlessly
• Take point on facilitating / coordinating teams to address any system issues that impede program performance and ensure they are resolved, and preventative measures are in place to remove likelihood of reoccurrence
• Proactively review and understand key metrics / performance observed about the program and make recommendations for improvements
• Help collect information to build executive recaps, periodic performance reviews and daily insights around program performance
• Continue to drive awareness of the business impact gift cards has to increase adoption / support by franchisee community and other internal stakeholders
• Help implement Gift Card roadmap with all internal groups including definition/refinement of member benefits, technology requirements, and marketing communications
• Manage vendor / partner relationships and contracts
• Aid in periodically conducting assessments of capabilities to ensure ideal partner or platform are in place
• Leverage and maximize existing partnerships and/or add new to propel business growth
• Assist in integrating gift card campaigns into the marketing calendar to drive sales
• Aid in validating and optimizing campaigns through test and learn methods
• Support monitoring program trends related to suspicious or fraudulent activity being done by employees or Member/Guests
• Drive innovation of the program via internal and external partners by defining new features / capabilities that increase likelihood or purchases and / or redemptions
• Point person for subject matter related questions, issues or assistance

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, or equivalent
• 5 years+ of experience, proven in marketing and operations for nationally scaled gift card programs
• Solid understanding of gift card financial mechanics and budget management
• Experience with 3RD party / retail brokers / other external gift card partners
• Restaurant and franchise experience are preferred
• Project management, large-scale planning and ability to lead cross-functional projects are required
• Critical thinker and sound decision maker that can also manage through crisis situations
• Passionate, customer-centric mentality that challenges the status quo to drive exceptional experiences for Members / Guests
• Build solid relationships with internal business partners and external vendors