Marketing Director

KRAVE + Chef’s Cut Real Jerky Co. – Marketing Director JD

About Us

KRAVE is the original premium meat snack brand, founded in 2010 by Jon Sebastiani who was in search of a better-for-you high-protein snack when training for the NYC Marathon.  Unable to find one commercially available among a meat snacks category that was once dominated by conventional brands, KRAVE was founded to modernize the meat snacks category through culinary-inspired flavor profiles, premium protein sources, elevated claims, and a proprietary cook process that results in a distinctly tender eating experience.

Chef’s Cut was similarly an early pioneer within the better-for-you meat snacks category. Founded in 2012 by pro-golfer Dennis Riedel and his Chef looking for a healthy and delicious meat snack to enjoy while out on the golf course.  Riedel and Chef scaled the brand from the country club to every major retail channel, on a mission to deliver a ‘steakhouse quality experience, outside of the steakhouse’ at an approachable price point, with its thicker jerky cuts and traditional flavor profiles.

Through acquisition, KRAVE and Chef’s Cut are now jointly owned and operated.  The combined portfolio represents premium, ultra-premium, and value segments within the meat snacks category – currently the fastest growing segment within total US snacking. KRAVE and Chef’s Cut’s stick and jerky offerings are available in 25,000+ stores nationwide, with key retailers that include Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Costco, Albertsons, Kroger, Meijer and more.

About the Role

We are seeking a talented and motivated Marketing Director to join the Krave and Chef’s Cut team. This role, reporting directly to the CEO, will collaborate closely with the Sales Team and Director of Operations as well as manage the Marketing team. We’re looking for someone who is not only passionate about healthy snacking but also eager to help build one of the most dynamic and innovative brand platforms in the meat snacking industry. If you are driven to transform the snacking space and thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, we’d love to have you join our team.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Marketing team, including Marketing Manager, Content Creator Freelancers, and Designers
• Create and manage the annual marketing calendar and marketing budget, ensuring alignment with company objectives
• Own brand marketing strategy and execution, including:
• Define and evolve overall brand strategy, positioning, and guidelines, as needed
• Define and track KPIs across channels (social, influencer, PR, retail marketing, partnerships), translating insights into action plans
• Evaluate and test emerging marketing channels (e.g., TikTok Shop, affiliate, experiential) to drive awareness and conversion
• Ensure brand assets and messaging is consistent
• Oversee Owned Social with Marketing Manager support
• Overseeing PR initiatives
• Overseeing paid influencer programs and gifting campaigns
• Building and executing a brand partnerships strategy
• Support the Sales team with:
• Leading shopper marketing initiatives
• Key retail pitches and sell-in support
• Support trade show planning and execution
• Lead high-level innovation strategy
• Support commercialization timelines of new products, overseeing packaging design and lead go-to-market (GTM) for product launches
• Support Amazon marketing efforts in collaboration with Amazon agency.

Requirements

• 7+ years of marketing experience, ideally within growth-stage CPG startups
• Proven leadership experience managing a marketing team and external partners
• Experience in retail marketing and shopper marketing
• Experience shaping brand marketing strategy
• Experience managing marketing budgets and working with data to drive decisions
• Exceptional project management skills with a keen attention to detail
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with teams in Sales, Operations, Finance, and Customer Service
• Creative thinker with a deep passion for brand marketing
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment
• Strong passion for health and wellness
• Bachelor’s degree required, MBA a plus