We’re looking for a strategic, creative, and data-driven Marketing Director to lead and elevate The Local Palate’s brand across every channel. This is a senior leadership role for someone who can set the strategy and make sure the execution follows — and who understands that great marketing drives measurable growth across media, events, commerce, and community.

You’ll manage a team of three direct reports (Newsletter Content Manager, Social Content Manager, Video Manager, and E-commerce Manager) and work in close collaboration with our Digital Editor, Sales, Editorial, Marketplace, and Cookbook Club teams.

Responsibilities include:

Lead the Marketing Team

Directly manage and mentor the Newsletter Content Manager, Social Content Manager, Video Manager, and E-commerce Manager
Set clear goals, workflows, and accountability structures; foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement

Drive Brand Strategy

Define and evolve The Local Palate’s brand voice, visual identity, and positioning across all channels — including Marketplace and Cookbook Club, where the brand shows up in transactional and community contexts and must feel just as intentional
Identify opportunities to elevate the brand and champion TLP’s identity internally so every team member understands and upholds it

Own the Channel Strategy

Oversee newsletter strategy and growth — content planning, subscriber retention, segmentation, open rates, and platform evaluation
Guide social media strategy across existing and emerging platforms with a focus on audience growth, engagement, and content quality
Oversee video strategy and distribution in partnership with the Video Manager
Lead website improvement and evaluation of new platforms and tools needed to keep TLP competitive
Develop and execute targeted print and digital campaigns focused on subscriber growth and retention — building programs that convert new readers and keep existing ones engaged across every touchpoint

Drive Commerce & Community Growth

Develop and execute marketing strategies for both The Local Palate Marketplace and Cookbook Club — treating each as a distinct revenue and engagement channel with its own audience journey and conversion goals
Build seasonal and editorial-aligned campaigns: holiday gift guides, new product launches, maker spotlights, book picks, author moments, and member milestones — all feeling native to the TLP brand
Own email marketing for both channels: welcome and onboarding flows, product launches, promotional sends, book reveals, abandoned cart, and re-engagement sequences
Develop storytelling that connects our commerce and community offerings to the editorial voice readers already trust — and identify cross-promotion opportunities across Marketplace, Cookbook Club, social, and editorial
Plan and execute paid search and shopping ad campaigns for Marketplace — including Google Ads (Shopping and Performance Max), product feed management in Google Merchant Center, branded vs. non-branded campaign strategy, bid and budget pacing, and Microsoft Ads
Develop and execute targeted campaigns built around Marketplace subscriber growth and retention, with a focus on turning readers into buyers and buyers into loyal customers
Track and optimize performance across both channels: conversion rates, revenue attribution, membership growth, retention, and return on ad spend

Measure What Matters

Build and maintain a regular analytics reporting cadence across all channels
Translate insights into action — not just reporting numbers, but knowing what to do with them
Set and track KPIs for audience growth, engagement, Marketplace revenue, and Cookbook Club membership

Collaborate & Support Revenue Growth

Partner with Sales to support advertiser campaigns, event promotion, and co-branded content — and provide audience data and campaign recaps that demonstrate value to partners
Work with Editorial to align marketing with print and digital calendars; partner with the Digital Editor on website content, SEO, and traffic strategy
Bring ideas for new marketing products, subscription drives, and audience extensions that grow revenue streams

Criteria includes:

7+ years of marketing experience, with at least 2–3 years in a leadership or management role
Proven experience across newsletter, social, digital, and content marketing — ideally in media, publishing, food, travel, lifestyle, or e-commerce
Experience with DTC or e-commerce marketing, including email automation, Shopify, and performance tracking
Hands-on experience running paid search and shopping ad campaigns — Google Ads (including Shopping and Performance Max), Google Merchant Center product feed management, branded vs. non-branded campaign strategy, bid and budget pacing, and Microsoft Ads; this person should be able to own and execute these campaigns directly when needed
Experience marketing subscription or membership products — Cookbook Club is a core and growing part of TLP’s community strategy
Strong analytical mindset — comfortable in platform dashboards, building reports, and making data-driven decisions
Excellent communicator and collaborator across teams with different priorities
A genuine passion for brand-building and storytelling
Familiarity with Mailchimp, Substack, Meta Business Suite, Google Analytics, Google Merchant Center, WordPress, Monday.com, and other similar platforms
An eye for design and strong visual brand standards
Knowledge of or genuine enthusiasm for food, culture, and the South — our audience can tell when someone really gets it

Why apply?

This is a rare opportunity to step into a senior marketing leadership role at a beloved regional media brand at an exciting moment of growth. You’ll have real ownership across media, events, commerce, and community — a combination that few marketing roles offer. If you’re a marketer who thrives at the intersection of creativity and strategy, and you want your work to matter, we’d love to hear from you.

The Local Palate

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