VP, Marketing

JOB DESCRIPTION

Vice President of Marketing

Job Title:

VP of Marketing

Location:

Miami, FL

Department:

Marketing

Status:

Regular, Full-Time

Reports To:

Chief Executive Officer

FLSA Category:

Exempt

Direct Reports:

5

Level:

Senior

Relevant Experience:

5+ Years

Salary Range:

$145-$155k + incentives

Position Summary

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. (RMCF) is seeking a passionate, visionary Vice President of Marketing to lead and elevate our marketing function during the most exciting chapter of our 45-year history. Since our founding in Durango, Colorado in 1981, RMCF has built something rare: a confectionery rooted in genuine craft, carried from the wild spirit of the San Juan Mountains to a growing family of locations coast to coast. Forty-five years of hand-dipped caramel apples, marble-slab fudge, and Durango-made chocolate have created a legacy that guests return to, give as gifts, and tell stories about. This is a brand with deep roots and serious momentum - and the VP of Marketing will be its most important storyteller.

This senior leader will own the RMCF brand voice, Five Senses brand experience, and Rocky Mountain Moments framework across every channel - from in-store signage and social media to e-commerce, gifting campaigns, and franchise partner marketing support. Critically, this role requires a natural collaborator and relationship builder who thrives working alongside Production, Research and Development, Franchise Business Support, and Operations to ensure that everything RMCF brings to market is as handcrafted in its marketing as it is in its making.

The ideal candidate leads with warmth, builds trust across departments, and understands that the best marketing for RMCF is never made alone - it is the result of passionate people working together toward the same thing: a guest who walks out having had a Rocky Mountain Moment they will remember, return for, and tell someone else about.

Key Responsibilities

The Vice President of Marketing will be expected to consistently deliver outstanding outcomes in the following areas:

Brand Voice & Heritage Storytelling

• Own and protect the RMCF brand voice across every channel - ensuring that every piece of marketing, from a social caption to an e-commerce product description, sounds genuinely crafted, not corporate.
• Translate the Five Senses brand experience and Rocky Mountain Moments framework into compelling, sensory-first marketing across digital, in-store, print, and packaging channels.
• Champion RMCF's 45-year heritage with pride and specificity - telling the story of Durango, the marble slab, the hand-dipped apple, and the craftspeople behind every product in ways that make guests feel the history in every bite.
• Build and evolve the brand narrative as RMCF grows, honoring four and a half decades of handcrafted legacy while generating real excitement around the transformation and innovation happening right now.

Cross-Functional Collaboration - Production, R&D & Operations

• Partner closely and continuously with the Production and R&D teams to understand what is being made, how it is made, and what makes it worth talking about - bringing that insider knowledge into every piece of marketing copy, campaign, and product launch.
• Collaborate with R&D on new product innovation, translating the excitement of what is coming out of the Durango factory into marketing that builds anticipation, drives trial, and honors the craft behind each new creation.
• Work hand-in-hand with Operations and Production to align the seasonal marketing calendar with production capabilities, ensuring campaigns are grounded in what the team can deliver with excellence.
• Build strong, trust-based working relationships across all departments - approaching every collaboration with humility, curiosity, and a genuine interest in what each team knows that marketing does not.

Franchise Business Support & Partner Marketing

• Serve as a hands-on collaborative partner to Franchise Business Support, working directly with the team to develop marketing tools, campaigns, and resources that help franchise partners grow their businesses and strengthen the brand in their local communities.
• Build scalable marketing systems, toolkits, and content libraries that franchise partners can use to market locally while staying unmistakably on-brand - simple enough for a busy owner to use at 7am before the doors open.
• Partner with Franchise Development and Franchise Business Support leadership to plan and execute marketing programs for new location openings, ensuring every grand opening reflects the energy and craft identity of the RMCF brand at its best.
• Listen to franchise partners as much as you lead them - their on-the-ground knowledge of local communities, guests, and product performance is one of the most valuable inputs the marketing team has.

Digital, Social & E-Commerce

• Devise and implement e-commerce strategies that bring the in-store sensory experience to life online - writing and directing product content that makes guests feel the weight of a caramel apple and smell the warm chocolate before they add to cart.
• Build and manage a social media content engine that scales across 100+ franchise locations without becoming generic - leading with the moment of making, craft visibility, and local community connection.
• Oversee digital marketing platforms, paid and organic channels, and agency relationships to drive brand equity, in-store traffic, and online conversion.

Seasonal, Gifting & Campaign Marketing

• Own and manage the seasonal marketing calendar in close collaboration with Production and R&D - developing campaigns that treat seasonal moments as storytelling opportunities, not just promotional windows.
• Lead gifting strategy and execution, speaking to the emotional act of giving and creating Rocky Mountain Moments that guests will remember and repeat.
• Bring new product innovations to market in ways that feel as handcrafted as the products themselves - building excitement among franchise partners and guests alike.

Team Leadership & People Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of marketing professionals with the same care and craft pride that defines the RMCF brand - fostering a culture of creative accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Model the cross-functional leadership style the role demands: approachable, engaged, and genuinely curious about the work happening across Production, R&D, Operations, and Franchise Business Support.
• Manage and steward the marketing budget to ensure cost-effective operations and maximum brand impact; leverage data analytics to drive informed, insight-led decisions.
• Conduct ongoing market research to stay current on industry trends, guest behavior, and competitive activity; generate regular reports with actionable recommendations for the leadership team.
• Support the leadership team and cross-functional partners with additional projects as assigned and required to meet organizational objectives.

Education, Experience & Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business Administration, or a closely related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressive experience in marketing, with at least five (5) years in a senior leadership role.
• Demonstrated success building and evolving a brand with strong craft, heritage, or place-based identity - protecting its voice under commercial pressure while growing it into something bigger.
• Proven ability to collaborate deeply and effectively across functions - including Production, R&D, Operations, and Franchise or Sales support teams - with strong interpersonal skills and a reputation as a team builder, not a silo builder.
• Proven ability to translate physical, sensory, or in-store brand experiences into digital and written marketing that makes guests feel something before they buy.
• Experience supporting franchise or multi-unit retail networks, including building scalable tools and frameworks that non-marketing operators can use with confidence and ease.
• Exceptional communication, storytelling, and interpersonal skills - able to build genuine relationships at every level of the organization, from the production floor to the boardroom.
• Strong e-commerce instincts with a copy-first, sensory-first approach to product descriptions, landing pages, and the unboxing experience.
• Data-driven mindset with proven ability to interpret analytics, extract meaningful insights, and make confident, metrics-backed decisions.
• Genuine passion for artisan food, craft products, or experiential retail brands - someone who cares as much about what RMCF makes as how it is marketed.