Description Director of Marketing Ampersand Brands (Lolli & Pops + Hammond’s Candies) About Us Ampersand Brands is a growing portfolio of beloved confectionery brands, including Hammond’s Candies, the iconic hand-crafted candy maker, and Lolli & Pops, a premium retail and gifting brand with a national presence. The company is backed by strong growth ambitions, combining innovation, brand storytelling, and operational excellence to expand its reach and solidify its position as a leading player in the U.S. confections industry. The Role The Director of Marketing for Hammond’s Candies and Lolli & Pops is responsible for driving enterprise growth through brand strategy, performance marketing, and customer lifecycle management across retail, wholesale, and e-commerce channels. This role builds customer acquisition and retention engines, develops data-driven campaigns and leverages storytelling and innovation to maximize revenue. Key Responsibilities P&L and Budget Management • Manage the marketing P&L and budget, ensuring resources are allocated to maximize ROI and drive profitable growth. • Develop and track annual budget. • Align investments with Ampersand Brands’ revenue goals. • Partner with Finance to monitor performance and adjust strategies to achieve performance goals. Performance Marketing & KPI Accountability • Develop and manage a marketing KPI scorecard across CAC, ROAS, traffic, conversion, retention, and gifting pipeline growth. • Oversee paid search, social, affiliate, and influencer marketing with ROI discipline. • Implement A/B testing and attribution models to optimize spend efficiency. E-Commerce & Digital Revenue Growth • Oversee the eCommerce P&L, scaling DTC to be a powerhouse within the enterprise.. • Optimize Shopify storefronts, Amazon/marketplaces, and wholesale digital platforms. • Drive conversion, AOV growth, retention, and LTV expansion. • Lead CRM/lifecycle marketing programs (email, SMS, loyalty, subscriptions). B2B & Corporate Gifting Development • Design and launch corporate gifting programs and branded portals. • Scale gifting into its own robust revenue channel within three years. • Build lead-gen pipelines, account acquisition strategies, and retention campaigns for corporate clients. • Integrate gifting into wholesale and enterprise partnerships. Brand & Creative Leadership • Oversee creative, packaging, and campaign storytelling to elevate Hammonds’ nostalgic positioning and Lolli & Pops’ prestige gifting identity. • Launch seasonal campaigns and collections that cut through in retail, wholesale, and eCommerce. • Steward the unique voices of Lolli & Pops and Hammond’s while strengthening Ampersand’s parent brand identity. Customer Growth (Acquisition & Expansion) • Demand Generation: Build awareness and interest through advertising, social media, PR, content, events, and influencer partnerships. • Performance Marketing: Using paid search, paid social, SEO, affiliates, and referral programs to acquire new customers at an efficient cost of acquisition (CAC). • Brand Positioning: Craft a differentiated, memorable brand story that attracts the right customer segments. • Customer Journey Optimization: Design touchpoints (websites, stores, packaging, gifting) that move prospects from awareness to trial to purchase. • Channel Development: Expand into new geographies, platforms, or partnerships (e.g., corporate gifting, wholesale, or marketplaces). Customer Retention (Loyalty & Lifetime Value) • Onboarding & Engagement: Ensure first experiences are delightful and easy, with strong follow-up communication. • Personalization: Using data to tailor offers, messaging, and product recommendations to individual behaviors and preferences. • Loyalty Programs: Rewards, perks, and exclusive experiences that encourage repeat purchases and deeper brand connection. • Lifecycle Marketing: Targeted campaigns across email, SMS, and app notifications that drive re-engagement, upsells, and cross-sells. • Customer Community & Advocacy: Create ways for customers to connect with the brand and each other, fostering emotional loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals. • Feedback & Service Integration: Closing the loop with customer feedback and ensuring excellent customer service, which supports retention and reputation. Cross-Functional Impact • Partner with Sales, Finance, and Operations to align digital KPIs with enterprise revenue targets. Mentor a high-performance marketing team with a data-driven, results-first mindset. • Present quarterly KPI and growth scorecards to executives and investors. Qualifications • 7–10+ years of brand marketing experience (CPG, food/bev, lifestyle preferred). • A hybrid thinker: strategic storyteller + hands-on doer. • Experience supporting retail marketing activations and wholesale/trade marketing. • Track record of scaling digital revenue with KPI-driven performance results. • Hands-on experience with Shopify, Amazon/marketplaces, loyalty programs, gifting portals, and automation platforms. • Strong performance marketing and data analytics background. • Creative brand-builder who also thrives in a metrics-first, private-equity-backed growth environment. • Comfortable managing lean, nimble teams and outside partners. • A creative sensibility — you know what makes an email sing, a TikTok trend feel on-brand, and packaging stand out on shelf. • Curiosity, positivity, and a genuine love for building connections (and sweets don’t hurt either). Leadership Competencies • Strategic thinker • Performance, data-driven operator • Influential executive partner • Creative visionary with commercial discipline • Customer champion • Omni-channel innovator Why You’ll Love Working Here • The chance to lead not one, but two iconic brands — with very different but equally lovable personalities. • A small, scrappy team that punches above its weight. • A seat at the table to help shape the future of a growing parent company. • A culture rooted in thoughtfulness, creativity, and joy. • Competitive benefits package with the possibility of bonus and equity. Location: Denver, CO (hybrid onsite 4 days/week with flexibility) If you’re equal parts strategist, storyteller, and doer — and you love the idea of making generosity an aspirational lifestyle — we’d love to meet you.