Director of Brand, Growth & Cultural Impact - K-Flavor U.S. (Food manufacturing)

About this role

Position Summary
The Director of Brand, Growth & Cultural Impact – K-Flavor U.S. will report directly to the CEO and lead the transformation, repositioning, and accelerated growth of the company’s U.S. brand portfolio.
This role is responsible for:
Building the K-Flavor Protein platform in the U.S.
Modernizing and elevating existing American deli brands
Driving retail velocity and profitable growth
Creating culturally relevant, conversation-driving brand momentum
The ideal candidate is a brand builder, retail growth operator, and cultural strategist with experience scaling challenger food brands in the U.S.

Core Mandate
Define and build the K-Flavor Protein narrative for mainstream America
Transform and upgrade legacy U.S. brands into premium protein platforms
Drive velocity, distribution expansion, and margin growth
Generate cultural relevance and viral brand moments
Own U.S. market-level P&L performance

Key Responsibilities
1️⃣ Brand Platform & Transformation Leadership
Lead U.S. brand repositioning and transformation initiatives
Define and operationalize the K-Flavor Protein brand narrative
Build culturally resonant storytelling rooted in Korean culinary heritage
Upgrade packaging, visual identity systems, and brand architecture
Elevate legacy deli brands from commodity perception to premium protein positioning

2️⃣ Portfolio Strategy & Architecture
Redesign U.S. brand architecture and portfolio roles
Define premium vs. value tiers and channel-specific strategies
Lead SKU rationalization and margin optimization initiatives
Clarify master brand vs. sub-brand strategy
Align U.S. innovation priorities with consumer insights

3️⃣ Retail Growth & Velocity Acceleration
Develop and execute category- and channel-specific GTM strategies
Drive retail velocity, distribution gains, and shelf expansion
Partner with brokers and retail buyers across East Coast accounts
Lead trade marketing initiatives in deli, perimeter, and protein categories
Optimize pricing, promotion, and product mix for profitability

4️⃣ Cultural & Viral Growth Strategy
Develop culturally relevant, conversation-driving brand moments
Build social-first campaigns designed for shareability and earned media impact
Partner with creators, chefs, and food influencers to drive organic advocacy
Translate online buzz into retail sell-through
Launch retail-linked “moment marketing” initiatives to accelerate trial
Integrate digital storytelling with in-store execution
This is not performance-only marketing.
This role owns brand-led cultural momentum that drives real revenue.

5️⃣ Innovation & Commercialization
Translate U.S. consumer insights into innovation pipeline priorities
Lead commercialization of Korean-inspired protein SKUs
Develop better-for-you, clean-label, and functional protein positioning
Partner with HQ R&D to localize and accelerate product launches

6️⃣ P&L & Performance Ownership
Hold accountability for U.S. market-level revenue, margin, and contribution
Manage marketing budgets with ROI discipline
Establish KPI dashboards across velocity, margin, and brand health
Lead corrective action plans in partnership with Sales and Finance

7️⃣ Cross-Functional & Global Leadership
Serve as primary U.S. brand liaison to Seoul HQ
Align global brand direction with U.S. execution realities
Partner closely with Sales, R&D, Operations, and Finance
Support post-acquisition integration and brand alignment

Requirements
Required
10–15 years of experience building or scaling U.S. food/CPG brands
Demonstrated success in brand transformation or challenger brand growth
Strong retail and trade marketing experience
Proven accountability for market-level P&L
Experience working in growth-stage or transformation-stage organizations
Preferred
Experience in protein, deli, fresh, or perimeter categories
Experience with PE-backed or founder-led companies
Experience building culturally relevant or viral food brands
Familiarity with Asian or globally inspired food categories

Leadership DNA
We are seeking a leader who:
Has a builder mentality
Operates with a challenger mindset
Is comfortable with ambiguity and rapid decision-making
Understands culture as a growth lever
Is obsessed with velocity and execution
Thinks strategically but executes like an operator

Why This Role Matters
This is not a maintenance marketing role.
This role will define how Korean-inspired protein is understood in the U.S. market — and how legacy brands evolve into scalable, premium platforms capable of national expansion.
Benefits
Comprehensive health insurance, 401K, PTO, Sick days, incentive/bonus