Area Marketing Manager

Food Distribution Organization

About the Opportunity

A leading food distribution organization is seeking an experienced Area Marketing Manager to support multiple markets within a designated geographic region. This role partners closely with Area Leadership, Sales, Merchandising, and Marketing teams to develop and execute strategic marketing initiatives that drive revenue growth, customer engagement, market penetration, and brand awareness.

The Area Marketing Manager serves as the regional marketing lead, ensuring that national marketing programs are effectively localized and optimized to meet the unique needs of each market while maintaining alignment with corporate objectives and brand standards.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Marketing Leadership

• Develop and manage the annual Area marketing strategy and marketing plan in partnership with Area Leadership.
• Serve as the regional marketing expert and primary liaison between corporate marketing and local market teams.
• Align regional marketing initiatives with national business objectives and promotional strategies.
• Provide recommendations and insights to improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and events.

Budget & Performance Management

• Manage Area marketing budgets across multiple markets and ensure effective allocation of marketing resources.
• Track promotional performance, campaign results, and ROI using available analytics and reporting tools.
• Partner with sales analytics teams to measure local marketing performance and identify opportunities for improvement.

Event Marketing & Sales Enablement

• Plan, coordinate, and execute marketing initiatives including:
  • Customer events
  • Culinary showcases
  • Sales meetings
  • Industry tradeshows
  • Promotions and incentive programs
• Support sales teams with product positioning materials, selling tools, guides, and campaign resources.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to execute initiatives that drive customer acquisition, retention, and sales growth.

Campaign Execution & Market Activation

• Implement nationally developed marketing campaigns while tailoring execution to local market needs.
• Adapt promotional materials based on regional inventory, customer preferences, and market dynamics.
• Manage distribution and execution of marketing communications, flyers, promotional materials, and event assets.
• Develop localized marketing content using approved templates, tools, and brand guidelines.

Partnership & Brand Management

• Identify and evaluate regional sponsorship, advertising, and community partnership opportunities.
• Maintain consistency across all marketing communications and ensure compliance with company brand standards.
• Support vendor and broker relationships to maximize marketing effectiveness and market visibility.
• Promote adoption of approved social media and collaboration platforms across the Area.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with:
  • Regional Sales Leadership
  • Merchandising Teams
  • Culinary Specialists
  • Business Development Teams
  • Corporate Marketing Leadership
• Ensure alignment between sales objectives, merchandising priorities, and marketing strategies.

Team Leadership

• Provide guidance and direction to Marketing Coordinators where applicable.
• Foster collaboration and best-practice sharing across multiple markets.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive marketing experience, preferably in foodservice, food distribution, consumer goods, retail, hospitality, or related industries.
• Experience managing multi-market or regional marketing programs.
• Proven ability to execute integrated marketing campaigns and events that drive measurable business results.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong understanding of marketing strategy, campaign execution, and brand management.
• Excellent project management, organization, and prioritization skills.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate across cross-functional teams.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and make sound business decisions.
• Experience with digital marketing platforms, content management systems, and marketing analytics tools.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in:
  • Marketing
  • Business Administration
  • Communications
  • Advertising
  • Or a related field

Reporting Structure

Reports To: Area Leadership and Regional Marketing Leadership

Direct Reports:

• Marketing Coordinator(s) (where applicable)