Director, Marketing

Director of Marketing
Ampersand Brands (Lolli & Pops Hammonds Candies)

About Us

Ampersand Brands is a growing portfolio of beloved confectionery brands including Hammonds 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 Hammonds 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 Hammonds while strengthening Ampersands 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

• 710 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 dont hurt either).

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinker
• Performance data-driven operator
• Influential executive partner
• Creative visionary with commercial discipline
• Customer champion
• Omni-channel innovator

Why Youll 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 youre equal parts strategist storyteller and doer and you love the idea of making generosity an aspirational lifestyle wed love to meet you.