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
1️ 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
2️ 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
3️ 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
4️ 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.
5️ 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
6️ 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
7️ 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