Chief Marketing Officer

The National Restaurant Association seeks a C-suite leader to serve as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). This critical executive will partner with the Chief Executive Officer and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to enhance the organization’s marketing, communications and advocacy efforts. This role is pivotal to developing a strategic and operational plan to build a cohesive brand identity, expand reputation and relevancy and the resulting messaging platform, driving membership acquisition and retention, and promoting the adoption of products and services. The CMO will work with the Association to define and support the narrative for the industry, ensuring key industry priorities, driving business viability, building best practices, and winning at workforce are incorporated into the Association’s strategies.

The CMO will be innovative and current in marketing and communications strategies, navigating communications, advocacy and all aspects of marketing. Working with the CEO, the CMO will create and build a team and drive the agenda to build and market the brand, programs, products, services and message of the enterprise. They will closely collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders, including staff, members, board members, state associations, news media, influencers and other business leaders, ensuring alignment with the organization’s objectives. As the Association navigates this critical phase in its evolution, creativity and adaptability are essential for meeting the needs of the enterprise. The new CMO will be responsible for enhancing the Association's appeal to attract and retain members, increasing engagement with and launching new products and services, and continuously improving a cohesive and impactful brand and communications strategy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Create a strategic and cohesive voice for the Association that drives the association and industry narrative.
• Lead the formulation of annual strategic marketing, communication and advocacy plans that align with the Association’s mission and revenue goals, incorporating specific KPIs to measure success.
• Develop and leverage member and market segmentation for optimization of brand, messaging and products and services.
• Build and reinforce a mindset focused on stakeholders across segmented stakeholders across the entire enterprise.
• Ensure all marketing, communication and advocacy efforts meet stakeholder needs, with clear objectives and measurable goals delivered through appropriate channels and timely execution.
• Establish a foundation of accountability through metrics such as reach, relevance, retention, revenue growth, and ROI.
• Drive the development and execution of commercial strategies that position the Association as the leading advocate for the restaurant industry.
• Advise on strategic priorities that enhance long-term commercial performance, creating sustained value for the Association and its members.
• Explore and develop new business opportunities to diversify income sources with existing and innovative products and services.
• Collaborate in developing analytics and stakeholder insights that inform strategic marketing decisions and forecasting.
• Improve communication and execution processes between marketing and external departments to streamline operations.
• Ensure the marketing budget is effectively allocated across channels, aligning initiatives with strategic goals while being adaptable to maximize mission impact and revenue generation.
• Recruit, coach, and develop a motivated team of professionals committed to growth and excellence within the organization.

The Chief Marketing Officer will have a proven track record in brand building and communications with a strong background in data-driven, customer-centric execution; experience serving in a member-driven environment is ideal. This executive will be results-oriented, having successfully developed and executed marketing and communication strategies, tactics, plans, and programs aligned with organizational objectives. The successful CMO will bring innovative ideas and drive new product and program development while fostering a culture of adaptability within the team. Political savvy and comfort navigating in a matrixed organization and effectively engaging with diverse stakeholders is essential.

Collaboration is key; the CMO will thrive in a cooperative environment, working across multiple entities to achieve shared goals. The candidate will demonstrate exceptional leadership and the ability to serve as a trusted partner to both internal teams and external stakeholders.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE

Exceptional Business and Marketing Leadership

• Demonstrated expertise and wise business judgement in achieving organizational outcomes by leveraging modern marketing strategies and tactical program development. Experience brand building, communication, advocacy marketing, B2B marketing, and association or similar organization preferred.

Track Record of Growth and Market Expansion

• Leader with sales, revenue growth and member focused solutions using best practices marketing technology and data-first decision making; P&L experience preferred.

Complex Stakeholder Integration

• Persuasive consensus builder for organizational objectives, state restaurant association partnerships, and external stakeholders’ considerations to accomplish NRA objectives.

Team Builder and Champion of Talent Development

• Marketing organizational builder focused on quality talent attraction and development. Inspirational leader and mentor building collaborative teams and growth-oriented cultures.

Brand Storytelling Across All Media Platforms

• Ability to drive key messages through organizations and implementing methodology for activation to build upon the high consumer preference and category favorably for this beloved industry.

CRITICAL LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES

Thinks Strategically; Acts Tactically

• Creates a multi-year roadmap or blueprint to implement an enterprise strategy
• Builds an empirical marketing model to achieve product sales, retention and lifetime member value
• Makes plans to address changes or trends in the external landscape (e. competitors, clients, and market segments)
• Anticipates changes or trends in the external landscape and proactively works to achieve results with integrated marketing plans
• Develops plans that consider the impact beyond own area, location, function, or market
• Creates conditions for organizational success through aspirational brand narration. A “pull” marketing leader who can craft and articulate the NRA brand narrative and messaging framework that attracts the most favorable response from policy makers, partners, state associations and all members across all industry segments
• Ignites and inspires all NRA internal audiences, board members and relevant constituents with the power of the NRA to advance the industry, protect its interests and be THE indispensable resource for every restaurant owner and employee in America
• Engages others in open dialogue to different stakeholders in ways that address their interests or concerns
• Approaches role as a servant leader internally and externally, in support of the mission
• A relentless winning mindset, a champion of growth, indispensability, and industry success. A happy warrior for the industry who is passionate about the role of restaurants for the American economy and the communities they serve
• Build healthy culture of accountability and performance
• A problem solver that uses all the resources and tools in the marketing arsenal to achieve marketplace success
• Seeks new challenges and is energized by exceeding targets

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, age, disability status, genetic information and testing, family, and medical leave, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We strongly encourage women, people of color, people with disabilities and veterans to apply for our job openings. This commitment supports our policy of developing and capitalizing on the abilities of all our team members, as well as selecting, developing, and promoting those who are best qualified.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)