Strategic Growth Leader (Head of Marketing)

Job Title: Strategic Growth Leader (Head of Marketing)
Department: Marketing
Location: Albuquerque, NM HQ Offices
Reports to: Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
Travel Required: Some (to retail stores, events, and trade shows)
Position Type: Full-time, Exempt/Salary, Benefits Eligible
Collaborates With: Sales, Retail, Wholesale, Manufacturing, Education & Culture Teams, Store Managers, External Agencies

Job Summary

Verdes is seeking a Strategic Growth Leader to drive the next phase of our brand evolution and revenue growth. This is a critical leadership role responsible for developing and executing data-driven strategies that accelerate customer acquisition, build brand loyalty, and generate measurable results across both retail and wholesale channels.

You will own the full marketing funnel—from strategy and segmentation to creative execution and performance analysis. This includes both digital and analog customer acquisition strategies, with a strong emphasis on local SEO, content marketing, and community-driven activation.

This role requires someone who is equally comfortable setting high-level strategy and getting hands-on in the execution of content, campaigns, and optimizations. It’s a hybrid of strategist, operator, and brand champion—ideal for someone who wants to build systems, grow a team, and take ownership of results in a dynamic, mission-driven organization.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Acquisition Strategy

• Build and execute full-funnel customer acquisition strategies across both digital and traditional (offline) channels.
• Leverage SEO, paid media, content, events, email marketing, and partnerships to generate and convert demand.
• Develop campaign calendars and channel-specific playbooks aligned with product launches and promotional cycles.
• Continuously optimize acquisition performance based on clear KPIs: CAC, LTV, conversion rates, and ROAS.

Content Strategy & Execution

• Lead a cohesive content strategy that drives education, product discovery, and engagement.
• Own and manage editorial calendars across blog, email, social, and web content.
• Ensure all content aligns with brand voice and is designed for specific buyer personas and audience segments.
• Collaborate with creatives and copywriters to produce high-impact assets for campaigns and always-on channels.

Digital Marketing & Web Optimization

• Own the strategy and execution of Verdes’ website, ecommerce platform, and all digital customer touchpoints.
• Lead hyperlocal SEO initiatives to improve discoverability and drive store traffic.
• Manage compliant digital advertising campaigns and oversee funnel optimization.
• Improve onsite conversion and user experience through A/B testing, landing page creation, and CRO best practices.

Analytics & Performance Insights

• Own all marketing performance dashboards and reporting.
• Analyze data to surface actionable insights that drive decisions across marketing, retail, and wholesale.
• Track performance across web, email, social, paid, and in-store campaigns—tying marketing activity to sales results.
• Communicate learnings and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.

Audience Insights & Customer Segmentation

• Develop and maintain customer personas and segmentation models based on behavioral and transactional data.
• Use insights to inform channel strategy, creative direction, messaging, and budget allocation.
• Conduct competitive and market research to position Verdes effectively and uncover growth opportunities.

Retail & Wholesale Marketing Support

• Create assets, campaigns, and merchandising materials to support retail promotions and wholesale product sell-through.
• Develop toolkits and brand support for store teams and sales reps, including POP displays and launch kits.
• Ensure education, sampling, and promotional efforts are integrated into the overall marketing strategy.

Brand Management & Execution

• Ensure brand consistency across all consumer touchpoints—digital, print, packaging, and in-person experiences.
• Lead creative brief development and cross-functional alignment for brand campaigns.
• Evolve and protect brand positioning to reflect Verdes’ leadership in the New Mexico cannabis space.

Team & Resource Leadership

• Prioritize and manage marketing initiatives across internal team members and external vendors.
• Make strategic decisions about what to build in-house vs. outsource, based on capacity and business needs.
• Oversee marketing budgets and ensure efficient use of resources aligned with growth objectives.

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related field
• 5 years of progressive experience in marketing, with proven success in customer acquisition and content strategy
• Proven experience leading and developing a marketing team, including prioritizing workstreams and managing performance
• Deep understanding of digital and analog marketing tactics—especially SEO, SEM, email, and local engagement
• Strong proficiency in data analytics and performance reporting tools
• Demonstrated ability to lead full-funnel campaigns from concept through execution and optimization
• Excellent writing, storytelling, and brand communication skills
• Experience managing cross-functional projects and agency/vendor relationships

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in cannabis, CPG, wellness, or other regulated industries
• Familiarity with HubSpot, Looker Studio, or similar CRM/analytics platforms
• Bilingual (Spanish) is a plus
• Experience with ecommerce platforms such as Dutchie or Leafly

Traits That Will Help You Succeed

• Strategic thinker with strong executional follow-through
• Curious, analytical, and comfortable working with ambiguity
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a bias for action
• Confident communicator and collaborative team player
• Passionate about creating meaningful experiences for customers and communities