Field Marketing Specialist

At El Pollo Loco, we are on a mission to be the nation's leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant. When it comes to our people, we are all about growth. Whether that means specialized training, a clearly laid out career trajectory or collaborating cross-functionally, we are committed to the success of our people the same way we've been committed to the success of the El Pollo Loco brand for the last 50 years. In fact, we see you as our secret ingredient. While our chicken is fire, it's our people who set us ablaze.


Our restaurants are only the tip of the flame! If you're looking for an innovative, winning, and welcoming workplace, then a flamin' good career in our Restaurant Support Center is right for you.

At our Support Center, we believe our best work is done Together, when departments collaborate and everyone is confident in contributing their ideas. This is why we are in the office 3 days per week.


Let's Get Loco!

What's in it for you!

• STRONG office culture recognized as a Great Place to Work® and driven by our core values: Simple. Together. Relentless. Ownership. Nimble. Growth
• Career growth opportunities
• Competitive pay and bonus potential
• Medical + Dental + Vision Insurance + HSA Savings Account
• 401(K) Retirement Plan with company match and immediate vesting
• Paid Vacation + Sick Pay + 12 Paid Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Free El Pollo Loco food + restaurant discounts
• PerkSpot discounts program

POSITION PURPOSE:

The Field Marketing Specialist leads the execution of El Pollo Loco's local store marketing (LSM) programs, new restaurant opening (NRO) initiatives, and community engagement activities. This role owns key field marketing programs end-to-end including strategy, execution, and continuous improvement and provides critical leadership to ensure field marketing plans are delivered effectively and consistently across corporate and franchise restaurants. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, proactive, a skilled relationship-builder, and passionate about helping bring the El Pollo Loco brand to life at the local level.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Local Store Marketing Support

• Execute local store marketing campaigns, promotions, public relations initiatives, and programs that drive sales, traffic, and brand awareness.
• Coordinate with restaurant leadership to distribute marketing toolkits, materials, and resources.
• Maintain, update, and review assets and requests in the Local Store Marketing Portal, ensuring guides and materials are accurate and accessible.
• Track usage and engagement with LSM tools to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Represents the marketing team in front of franchisees, collaborating on strategy and execution of events.

New Restaurant Openings (NROs)

• Lead the planning, logistics, and execution of marketing activities related to new restaurant openings, independently executing NROs as assigned given the volume of openings across the market.
• Lead community outreach, public relations, event materials, and promotional assets for new restaurant openings.
• Manage and optimize the NRO asset and budget tracker, ensuring accurate documentation of spend, timelines, and vendor coordination.
• Conduct trade area assessments of NROs, identifying sales-driving and community-building opportunities.

Community Engagement & Sponsorships

• Own the fundraiser and community give-back program end-to-end - from strategy and franchisee outreach through execution and post-program reporting.
• Make day-to-day decisions on program structure, partnership requests, and franchisee participation, exercising independent judgment on program matters and escalating only major strategic shifts to the Field Marketing Manager.
• Continuously evaluate and improve fundraiser program mechanics, materials, and processes to increase franchisee participation and community impact.
• Build scalable tools, templates, and workflows that allow the fundraiser program to grow alongside the brand's expansion.

Project Management & Administrative Support

• Work with cross-functional teams (Operations, Training, Creative, Supply Chain, etc.) to support execution of field marketing programs.
• Process invoices, maintain budget trackers, and ensure accurate documentation of marketing spend.
• Assist in preparing presentations, reports, and recaps for internal stakeholders and franchise partners.
• Attend internal and franchisee-facing meetings, take detailed notes, and distribute clear, timely recaps to relevant stakeholders.
• Draft and manage email correspondence across franchisee, vendor, and internal audiences, ensuring communications are timely, accurate, and on-brand.

Analytics & Reporting

• Support the collection, organization, and reporting of field marketing data, campaign performance, and local insights.
• Assist in analyzing promotional outcomes and identifying opportunities to improve future activations.

Other Duties

• Provide general marketing support as assigned by the Field Marketing Manager.
• Participate in local market visits and assist onsite for key events, when needed.

QUALIFICATIONS - EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, LICENSE/CERTIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. The requirements listed below are representative of the education and/or experience required.


Education/Work Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field preferred.
• 1-3 years of marketing experience, ideally within food service, retail, franchising, or consumer-facing brands.
• Experience in field marketing, events, brand activation, and franchising is strongly preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong organizational and project management skills with meticulous attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to manage a high volume of email correspondence professionally and efficiently.
• Customer service mindset with the ability to support both corporate and franchise stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Excel, Word) and ability to quickly learn new software tools.
• Ability to travel occasionally (10-20%) to support field visits, events, and new store openings.

Our Company

In 1980 the first American El Pollo Loco opened on Alvarado Street in Los Angeles, quickly becoming a destination for the best citrus-marinated, fire-grilled pollo in town. Over the past four decades, El Pollo Loco has grown into more than 500 restaurants across 9 states, becoming an L.A. mainstay and cultural benchmark along the way. Today, we continue to work just as hard to always provide our customers with Quality Chicken. Fast. Easy. Affordable.

The pay range identified is the hourly or salary rate El Pollo Loco expects to pay for the posted position. This range does not include any benefits or bonus opportunities that might be available for the position based on position and eligibility criteria. At El Pollo Loco, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the high end of the range. Individual pay decisions will vary based on a variety of factors including years of experience, industry experience, education, geography, etc.

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