Director, Brand

Company Overview

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and Bridgestone Europe, Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, operate collectively as a “Bridgestone West” strategic region. This region services the strategic business needs of teams across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. BSAM and BSEMEA are subsidiaries of Bridgestone Corporation, globally headquartered in Japan. Bridgestone and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products and solutions to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries.

Job Category

Sales, Marketing & Product Management

Position Summary

Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO) is one of the largest automotive retail organizations in North America, with 2,200+ company-owned locations operating under the Firestone Complete Auto Care and Tires Plus banners. We are seeking a Director of Brand Activation to serve as a senior marketing leader who will own the strategy and execution of how our brands show up in market: across paid media, content, field marketing, promotions, partnerships, and in-store experience.

This is a high-impact, high-visibility role managing an $80M+ annual paid media program alongside a full portfolio of brand activation responsibilities. You will lead agency relationships, a cross-functional activation team, and work at the intersection of brand strategy, performance marketing, and retail operations. The right candidate will be a strategic operator, equally comfortable presenting to the executive leadership team as they are digging into campaign analytics or coaching a direct report.

This role is also a key leadership seat within the broader marketing organization. We are looking for someone who brings not just functional expertise in brand activation, but the strategic range and leadership maturity to grow into expanded responsibilities over time.

This role is based in Nashville, TN.

Responsibilities

Paid Media & Campaign Activation

• Lead strategy and execution of an $80M+ annual paid media program across TV/CTV, digital, social, paid search, display, online video, audio, and emerging channels

• Direct and manage relationships with agency partners (media, creative, promotional, and project-based) to deliver integrated, full-funnel campaigns

• Own campaign planning, launch, optimization, and post-campaign ROI analysis; present performance and strategic recommendations to senior leadership

• Strengthen the integrated media plan through data-driven audience segmentation, persona development, and content strategy

Brand & Content Strategy

• Define and evolve brand positioning and content strategies for Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus, and supporting banners

• Oversee content production, including creative development, social media content, and collaboration with internal production resources

• Lead consumer-facing store branding elements: signage programs, in-store merchandising, and new store/reimage design standards

• Drive brand health metrics including unaided awareness, share of search, and brand consideration

Field Marketing & Retail Acceleration

• Lead and support field marketing and retail acceleration teams, ensuring alignment between national brand strategy and local/regional execution

• Develop promotion programs with rigorous test-and-learn frameworks and controlled measurement

• Support customer engagement, lead generation, and store traffic initiatives across digital and in-store touchpoints

• Partner with operations leadership to translate market insights and customer data into actionable field marketing plans

Partnerships & Strategic Activations

• Drive brand activation across motorsports partnerships, key account programs, strategic sponsorships, and internal training events

• Manage presence and reputation marketing including reviews, listings, and local presence management

• Support recruitment marketing efforts and contribute to employee value proposition development

• Collaborate with Bridgestone legal to ensure compliance with data privacy, security, and accessibility standards

Cross-Functional Leadership & Team Development

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing activation team; develop talent and create clear growth paths for direct reports

• Serve as a strategic partner to consumer insights, customer experience, operations, IT, and analytics teams

• Represent the marketing organization in cross-functional initiatives and executive forums

• Contribute to the broader marketing leadership team’s strategic planning, organizational development, and capability building

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related field

• 15+ years of progressive experience in brand marketing, media, and/or integrated campaign management

• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale paid media budgets ($50M+)

• Proven track record leading teams, managing agency partnerships, and developing talent

• Strong analytical skills with experience in campaign measurement, attribution, and ROI optimization

• Ability to influence and align cross-functional teams without direct authority

• Executive-level communication and presentation skills

Nice to Have:

• MBA or advanced degree

• Experience in automotive, retail, multi-location, or franchise marketing environments

• Familiarity with marketing technology ecosystems (CDP, CRM, programmatic, analytics platforms)

• Experience operating within a matrixed corporate structure

• Track record of growing into expanded leadership responsibilities beyond a single functional area

At Bridgestone, you are Free to Be

We believe people can only provide superior service and quality to others when they bring their whole self to work. We believe in championing all perspectives, individuals and teams because we understand the importance of seeing the world and our business through many different lenses. We are building a team as diverse as the world we serve. So, show us what you are made of, because who you are is what we need.

What we offer

At Bridgestone, what really matters is to foster co-creation opportunities and empowering you to be creative and curious to make mobility safer, more efficient, and more sustainable for future generations. Whatever role you fill, when you represent Bridgestone, you are a valued teammate, and part of our larger mission to “Serve Society with Superior Quality”, for that, we offer you more than just a competitive compensation; we will provide you:

• A supportive and engaging onboarding experience to ensure a smooth transition into our team.

• The opportunity to develop and grow, through training and regular mentorship.

• Corporate Social Responsibility activities.

• A truly global, dynamic and challenging work environment.

• Agility and work/life effectiveness and your long-term well-being.

• A diverse and inclusive team.

Bridgestone is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. It is our policy to consider for employment all individuals regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Employment Eligibility

If hired, a Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification must be completed at the start of employment. Temporary work authorization or the need for sponsorship may disqualify you from employment.