Director of Strategy and Trade Marketing

The client seeks a Director of Strategy and Trade Marketing to serve as a senior, hands-on leader in the US management team for a fast-growing global brand in shisha/hookah consumables. The role focuses on building and executing omnichannel growth and operating plans that drive customer engagement, community enthusiasm, and brand excitement, with a strong product advocacy mindset for the shisha/hookah category. Key responsibilities include overseeing delivery of the sales and EBITDA plan for the brand’s US digital platform portfolio, developing and executing route-to-market strategy to maximize distribution and financial returns across lounge, retail, and online channels, and owning strategic and financial outcomes across ecommerce, field sales, and local marketing. The director will lead social and community-facing efforts to increase brand awareness, supervise e-commerce activity to help the platform reach its potential amid the category’s shift from physical to digital, and develop long-term strategies to position the brand as a preferred choice within the category community. The director is expected to build the culture and processes of a trade marketing and community engagement team, set cadence for execution, and engage consumers and trade partners digitally with authentic, relevant messaging. The role also includes analyzing market and territory data to drive category growth and market share, building strong external relationships to support preferred placement and positioning, and hiring, coaching, and developing current and future team members. Requirements include 10+ years of progressive sales and marketing leadership experience in FMCG with emphasis on ecommerce and omnichannel, plus a proven track record of improving brand awareness, customer engagement, and purchase frequency using defined KPIs; strong digital aptitude, leadership capability, and empathy for the category community are essential. Confidential