Field Marketing Specialist

Job Description:

The Field Marketing Specialist plays a crucial role in fostering the passion and enthusiasm of Portillo's fans, while simultaneously attracting new guests and potential team members through engaging marketing and recruiting activities. As a part of our dynamic and enthusiastic Field Marketing team, you will actively drive brand awareness and trial through hands-on grassroots marketing tactics, organizing tasting events, and actively engaging with the community. With your deep understanding of the local market, you will collaborate closely with area market managers, local restaurants, and the recruiting team to drive sales and promote employment opportunities within our organization. Additionally, you will be responsible for managing existing area partnerships to ensure we meet key performance indicators, as well as actively seeking and evaluating leads for potential new partnership opportunities.

In this role, you will also oversee Portillo’s field marketing partnerships, including those with professional and collegiate sports teams.  You will strengthen and grow these existing relationships by tracking performance and ensuring they deliver against established goals.  At the same time, you will identify and evaluate new partnership opportunities that align with Portillo’s brand objectives and market strategy.    

The Field Marketing Specialist will be a unique kind of marketer—one who blends creative thinking with analytical insights. You're not afraid to pursue new leads or roll up your sleeves and execute marketing tactics. Above all, your love for Portillo's and your desire to contribute to the brand's growth set you apart.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Enable our Purpose to create lifelong memories by igniting the senses with unrivaled food and experiences:

Family:  Work together to make everyone feel at home, and we step up when someone needs help

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with field managers, field leaders, and talent team members, collaborating with them in a consultative capacity to ensure KPI are met.
• Understand marketing and hiring support needs to devise strategic marketing plans for each DMA and location.
• Consult restaurant managers regularly on strategic marketing initiatives that ensure alignment in goals and initiatives. Adapt and pivot location-specific marketing strategic focus’ as appropriate.
• Work cross-functionally with other departments and teams to help reach sales, traffic, and hourly TM recruiting goals and objectives.
• Display a passion for the brand by living our purpose and values with a servant-leader mentality.
• Train new Field Marketing Coordinators, providing resources and feedback to facilitate a smooth transition into the role.
• Analyze field marketing event performance, redemption tracking, and ROI of local activations and partnerships to inform future decisions.
• Identify new platform/tools to evaluate the effectiveness and ROI of field marketing initiatives, driving data-informed decision-making for future events, locations, and partnerships based on foot traffic of areas.
• New Restaurant Openings (NROs):

• Lead field marketing pre-opening events including sneak peeks.  Coordinate with third-party RSVP vendor to ensure event sign-up and training meal pick-up websites are properly set up and functional.
• Ensure timelines, tools, and promotional assets are aligned across all markets to drive guest engagement and operational readiness.
• Monitor progress and provide support to Field Marketing Coordinators to ensure they are prepared and execute strategic plans for successful NROs.

Greatness:  We’re obsessed with being the best and work hard to continuously improve.  Our greatness is rooted in Quality, Service, Attitude, and Cleanliness

• Develop a deep understanding and knowledge of the Portillo’s brand as well as the ability to successfully promote the brand to drive business results.
• Connect with the guests and gather crucial feedback on the quality of service and overall satisfaction in order to inform the development of marketing initiatives.
• Ensure the local restaurant’s marketing materials are up-to-date and placed properly and make changes to them as necessary.
• Provide an unrivaled experience for each guest inside and outside our four walls.
• Manage and maintain local marketing budgets for each DMA and location.
• Creatively tie together the needs of the restaurant and the unique marketing opportunities in the region to achieve defined KPIs of driving traffic and sales.
• Support the opening of new restaurants by spearheading local restaurant marketing initiatives, leveraging your intimate knowledge of the market, community partners, and your network to build brand awareness and excitement.
• Lead the identification, initiation, and execution of partnerships across professional and collegiate sports platforms to elevate brand visibility and engagement. 
• Spearhead the planning and implementation of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) program initiatives, sourcing relevant athletes in key markets and managing athlete relationships, ensuring alignment with brand objectives.
• Oversee out-of-home (OOH) medial planning and buying in new and existing markets, optimizing placements for maximum reach and brand resonance.

Energy:  We move with urgency and passion while maintaining attention to detail

• Adapt marketing initiatives with agility to support our restaurant needs to change accordingly.
• Embody a naturally upbeat, positive energy and always look for new ways to build the brand.
• Connect with community gatekeepers through boot-on-the-ground tactics.
• Serve as a brand ambassador in all communications and develop connections with members of the community such as through interviews or on-air opportunities.
• Disciplined self-starter that can work effectively from the field, remotely, and in a hybrid working environment.
• Coordinate Beef Bus tours in collaboration with Operations, Legal, Marketing, and any third-party partners to ensure the Beef Bus tours are successful in driving brand awareness in new markets.

Fun:  We entertain our guests, we connect authentically, and we make each other smile

• Identify and engage in community events and partnerships that attract new guests and team members to add to topline revenue. May include negotiation with external parties and participation in legal reviews.
• Negotiate new partnership opportunities that authentically represent the Portillo’s brand and ensure key performance indicators are hit.
• Create life-long memories for our fans through unrivaled, experiential marketing opportunities.
• Coordinate in-restaurant experiences pertaining to new restaurant openings, media events, etc.
• Collaborate with the Digital Marketing Manager to develop localized social media content, amplifying local efforts and driving digital engagement.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Educational Level/Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, PR, or similar

Minimum Work Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• 2+ years of Field Marketing or related experience
• Valid driver’s license
• Reliable and independent transportation
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience implementing change in a dynamic environment
• Aptitude for balancing multiple priorities with strong organization and prioritization capability
• Exceptional ability to build consensus across a wide range of constituents
• Proficiency with using the Microsoft Office Suite
• Manage a budget for DMA
• Ability to coach and develop marketing strategy to operational leaders

Travel Requirement

• Frequent travel [local driving] is required 80%
• Occasional domestic travel [flying] is required 20%

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Small/Medium group presentation skills
• Marketing strategy
• Recruiting strategy
• Multilingual
• Thriving in a hybrid/remote working environment

Educational Level/Certifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or Certification in marketing, communications, business, or related field preferred
• Serve Safe Manager certification highly recommended

Work Experience and Qualification

• Multi-unit experience (e.g. retail, hospitality, restaurant)
• Multi-state employer experience
• Experienced with Asana
• Experienced with Microsoft suite
• Experienced with Salesforce

Note

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by incumbents assigned to this job.  This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the responsibilities, duties and skills required.  The incumbent may be expected to perform other duties as assigned. This job may be reviewed as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity.

DISCLAIMER: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by incumbents assigned to this job.  This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the responsibilities, duties and skills required.  The incumbent may be expected to perform other duties as assigned. This job may be reviewed as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity.