The Local Palate is hiring: Marketing Director in Charleston County

We’re looking for a strategic, creative, and data-driven Marketing Director to lead and elevate The Local Palate’s brand across every channel.
This is a senior leadership role for someone who can set the strategy and make sure the execution follows — and who understands that great marketing drives measurable growth across media, events, commerce, and community.
You’ll manage a team of three direct reports (Newsletter Content Manager, Social Content Manager, Video Manager, and E-commerce Manager) and work in close collaboration with our Digital Editor, Sales, Editorial, Marketplace, and Cookbook Club teams.
Responsibilities include:
Lead the Marketing Team
* Directly manage and mentor the Newsletter Content Manager, Social Content Manager, Video Manager, and E-commerce Manager
* Set clear goals, workflows, and accountability structures; foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Drive Brand Strategy
* Define and evolve The Local Palate’s brand voice, visual identity, and positioning across all channels — including Marketplace and Cookbook Club, where the brand shows up in transactional and community contexts and must feel just as intentional
* Identify opportunities to elevate the brand and champion TLP’s identity internally so every team member understands and upholds it
Own the Channel Strategy
* Oversee newsletter strategy and growth — content planning, subscriber retention, segmentation, open rates, and platform evaluation
* Guide social media strategy across existing and emerging platforms with a focus on audience growth, engagement, and content quality
* Oversee video strategy and distribution in partnership with the Video Manager
* Lead website improvement and evaluation of new platforms and tools needed to keep TLP competitive
* Develop and execute targeted print and digital campaigns focused on subscriber growth and retention — building programs that convert new readers and keep existing ones engaged across every touchpoint
Drive Commerce & Community Growth
* Develop and execute marketing strategies for both The Local Palate Marketplace and Cookbook Club — treating each as a distinct revenue and engagement channel with its own audience journey and conversion goals
* Build seasonal and editorial-aligned campaigns: holiday gift guides, new product launches, maker spotlights, book picks, author moments, and member milestones — all feeling native to the TLP brand
* Own email marketing for both channels: welcome and onboarding flows, product launches, promotional sends, book reveals, abandoned cart, and re-engagement sequences
* Develop storytelling that connects our commerce and community offerings to the editorial voice readers already trust — and identify cross-promotion opportunities across Marketplace, Cookbook Club, social, and editorial
* Plan and execute paid search and shopping ad campaigns for Marketplace — including Google Ads (Shopping and Performance Max), product feed management in Google Merchant Center, branded vs. non-branded campaign strategy, bid and budget pacing, and Microsoft Ads
* Develop and execute targeted campaigns built around Marketplace subscriber growth and retention, with a focus on turning readers into buyers and buyers into loyal customers
* Track and optimize performance across both channels: conversion rates, revenue attribution, membership growth, retention, and return on ad spend
Measure What Matters
* Build and maintain a regular analytics reporting cadence across all channels
* Translate insights into action — not just reporting numbers, but knowing what to do with them
* Set and track KPIs for audience growth, engagement, Marketplace revenue, and Cookbook Club membership
Collaborate & Support Revenue Growth
* Partner with Sales to support advertiser campaigns, event promotion, and co-branded content — and provide audience data and campaign recaps that demonstrate value to partners
* Work with Editorial to align marketing with print and digital calendars; partner with the Digital Editor on website content, SEO, and traffic strategy
* Bring ideas for new marketing products, subscription drives, and audience extensions that grow revenue streams
Criteria includes:
* 7+ years of marketing experience, with at least 2–3 years in a leadership or management role
* Proven experience across newsletter, social, digital, and content marketing — ideally in media, publishing, food, travel, lifestyle, or e-commerce
* Experience with DTC or e-commerce marketing, including email automation, Shopify, and performance tracking
* Hands-on experience running paid search and shopping ad campaigns — Google Ads (including Shopping and Performance Max), Google Merchant Center product feed management, branded vs. non-branded campaign strategy, bid and budget pacing, and Microsoft Ads; this person should be able to own and execute these campaigns directly when needed
* Experience marketing subscription or membership products — Cookbook Club is a core and growing part of TLP’s community strategy
* Strong analytical mindset — comfortable in platform dashboards, building reports, and making data-driven decisions
* Excellent communicator and collaborator across teams with different priorities
* A genuine passion for brand-building and storytelling
* Familiarity with Mailchimp, Substack, Meta Business Suite, Google Analytics, Google Merchant Center, WordPress, Monday.com, and other similar platforms
* An eye for design and strong visual brand standards
* Knowledge of or genuine enthusiasm for food, culture, and the South — our audience can tell when someone really gets it
Why apply?
This is a rare opportunity to step into a senior marketing leadership role at a beloved regional media brand at an exciting moment of growth.
You’ll have real ownership across media, events, commerce, and community — a combination that few marketing roles offer.
If you’re a marketer who thrives at the intersection of creativity and strategy, and you want your work to matter, we’d love to hear from you.