Marketing Director - Brand and E-commerce Strategist

About Mizuba Tea Co.

Mizuba Tea Co. collaborates directly with small matcha producers in Japan to offer authentic loose-leaf teas and pure matcha green tea through their e-commerce platform and a national wholesale network comprising over 700 accounts. Recognized as an Official Uji Cha Tea Dealer, Mizuba fosters personal relationships with tea growers preserving the heritage of Japanese tea. Their mission is to support these tea partners and safeguard the tea traditions. Under the Herald Tea Co. brand, they also offer a curated selection of oolongs, black, white, and herbal teas, creating meaningful connections between tea cultivators and consumers.

Role Overview

The Marketing Director will play a pivotal role in reinforcing Mizuba's position as a premium Japanese tea brand by crafting and executing comprehensive brand and e-commerce strategies. This leadership position demands a candidate passionate about vision setting, execution, and analyzing performance data to enhance customer experiences while fostering sustainable growth across direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and retail channels.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain and uphold consistent brand voice and visual identity across all customer interactions.
• Advance brand positioning to honor Mizuba’s heritage while ensuring adaptability and relevance.
• Provide creative direction for visual assets including photography, video, packaging, merchandising, and online experiences.
• Develop and manage an integrated annual marketing plan aligning product launches, seasonal campaigns, educational content, customer insights, and partnerships to deliver a seamless brand experience.
• Create and implement go-to-market strategies for new products in close collaboration with leadership.
• Direct social media strategy, community engagement, creative collaborations, and content distribution.
• Identify and nurture partnerships to increase brand visibility and conversion rates.
• Conduct consumer research and monitor key brand performance indicators alongside market trends and competitors.
• Optimize the digital customer journey focusing on merchandising, conversion rates, retention, and e-commerce user experience.
• Enhance return on investment from digital marketing and site conversions.
• Collaborate with leadership on project planning, resource allocation, and deadline adherence.
• Lead a network of internal team members, freelancers, agencies, and creative partners to support business growth.
• Foster a positive, engaged team culture focused on company success.
• Provide operational support for product launches, events, and contribute to continuous operational improvements.
• Actively participate in company events, contributing to learning and discovery experiences.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in brand management or marketing within consumer packaged goods or retail sectors; beverage or coffee industry experience is advantageous.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or related discipline; an MBA is considered a plus.
• Strong analytical skills coupled with the ability to craft and execute strategic brand marketing initiatives.
• Proven success in managing rapidly growing e-commerce businesses.
• Ability to balance creative ideas with pragmatic business decisions to yield measurable brand growth within budget constraints.
• Experience developing digital marketing strategies including SEO and SEM to boost traffic, conversions, and sales metrics.
• Experienced in managing agencies, freelancers, and external creative collaborators.
• Keen interest in consumer behaviors, cultural trends, emerging digital platforms, and specialty food and beverage markets, translating insights into effective marketing strategies.
• Excellent communication skills capable of engaging stakeholders at all organizational levels.
• Strong business acumen with capability to prioritize strategic and operational imperatives under tight deadlines.
• Comfortable with both high-level strategic planning and hands-on implementation.

Personal Qualities

• Integrity with a positive and proactive work attitude.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Self-driven with strong organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Effective decision-making and time management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to build authentic professional relationships.
• Open to giving and receiving constructive feedback.
• Solution-oriented mindset focused on team success.
• Strong verbal and written communication abilities.
• Proficiency in Shopify, Google Workspace, Klaviyo, and common digital tools.
• Valid driver's license and a reliable vehicle; capable of lifting up to 50 pounds occasionally.
• A continuous learner with a deep passion for Japanese tea culture.

Working Conditions and Benefits

This salaried, full-time role is based at Mizuba’s headquarters in Portland, Oregon, with working hours Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 5:30 pm. Benefits include paid holidays, paid time off, healthcare and vision coverage, SEP retirement options, and access to excellent tea products. Mizuba is committed to equal opportunity employment and an inclusive work environment free of discrimination and harassment.