Marketing Director

About The Salad Project

The Salad Project is on a mission to build the world's premier salad bar experience. Founded five years ago, the company now operates 15 locations across London, serving more than 12,000 salads daily. With £10 million in funding from top-tier investors, it has earned accolades including UberEats Restaurant of the Year and recognition as one of the UK's FEBE Top Growing Companies. Unlike typical salad bars, which are often overlooked and uninspired, The Salad Project aims to redefine this category with outstanding quality and innovation. Plans to enter the European market commence with a Paris launch in September 2026, followed by ambitious expansion throughout the continent and beyond.

Role Overview

We are searching for a Marketing Director to oversee the entire marketing division, leading an expanding team across multiple countries and driving growth both in brand awareness and commercial performance. Reporting directly to the co-founders, you will be a key leadership figure responsible for shaping strategy, inspiring bold and creative brand initiatives, while ensuring performance targets are met.

This role demands a challenger mindset—someone who thrives on innovation, speed, and distinctiveness, willing to disrupt traditional category norms rather than conform to them. You will have full authority over marketing decisions, budget, and strategic direction, with strong founder support to make a significant impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct the ambition and strategy for cultural brand partnerships that elevate the company's status across Europe. Develop meaningful, high-profile collaborations beyond simple promotions, creating a sustainable partnership model.
• Lead creative vision and execution of all brand-owned marketing campaigns, ensuring marketing work is impactful, imaginative, and disproportionate to company size.
• Set and uphold brand standards, overseeing brand positioning, tone, and consistency across all customer touchpoints and markets. Manage and guide the Head of Brand and other brand-focused roles toward excellence.
• Own commercial growth objectives throughout the customer acquisition and retention channels including paid media, CRM, loyalty programs, and app engagement, maintaining rigorous performance tracking and ROI visibility at the leadership level.
• Develop and oversee go-to-market strategies for new store openings, ensuring strong footfall from launch day and creating scalable playbooks for future site launches.
• Lead the marketing approach for international expansions starting with Paris, coordinating cross-market teams to balance global brand consistency with local market adaptation.
• Manage and build a diverse team of five marketing professionals, including roles in brand, design, events, and regional marketing, scaling the structure for continued growth and fostering team development.

Candidate Profile

• Demonstrated history of effectively leading marketing teams and achieving measurable brand growth within consumer-facing challenger brands.
• Experience in sectors like fitness, wellness, fashion, technology, or hospitality, ideally with brands that resonate deeply with consumers.
• Strong challenger mentality that prioritizes innovative and category-defying marketing approaches rather than maintaining the status quo.
• Proven leadership capabilities across both brand-building and performance marketing disciplines, including financial oversight and board-level reporting.
• Experience managing multi-market, preferably international, marketing operations and teams.
• Deep understanding of European markets and cultures, with fluency in English; additional languages are not mandatory.
• Instinctive grasp of brand culture and lifestyle integration, coupled with the emotional intelligence to lead senior creative staff without overstepping.
• Entrepreneurial spirit comfortable with rapid change and ambiguity, thriving in founder-led, high-growth environments.

Preferred Skills

• Comprehensive knowledge of digital marketing tools and strategies.
• Proficiency in planning and purchasing advertising campaigns across multiple media, including out-of-home and social channels.
• Experience managing customer loyalty programs and product launch strategies.
• Insider understanding of how artificial intelligence is transforming marketing practices.

Why Join The Salad Project?

• Opportunity to lead marketing for one of the UK's most exciting and fast-growing food brands as it goes global.
• Complete ownership and autonomy over marketing strategy, backed by supportive founders and a strong investment base.
• Membership on the leadership team with influence over brand, growth, and international business strategy.
• Ability to build and grow a dynamic marketing team in multiple markets.
• Competitive compensation package along with meaningful equity participation in a scaling business.
• Contribute to creating what aspires to be the world’s best salad bar.

Additional Information

Location: London, UK with occasional travel required for the role. Start date aimed for November, with selection stages from mid to late August. Interested candidates should submit their CV along with a brief statement outlining their enthusiasm for the position.