Head of Marketing

Head of Marketing Parmela Creamery | Riverside, CA Hybrid (2–3 days/week in Riverside), with travel for retailer meetings, trade shows, and consumer activations $180,000–$220,000 base + performance bonus, equity, health benefits, and 401(k)

About Parmela

Parmela Creamery makes Real Cashew Cheese — cultured and aged from whole cashew milk for superior flavor, melt, and clean ingredients. We're a leading private-label manufacturer for top retailers, and we're now building a consumer brand alongside that business. With a differentiated product platform, strong production and R&D capabilities, and real momentum in plant-based cheese, we're at an inflection point with the opportunity to become the category's defining consumer brand.

The Role

We're hiring our first Head of Marketing to lead that build. Reporting to the CEO/Founder and partnering closely with the VP of Sales, you'll define the Parmela brand, drive trial and velocity, and build the marketing function from the ground up. This role starts without direct reports, with a clear path to building and leading a team as the brand scales.

This is a hands-on builder role. You'll set strategy and write briefs, manage agencies and visit stores, develop the brand platform and review creative. The right person is strategic enough to shape Parmela's positioning into something craveable and credible — and pragmatic enough to make smart bets with lean budgets and external partners.

What You'll Own

Brand & Storytelling. Refine Parmela's positioning, voice, and visual identity. Translate our craft process — cultured, aged, whole cashew milk — into a consumer story that's simple, credible, and craveable. Develop a steady stream of content (recipes, founder/process storytelling, chef and creator partnerships, social) that builds awareness and demand.

Trial & Activation. Design cost-effective programs that drive trial and velocity: sampling, demos, retailer-supported activations, creator partnerships, earned media, events, and targeted digital. Prioritize ruthlessly for ROI.

Sales Enablement & Shelf. Partner with the VP of Sales, brokers, and key accounts to win distribution and lift velocity. Build sell-in materials, retailer presentations, demo tools, POS, promotional support, and packaging that communicates clearly at shelf.

Planning & Resources. Develop a focused annual plan and budget tied to business priorities. Identify and manage the right outside partners — agencies, designers, PR, creators, demo partners — to execute without building a large team too early. Track practical KPIs (trial, velocity, demo performance, retailer-specific results) and use data to decide where to double down.

What Success Looks Like in Year One

You'll launch the Parmela consumer brand with a clear platform and identity, drive measurable trial in priority markets, and equip the sales team to win expanded distribution at key retailers. By year-end, Parmela will have a working marketing engine — and a foundation to scale.

What We're Looking For

• 8+ years of CPG marketing experience, ideally in food or beverage
• A track record helping build or scale an emerging brand in a competitive category
• Strong brand strategy, positioning, and consumer activation experience, with marketing programs that have driven measurable trial, velocity, or commercial impact
• Trade marketing experience: sell-in materials, retailer-specific programs, shopper or consumer activation
• Demonstrated ability to manage lean budgets and external partners effectively
• Comfort in a lean, founder-led environment

Nice to Have

Plant-based, dairy, cheese, refrigerated, or premium natural food experience; packaging and shelf communication work; foodservice or culinary influencer marketing; experience working directly with founders.

Travel required for retailer meetings, trade shows, store visits, and sampling activations.

Pay: $180,000.00 - $220,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Health insurance

Work Location: In person