Lolli and Pops
Overview "Director of Marketing" for Hammond’s Candies and Lolli & Pops, Ampersand Brands (and Hammond’s Candies + Lolli & Pops). Location: Corporate - Denver, CO. Position Type: Full Time. Salary Range: $115,000 - $150,000 per year.
Job Location : Corporate - Denver, CO
Position Type : Full Time
Salary Range : $115000.00 - $150000.00 Salary/year
Description
Director of Marketing for Ampersand Brands portfolio including Hammond’s Candies and Lolli & Pops.
About Us Ampersand Brands is a growing portfolio of beloved confectionery brands, including Hammond’s Candies, the iconic hand-crafted candy maker, and Lolli & Pops, a premium retail and gifting brand with a national presence. The company is backed by strong growth ambitions, combining innovation, brand storytelling, and operational excellence to expand its reach and solidify its position as a leading player in the U.S. confections industry.
The Role The Director of Marketing for Hammond’s Candies and Lolli & Pops is responsible for driving enterprise growth through brand strategy, performance marketing, and customer lifecycle management across retail, wholesale, and e-commerce channels. This role builds customer acquisition and retention engines, develops data-driven campaigns and leverages storytelling and innovation to maximize revenue.
Key Responsibilities
P&L and Budget Management
Manage the marketing P&L and budget, ensuring resources are allocated to maximize ROI and drive profitable growth. Develop and track annual budget. Align investments with Ampersand Brands’ revenue goals. Partner with Finance to monitor performance and adjust strategies to achieve performance goals.
Performance Marketing & KPI Accountability
Develop and manage a marketing KPI scorecard across CAC, ROAS, traffic, conversion, retention, and gifting pipeline growth. Oversee paid search, social, affiliate, and influencer marketing with ROI discipline. Implement A/B testing and attribution models to optimize spend efficiency.
E-Commerce & Digital Revenue Growth
Oversee the eCommerce P&L, scaling DTC to be a powerhouse within the enterprise. Optimize Shopify storefronts, Amazon/marketplaces, and wholesale digital platforms. Drive conversion, AOV growth, retention, and LTV expansion. Lead CRM/lifecycle marketing programs (email, SMS, loyalty, subscriptions).
B2B & Corporate Gifting Development
Design and launch corporate gifting programs and branded portals. Scale gifting into its own robust revenue channel within three years. Build lead-gen pipelines, account acquisition strategies, and retention campaigns for corporate clients. Integrate gifting into wholesale and enterprise partnerships.
Brand & Creative Leadership
Oversee creative, packaging, and campaign storytelling to elevate Hammond’s’ nostalgic positioning and Lolli & Pops’ prestige gifting identity. Launch seasonal campaigns and collections that cut through in retail, wholesale, and eCommerce. Steward the unique voices of Lolli & Pops and Hammond’s while strengthening Ampersand’s parent brand identity.
Customer Growth (Acquisition & Expansion)
Demand Generation: Build awareness and interest through advertising, social media, PR, content, events, and influencer partnerships. Performance Marketing: Using paid search, paid social, SEO, affiliates, and referral programs to acquire new customers at an efficient cost of acquisition (CAC). Brand Positioning: Craft a differentiated, memorable brand story that attracts the right customer segments. Customer Journey Optimization: Design touchpoints (websites, stores, packaging, gifting) that move prospects from awareness to trial to purchase. Channel Development: Expand into new geographies, platforms, or partnerships (e.g., corporate gifting, wholesale, or marketplaces).
Customer Retention (Loyalty & Lifetime Value)
Onboarding & Engagement: Ensure first experiences are delightful and easy, with strong follow-up communication. Personalization: Using data to tailor offers, messaging, and product recommendations to individual behaviors and preferences. Loyalty Programs: Rewards, perks, and exclusive experiences that encourage repeat purchases and deeper brand connection. Lifecycle Marketing: Targeted campaigns across email, SMS, and app notifications that drive re-engagement, upsells, and cross-sells. Customer Community & Advocacy: Create ways for customers to connect with the brand and each other, fostering emotional loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals. Feedback & Service Integration: Closing the loop with customer feedback and ensuring excellent customer service, which supports retention and reputation.
Cross-Functional Impact
Partner with Sales, Finance, and Operations to align digital KPIs with enterprise revenue targets. Mentor a high-performance marketing team with a data-driven, results-first mindset. Present quarterly KPI and growth scorecards to executives and investors.
Qualifications
7–10+ years of brand marketing experience (CPG, food/bev, lifestyle preferred).
A hybrid thinker: strategic storyteller + hands-on doer.
Experience supporting retail marketing activations and wholesale/trade marketing.
Track record of scaling digital revenue with KPI-driven performance results.
Hands-on experience with Shopify, Amazon/marketplaces, loyalty programs, gifting portals, and automation platforms.
Strong performance marketing and data analytics background.
Creative brand-builder who also thrives in a metrics-first, private-equity-backed growth environment.
Comfortable managing lean, nimble teams and outside partners.
A creative sensibility — you know what makes an email sing, a TikTok trend feel on-brand, and packaging stand out on shelf.
Curiosity, positivity, and a genuine love for building connections (and sweets don’t hurt either).
Leadership Competencies
Strategic thinker
Performance, data-driven operator
Influential executive partner
Creative visionary with commercial discipline
Customer champion
Omni-channel innovator
Why You’ll Love Working Here
The chance to lead not one, but two iconic brands — with very different but equally lovable personalities.
A small, scrappy team that punches above its weight.
A seat at the table to help shape the future of a growing parent company.
A culture rooted in thoughtfulness, creativity, and joy.
Competitive benefits package with the possibility of bonus and equity.
Location : Denver, CO (hybrid onsite 4 days/week with flexibility)
If you’re equal parts strategist, storyteller, and doer — and you love the idea of making generosity an aspirational lifestyle — we’d love to meet you.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Position Type : Full Time
Salary Range : $115000.00 - $150000.00 Salary/year
Description
Director of Marketing for Ampersand Brands portfolio including Hammond’s Candies and Lolli & Pops.
About Us Ampersand Brands is a growing portfolio of beloved confectionery brands, including Hammond’s Candies, the iconic hand-crafted candy maker, and Lolli & Pops, a premium retail and gifting brand with a national presence. The company is backed by strong growth ambitions, combining innovation, brand storytelling, and operational excellence to expand its reach and solidify its position as a leading player in the U.S. confections industry.
The Role The Director of Marketing for Hammond’s Candies and Lolli & Pops is responsible for driving enterprise growth through brand strategy, performance marketing, and customer lifecycle management across retail, wholesale, and e-commerce channels. This role builds customer acquisition and retention engines, develops data-driven campaigns and leverages storytelling and innovation to maximize revenue.
Key Responsibilities
P&L and Budget Management
Manage the marketing P&L and budget, ensuring resources are allocated to maximize ROI and drive profitable growth. Develop and track annual budget. Align investments with Ampersand Brands’ revenue goals. Partner with Finance to monitor performance and adjust strategies to achieve performance goals.
Performance Marketing & KPI Accountability
Develop and manage a marketing KPI scorecard across CAC, ROAS, traffic, conversion, retention, and gifting pipeline growth. Oversee paid search, social, affiliate, and influencer marketing with ROI discipline. Implement A/B testing and attribution models to optimize spend efficiency.
E-Commerce & Digital Revenue Growth
Oversee the eCommerce P&L, scaling DTC to be a powerhouse within the enterprise. Optimize Shopify storefronts, Amazon/marketplaces, and wholesale digital platforms. Drive conversion, AOV growth, retention, and LTV expansion. Lead CRM/lifecycle marketing programs (email, SMS, loyalty, subscriptions).
B2B & Corporate Gifting Development
Design and launch corporate gifting programs and branded portals. Scale gifting into its own robust revenue channel within three years. Build lead-gen pipelines, account acquisition strategies, and retention campaigns for corporate clients. Integrate gifting into wholesale and enterprise partnerships.
Brand & Creative Leadership
Oversee creative, packaging, and campaign storytelling to elevate Hammond’s’ nostalgic positioning and Lolli & Pops’ prestige gifting identity. Launch seasonal campaigns and collections that cut through in retail, wholesale, and eCommerce. Steward the unique voices of Lolli & Pops and Hammond’s while strengthening Ampersand’s parent brand identity.
Customer Growth (Acquisition & Expansion)
Demand Generation: Build awareness and interest through advertising, social media, PR, content, events, and influencer partnerships. Performance Marketing: Using paid search, paid social, SEO, affiliates, and referral programs to acquire new customers at an efficient cost of acquisition (CAC). Brand Positioning: Craft a differentiated, memorable brand story that attracts the right customer segments. Customer Journey Optimization: Design touchpoints (websites, stores, packaging, gifting) that move prospects from awareness to trial to purchase. Channel Development: Expand into new geographies, platforms, or partnerships (e.g., corporate gifting, wholesale, or marketplaces).
Customer Retention (Loyalty & Lifetime Value)
Onboarding & Engagement: Ensure first experiences are delightful and easy, with strong follow-up communication. Personalization: Using data to tailor offers, messaging, and product recommendations to individual behaviors and preferences. Loyalty Programs: Rewards, perks, and exclusive experiences that encourage repeat purchases and deeper brand connection. Lifecycle Marketing: Targeted campaigns across email, SMS, and app notifications that drive re-engagement, upsells, and cross-sells. Customer Community & Advocacy: Create ways for customers to connect with the brand and each other, fostering emotional loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals. Feedback & Service Integration: Closing the loop with customer feedback and ensuring excellent customer service, which supports retention and reputation.
Cross-Functional Impact
Partner with Sales, Finance, and Operations to align digital KPIs with enterprise revenue targets. Mentor a high-performance marketing team with a data-driven, results-first mindset. Present quarterly KPI and growth scorecards to executives and investors.
Qualifications
7–10+ years of brand marketing experience (CPG, food/bev, lifestyle preferred).
A hybrid thinker: strategic storyteller + hands-on doer.
Experience supporting retail marketing activations and wholesale/trade marketing.
Track record of scaling digital revenue with KPI-driven performance results.
Hands-on experience with Shopify, Amazon/marketplaces, loyalty programs, gifting portals, and automation platforms.
Strong performance marketing and data analytics background.
Creative brand-builder who also thrives in a metrics-first, private-equity-backed growth environment.
Comfortable managing lean, nimble teams and outside partners.
A creative sensibility — you know what makes an email sing, a TikTok trend feel on-brand, and packaging stand out on shelf.
Curiosity, positivity, and a genuine love for building connections (and sweets don’t hurt either).
Leadership Competencies
Strategic thinker
Performance, data-driven operator
Influential executive partner
Creative visionary with commercial discipline
Customer champion
Omni-channel innovator
Why You’ll Love Working Here
The chance to lead not one, but two iconic brands — with very different but equally lovable personalities.
A small, scrappy team that punches above its weight.
A seat at the table to help shape the future of a growing parent company.
A culture rooted in thoughtfulness, creativity, and joy.
Competitive benefits package with the possibility of bonus and equity.
Location : Denver, CO (hybrid onsite 4 days/week with flexibility)
If you’re equal parts strategist, storyteller, and doer — and you love the idea of making generosity an aspirational lifestyle — we’d love to meet you.
#J-18808-Ljbffr