Director, Digital Marketing

Overview

Puttshack is an upscale, tech-infused mini golf experience offering world-class food and full bar in a fun, communal setting. This hybrid role is based in Chicago (River North) with three days onsite and reports to the CMO.

Position Summary

Reporting to the CMO, Puttshack is seeking a fun, highly organized, and data-driven leader to define and execute our end-to-end digital marketing strategy. This role will be a key player in driving business growth by optimizing the full-funnel guest experience across paid media, CRM/loyalty, SEO, and website. This role requires a strategic visionary who can translate data into actionable insights, lead a small team, and orchestrate cross-functional initiatives to deliver strong ROI and enhance our guest experience.

Location

Hybrid role with 3 days onsite at the Home Office in Chicago (River North), IL.

Position Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end digital strategy and roadmap across paid media, CRM/loyalty, SEO, and web to deliver a cohesive full-funnel customer journey and measurable business impact.
• Lead annual planning with Brand and Communications; set goals, audience strategy, channel mix, investment levels, and KPIs tied to revenue and ROI.
• Architect and optimize paid search, paid social, and programmatic; drive testing, budget pacing, and performance reporting using GA4, Google stack, and Meta Ads Manager.
• Translate first-party data into segmentation, personalization, and lifecycle programs (email/SMS/automation) that increase repeat visits and incremental revenue.
• Collaborate with the Web Specialist to improve site UX, speed, conversion, and SEO; define testing plans, prioritize backlogs, and oversee CMS governance.
• Analyze website data, user behavior, and test results to draw insights and recommend actionable enhancements.
• Manage agencies and partners for accountability, performance, and cost efficiency; negotiate contracts and evaluate new capabilities.
• Serve as main point of contact for the digital marketing agency and support vendor management for marketing technology partners.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team, set clear objectives, coach regularly, and foster cross-functional alignment.
• Ensure compliance with data privacy and consumer protection laws; establish measurement frameworks, attribution approaches, and reporting cadences for executive visibility.
• Drive cross-departmental initiatives with Tech, Finance, and Operations to enhance digital products and the guest experience.
• Assign and manage digital budgets, forecasts, and variance analyses; reallocate quickly based on performance insights.
• Stay ahead of platform changes, industry trends, and competitor moves; proactively recommend innovations that create advantage.
• Other projects or duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• 8+ years of progressive digital marketing experience with demonstrated ownership of multi-channel strategy and P&L-aligned outcomes in consumer, F&B, or entertainment; multi-unit/location experience strongly preferred.
• BS/BA in Marketing, Business, or related field (advanced degree or relevant certifications a plus).
• 2+ years leading and developing high-performing teams; proven ability to set goals, coach, and manage performance.
• Hands-on expertise with GA4, Google Ads, Tag Manager, SEO fundamentals, and basic HTML/CMS; ability to build dashboards and translate insights into action.
• Proven success designing and optimizing full-funnel programs across paid search/social, programmatic, and organic; strong test-and-learn mindset with A/B and multivariate experimentation.
• Lifecycle/CRM proficiency (email, SMS, marketing automation) leveraging first-party data for segmentation, personalization, and measurable lift in repeat visits and revenue.
• Strong command of attribution and measurement frameworks (e.g., MMM/MTA, incrementality), KPI setting, and ROI optimization; comfortable with budgeting, forecasting, and pacing.
• Experience managing agencies and martech vendors (contracts, SOWs, SLAs) and evaluating new tools/capabilities.
• Partner-oriented leader with cross-functional collaboration (Brand/Comms, Tech, Ops, Finance) to ship roadmaps and improve guest/user experience.
• Excellent attention to detail, organization, and project management; strong problem-solving plus clear written and verbal communication.
• Working knowledge of data privacy and consumer protection standards relevant to digital marketing (e.g., CAN-SPAM, TCPA, GDPR/CCPA) and consent management best practices.
• Travel may be required to support business needs/projects.
• This position must pass a post-offer background check.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience with ESP/SMS platforms, CDPs, and audience management; comfort with basic SQL or BI tools (Looker/Tableau/Power BI) for analysis.
• Programmatic/DSP management experience and familiarity with retail media or local store marketing for multi-unit businesses.
• Familiarity with tag governance, data layer best practices, and server-side tagging.
• Experience developing executive-ready reporting cadences and narratives that tie marketing performance to business outcomes.

Physical Requirements

• Physical activities on a continuous basis; sit at a desk for long periods; frequent use of telephone/video conferencing and keyboard.
• Some walking and lifting, up to 25 lbs, may be required.
• The noise level is typically low to moderate.
• Accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

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