Director, Brand Creative

Who is Taco Bell?

Taco Bell was born and raised in California and has been around since 1962. We went from selling everyone’s favorite Crunchy Tacos on the West Coast to a global brand with 8,200+ restaurants, 350 franchise organizations, that serve 42+ million fans each week around the globe. We’re not only the largest Mexican-inspired quick service brand (QSR) in the world, we’re also part of the biggest restaurant group in the world: Yum! Brands. 

Much of our fan love and authentic connection with our communities are rooted in being rebels with a cause. From ensuring we use high quality, sustainable ingredients to elevating restaurant technology in ways that hasn’t been done before… we will continue to be inclusive, bold, challenge the status quo and push industry boundaries.   

We’re a company that celebrates and advocates for different, has bold self-expression, strives for a better future, and brings the fun while we’re at it. We fuel our culture with real people who bring unique experiences. We inspire and enable our teams and the world to Live Más.

At Taco Bell, we’re Cultural Rebels. Want to join in on the passion-fueled fun? Learn more about the career below. 

About the Job:

The Director, Creative Strategist, Brand & Culture will drive brand strategy, storytelling, and creative execution to evolve Taco Bell’s brand and redefine what it means to Live Mas today. This role will support the marketing team and organization in building strategic and creative capabilities that keep the brand at the forefront of initiatives and activations.

The ideal candidate understands how ideas drive the business. They are strategic, creative, culturally fluent, highly collaborative, embrace experimentation with the ability to dream big, bring a distinctive POV, execute effectively, and operate in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. This person can inspire and lead teams, is both creative and execution in nature, and is comfortable and confident in the gray.

The Day-to-Day:

• Lead the generation of brand idea pipeline – populating the marketing calendar with meaningful moments that anchor the brand in different pockets of culture. Shape communication ideas with a distinctive point of view in partnership with creative agencies to make ideas bigger and more culturally relevant.
• Thought leadership and management of cultural strategy, including Hispanic audience and creative fluency, designed to drive Taco Bell’s cultural ambitions forward.
• Partner with cross-functional teams, including Public Relations, Digital, Social, Media and Creative team to develop robust, multi-channel activations that effectively engage target consumers.
• Oversee the cadence of Brand Buzz within the marketing planning process and ensure there is a steady drumbeat of activity that will keep the brand top of mind.
• Lead cross-functional leadership alignment discussions to progress key workstreams and projects, including but not limited to program development briefs, creative development, and launch plans.
• Manage and inspire agency partners to develop compelling and engaging brand actions and consumer communications, from briefing to creative development and launch. Ongoing assessment ensuring the brand has modern creative capability and the right agency roster.
• Partner with key departments to shape and develop key storytelling platforms and extensions for the brand.
• Lead the development and deployment of key brand strategy materials and capability trainings including creative brief templates, brand architecture maps and creative feedback best practices.
• Create and track brand KPIs to measure effectiveness of overall marketing activities on an ongoing basis

Is This You?

• BA/BS required; MBA preferred
• 10+ years of relevant experience, including 5+ years in Brand Marketing, Creative Development, or Strategic Planning (agency experience a plus)
• 5+ years in a leadership/management role
• Proven ability to create and execute brand strategies and marketing campaigns
• Strong leadership, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Experience with Marketing KPIs and multi-channel retail/franchised business is a plus
• Strategic, creative thinker and effective storyteller
• Inspiring, collaborative leader with strong influencing and prioritization abilities
• Self-motivated, results-driven, and intellectually curious

Work-Hard, Play-Hard:

• Hybrid work schedule and year-round flex day Friday
• Onsite childcare through Bright Horizons 
• Onsite dining center and game room (yes, there is a Taco Bell inside the building) 
• Onsite dry cleaning, laundry services, carwash, 
• Onsite gym with fitness classes and personal trainer sessions 
• Up to 4 weeks of vacation per year plus holidays and time off for volunteering 
• Generous parental leave for all new parents and adoption assistance program 
• 401(k) with a 6% matching contribution from Yum! Brands with immediate vesting 
• Comprehensive medical & dental including prescription drug benefits and 100% preventive care
• Discounts, free food, swag and… honestly, too many good benefits to name 

Salary Range: ­­$160,400 to $190,000 annually + bonus eligibility + benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we'll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.

At Taco Bell, we Live Más and invite you to do the same. Take a seat at our table. Bring your voice. Bring you, just as you are, a Cultural Rebel. We want you to be your best self! 

Taco Bell is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to equity, inclusion, and belonging for all dimensions of diversity.  We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other protected characteristic.

Taco Bell is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities or special needs.  

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