Marketing Director – Brand and E-commerce Strategist (Full Time)
Full-Time | Salaried | Hybrid On-Site
ABOUT MIZUBA
Mizuba Tea Co. works with small matcha producers in Japan to bring traditional loose-leaf teas and pure matcha green tea of integrity to our community through direct-to-consumer e-commerce and a robust, national wholesale program serving over 700 accounts.
As a direct-trade company and a recognized “Official Uji Cha Tea Dealer,” Mizuba personally knows, visits, and counts as friends the tea producers who strive to uphold heritage tea in Japan – and share it with you! Mizuba’s mission is to be a platform for our tea partners, farmers, and producers to ensure the traditions of Japanese tea live on.
We have also expanded to showcase a curated collection of wonderful oolongs, black, white, and herbal teas under our Herald Tea Co. department. We are incredibly passionate about creating meaningful connections between the people who grow extraordinary tea and the people who enjoy it. See our favorite ways to take a #MatchaMoment at @MizubaTeaCo on Instagram and at www.mizubatea.com.
Why This Role Matters
Over the past decade, we've built trusted relationships with award-winning producers in Japan, earned the loyalty of thousands of customers, and established ourselves as one of North America's leading premium Japanese tea companies.
We're not looking for someone to simply manage marketing. Rather, we're looking for someone who wants to help build Mizuba as one of the most respected premium tea brands. Given our exciting stage of growth, we’d like to share an opportunity to shape how customers discover, experience, and connect with Mizuba for years to come.
POSITION OVERVIEW
Mizuba Tea Co. is hiring a Marketing Director of Brand & E-commerce to lead strategy that connects all channels and our audiences under one clear, engaging voice and visual identity. This is a leadership role for someone who loves vision, execution, and analyzing results to continuously improve the customer experience.
As Marketing Director, you'll shape how people discover, experience, and fall in love with Mizuba. You'll connect our products and purpose through thoughtful storytelling, exceptional customer experiences, and data-informed marketing that supports long-term, sustainable growth across our direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and retail channels.
Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, Klaviyo e-mail campaigns, creative direction for asset creation, Shopify e-commerce strategy, social media, PR, SEO/SEM, wholesale and retail promotions, partnerships, and activations in support of our wholesale, e-commerce, and retail channels.
Because this role touches nearly every area of the business, the ideal candidate thrives in a collaborative environment and can balance data-driven decision-making with creativity, intuition, and thoughtful judgment.
The ideal candidate is a thoughtful, optimistic leader who pairs strategic vision with a collaborative, hands-on mindset. They enjoy developing meaningful ideas and working alongside our team to build a brand that customers genuinely connect with.
Success in this role is measured not by the volume of content produced, but by the strength of the brand, the loyalty and engagement of our customers, and the sustainable growth of the business.
This role is designed to evolve alongside Mizuba and is ideal for someone who is energized by growth, innovation, and continuous improvement.
You can expect to work in a caring, people-forward environment and have a great time!
Benefits: Paid Holidays, PTO, Paid Healthcare/Vision, SEP Retirement option, and lots of amazing tea!
Schedule: Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:30 pm.
Building the Brand
- Serve as a steward of the Mizuba voice and visual identity, and ensure consistency in brand standards across every customer touchpoint.
- Evolve brand positioning, ensuring Mizuba stays true to its rich heritage and premium position while remaining relevant and agile enough to evolve sustainably.
- Guide creative direction for photography, video, packaging, merchandising, and digital experiences.
- Stay informed on cultural trends while ensuring Mizuba remains timeless rather than trend-driven.
Strategic Marketing & Campaign Planning
- Strategize, develop, and own Mizuba's annual marketing roadmap, aligning product launches, seasonal campaigns, educational content, customer insights, e-commerce initiatives, partnerships, and brand storytelling to deliver a cohesive experience across every customer touchpoint.
- Develop go-to-market strategies for new products, partnering closely with leadership from concept through launch for both Mizuba and Herald Tea.
- Guide the strategic direction of marketing initiatives so every campaign, launch, and customer interaction contributes to a consistent brand experience and measurable business growth (increased awareness, engagement, acquisition, traffic, and sales).
- Lead social media strategy, community growth and engagement, creative partnerships, and content syndication.
Building Community Partnerships and Collaborations
- Foster current partnerships and identify additional collaboration opportunities that align with Mizuba to drive brand awareness and conversions.
Analytics & Growth
- Initiate consumer research as needed.
- Monitor critical brand KPIs alongside industry trends and competitors.
- Own the digital customer journey, continually improving merchandising, conversion, retention, and the overall e-commerce experience.
- Improve ROI of digital marketing and site conversion.
Leadership and Collaboration
- Collaborate with leadership to define project goals, timelines, and resource needs.
- Oversee project execution from concept to completion, ensuring clear ownership, effective communication, operational efficiency, and on-time delivery.
- Assess, build, and lead a collaborative network of internal team members, freelancers, agencies, and creative partners, ensuring the right expertise is in place to support Mizuba's continued growth.
- Cultivate a positive team culture and promote an environment in which employees are engaged and committed to the success of the company.
- Share ideas and collaborate in a small, close-knit team environment, always ready to pitch in and help.
- Flexibility, adaptability, and proactive engagement are key – you must be able to enjoy and contribute to a wide range of activities.
- Provide administrative and operational support for product launches, pop-ups, or partner events.
- Assist in documenting operational improvements and contributing feedback to strategy discussions.
- Participate in Mizuba events with enthusiasm, transforming each gathering into moments of learning and discovery.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of brand management or marketing experience in CPG or retail. Beverage or coffee experience is a bonus.
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field; MBA a plus.
- A strong analytical mindset and ability to drive business results through development and execution of brand marketing strategy and content.
- Proven track record in running a successful e-commerce business with significant year-over-year growth.
- Proficient in balancing creativity with sound business judgment to deliver breakthrough and measurable brand-building ideas while leveraging conservative budgets.
- Experience building digital strategies and campaigns, including SEO & SEM that deliver against traffic, conversion, and average check goals.
- Experience managing agencies, freelancers, and creative partners.
- Demonstrates a strong curiosity about consumer behavior, cultural trends, emerging platforms, and the evolving specialty food, beverage, and wellness industries, with the ability to translate insights into thoughtful marketing strategies that keep Mizuba relatable and aspirational while staying true to our brand values.
- Exhibits outstanding communication skills with the ability to interact with all levels of people inside and out of the company.
- Has strong business acumen with the ability to balance strategic priorities, operational needs, budgets, and competing deadlines.
- Comfortable with high-level, strategic thinking while remaining hands-on, adaptable, and willing to do what's needed to move the business forward.
Qualities & Skills
- Is a person of integrity with a positive, can-do attitude.
- Supreme attention to detail.
- Has a self-motivated, proactive approach to work with little supervision and can track multiple processes.
- Skilled in decision-making, time management, and prioritizing tasks, with meticulous organization to handle multiple tasks, ongoing projects, and daily responsibilities.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to form genuine, personable relationships.
- Must be able to give and receive feedback within our intimate work environment.
- Must demonstrate problem-solving in a solutions-based approach.
- Demonstrates a commitment to serve the team and see positive growth.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Proficient in Shopify, Google Workspace, Sheets, PowerPoint, Klaviyo, and all other computer programs and platforms assigned.
- Valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, and a reliable vehicle.
- Carry weight, lift up to 5 pounds frequently and up to 50 pounds occasionally.
- A thirst for continuous learning and a deep appreciation for Japanese tea culture.
WORKING AT MIZUBA
This is a salaried position. Compensation will be commensurate with experience.
Work takes place in office settings; this position is based at our HQ in Portland, Oregon.
Mizuba is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or disability. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. Discrimination or harassment in any form or based on any of the above factors is prohibited, as is retaliation against a person who has made a complaint or given information regarding possible violations of our policy.
Pay: $90,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Location:
- Portland, OR 97202 (Required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Portland, OR 97202
