Fractional Chief Marketing Officer

An established coffee brand with a growing franchise network, is seeking a seasoned Fractional CMO to architect their transition into doubling in size. This is a long-term partnership: beginning with an intensive strategic setup project to build a scalable marketing blueprint, followed by a permanent oversight role (approximately 2 days per month) to sustain the brand’s momentum. The ideal candidate must be a bilingual (Eng/Afr) strategic heavyweight who brings "Big Brand" expertise without the "Big Corporate" ego. You must be an authoritative leader capable of providing the Founder with candid, objective counsel while equipping franchise owners for success and the vision to scale a boutique gem into a national name. Strategic Design & Scalability (The "Blueprint") Scalable Marketing Elements: Build and implement marketing systems and assets that are "plug-and-play," ensuring they can be efficiently deployed across an increasing number of stores as the group grows. Multi-Store Experience: Apply proven strategies from previous experience in managing/marketing multi-outlet brands to ensure consistency and national impact. Modern Digital Strategy: Leverage Google platforms (SEO/SEM) and Social Media algorithms to ensure the brand maintains a dominant competitive position. Implementation & Performance Monitoring Clear Implementation Steps: Move beyond high-level ideas to provide clear, documented steps for the rollout of every campaign or strategy. Success Monitoring: Establish metrics to monitor the success of all marketing activities, ensuring data drives future decision-making. Operational Structure & Advisory HO Structure Audit: Determine the optimal balance for the Head Office, identifying which functions should remain "in-house" (e.g., core design/culture) and which should be "outsourced" to specialist agencies for maximum ROI. Strategic Sounding Board: Act as a "truth-teller" to the Founder, providing 100% honest feedback regarding team performance, hiring, and brand direction. Requirements South African citizen. Fluent in English and Afrikaans. Relevant qualification, BComm in Marketing or Business Management, Business Science (B.Bus.Sci) or MBA or solid Marketing Metrics/Analytics Certification/ Google Analytics (GA4) Certification highly beneficial Extensive experience in the food, beverage, or hospitality industry is essential. Proven track record in defining brand identity, customer personas, and ROI-led marketing structures. Ability to develop tangible marketing tool-kits and annual plans that support franchise owners at a store level. Experience in managing high-level stakeholder partnerships and brand collaborations. A focus on measured performance, structure, and 100% transparency in reporting. Benefits Vision: Phase 1 (Project/Setup) fully remotely with potential occasional travel if required Phase 2 (Maintenance) - ongoing, working mainly fully remotely