Field Marketing Specialist

POSITION PURPOSE:
The Field Marketing Specialist leads the execution of El Pollo Loco’s local store marketing (LSM) programs, new restaurant opening (NRO) initiatives, and community engagement activities. This role owns key field marketing programs end-to-end including strategy, execution, and continuous improvement and provides critical leadership to ensure field marketing plans are delivered effectively and consistently across corporate and franchise restaurants. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, proactive, a skilled relationship-builder, and passionate about helping bring the El Pollo Loco brand to life at the local level.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Local Store Marketing Support

Execute local store marketing campaigns, promotions, public relations initiatives, and programs that drive sales, traffic, and brand awareness.
Coordinate with restaurant leadership to distribute marketing toolkits, materials, and resources.
Maintain, update, and review assets and requests in the Local Store Marketing Portal, ensuring guides and materials are accurate and accessible.
Track usage and engagement with LSM tools to identify opportunities for improvement.
Represents the marketing team in front of franchisees, collaborating on strategy and execution of events.

New Restaurant Openings (NROs)

Lead the planning, logistics, and execution of marketing activities related to new restaurant openings, independently executing NROs as assigned given the volume of openings across the market.
Lead community outreach, public relations, event materials, and promotional assets for new restaurant openings.
Manage and optimize the NRO asset and budget tracker, ensuring accurate documentation of spend, timelines, and vendor coordination.
Conduct trade area assessments of NROs, identifying sales-driving and community-building opportunities.

Community Engagement & Sponsorships

Own the fundraiser and community give-back program end-to-end — from strategy and franchisee outreach through execution and post-program reporting.
Make day-to-day decisions on program structure, partnership requests, and franchisee participation, exercising independent judgment on program matters and escalating only major strategic shifts to the Field Marketing Manager.
Continuously evaluate and improve fundraiser program mechanics, materials, and processes to increase franchisee participation and community impact.
Build scalable tools, templates, and workflows that allow the fundraiser program to grow alongside the brand's expansion.

Project Management & Administrative Support

Work with cross-functional teams (Operations, Training, Creative, Supply Chain, etc.) to support execution of field marketing programs.
Process invoices, maintain budget trackers, and ensure accurate documentation of marketing spend.
Assist in preparing presentations, reports, and recaps for internal stakeholders and franchise partners.
Attend internal and franchisee-facing meetings, take detailed notes, and distribute clear, timely recaps to relevant stakeholders.
Draft and manage email correspondence across franchisee, vendor, and internal audiences, ensuring communications are timely, accurate, and on-brand.

Analytics & Reporting

Support the collection, organization, and reporting of field marketing data, campaign performance, and local insights.
Assist in analyzing promotional outcomes and identifying opportunities to improve future activations.

Other Duties

Provide general marketing support as assigned by the Field Marketing Manager.
Participate in local market visits and assist onsite for key events, when needed.

QUALIFICATIONS – EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, LICENSE/CERTIFICATIONS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. The requirements listed below are representative of the education and/or experience required.

Education/Work Experience:

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field preferred.
1–3 years of marketing experience, ideally within food service, retail, franchising, or consumer-facing brands.
Experience in field marketing, events, brand activation, and franchising is strongly preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Strong organizational and project management skills with meticulous attention to detail.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Strong written communication skills, with the ability to manage a high volume of email correspondence professionally and efficiently.
Customer service mindset with the ability to support both corporate and franchise stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Excel, Word) and ability to quickly learn new software tools.
Ability to travel occasionally (10–20%) to support field visits, events, and new store openings.