About GU Energy Labs
We are a family owned, purpose led sports nutrition manufacturer born and based in Berkeley since 1993, and still the leader in sports nutrition gels. We believe movement is everything - it makes us feel alive, and we serve a global community of athletes, beginners and world record setters, who are discovering and pushing their human potential.
We're a member of 1% for the Planet, and we strive to be the most impactful sports nutrition brand. Through our products, our partnerships, and programs like GU Gives, we work to support peak athletic performance, expand access to an active life, and protect the environments we live and play in.
About the Role
The VP of Marketing will lead marketing strategies to build on the vitality of our brands and to communicate the purpose and value of our products to athletes and the communities we serve.
As VP of Marketing, you'll shape how GU shows up in the world - how we tell stories, support athletes, engage communities, and grow responsibly. You'll lead a creative, energetic marketing team and work closely with cross-functional partners to drive brand loyalty, revenue growth, and lasting impact.
The VP of Marketing brings strategic leadership to our brand portfolio, omnichannel marketing, digital and ecommerce platforms, athlete partnerships, and community programs. You are a key member of the executive team, and serve as a thought leader, strategist, and unifying force across the company.
What You'll Do
Lead Collaborative Marketing Team
- Build and inspire a high-performing and curious marketing team; foster a culture of creativity, trust, and accountability
- Serve on the executive team - contributing to company-wide strategy, alignment, and decision-making
- Champion brand knowledge across the organization and cultivate employee engagement with GU's purpose and values
- Manage the marketing budget, support forecasting and production planning, and ensure sound investment allocation across the portfolio
Drive Brand & Product Marketing Strategy
- Design and execute the Annual Brand Marketing Plan, including strategies for each brand, product line, and sales channel across all platforms
- Create differentiated go-to-market strategies for sports specialty, food, drug, mass retail, and ecommerce channels
- Lead pricing and promotion strategy in coordination with Sales, Finance, and Operations to drive growth and profitability
- Steward and evolve GU's Brand Guides; ensure consistent look, feel, voice, and regulatory compliance across all materials and communications
- Ensure brand-appropriate, compelling messaging across all channels - print, digital, social, PR, and events - while maintaining agility to capitalize on emerging opportunities
Own Ecommerce & Digital
- Manage AMZ business, including revenue and profitability, agency partnerships, on- and off-platform advertising, and cross-functional coordination
- Build a profitable and engaging DTC platform with responsibility for traffic, conversion, and customer loyalty
- Oversee social media strategy, content planning, and execution to ensure on-brand, high-performing presence across platforms
- Lead digital advertising programs that drive awareness, demand, and retention across the full funnel
Generate Insights & Optimize Performance
- Lead market research to identify growth opportunities aligned with GU's purpose; evaluate potential opportunities and anticipate competitive threats
- Evaluates market and consumer insights; uses key learnings to inspire ideation and inform marketing communication and product line management
- Build dashboards and reporting frameworks to track marketing performance, ROI, and brand health; translate data into actionable insights
- Leverage AI tools and emerging technologies to sharpen competitive advantage and elevate marketing effectiveness
- Monitor competitive activity and industry trends; surface risks and opportunities to leadership on an ongoing basis
Build Partnerships & Brand Experience
- Develop and oversee authentic athlete partnerships, ambassador programs, grassroots initiatives, and event sponsorships
- Oversee the portfolio of experiential activations - races, expos, and trade shows - ensuring they deliver against company strategy
- Partner with R&D and GU's Performance Lab to translate science into compelling, relatable communications for athletes
- Ensure brand-appropriate, legally compliant product packaging in partnership with the Regulatory team
- Manage creative, design, and PR agency relationships to deliver high-quality, on-brand work efficiently
What You Bring
Required
- Demonstrated commitment to people and purpose led brand building
- 12-15+ years of progressive CPG marketing leadership, with experience managing complex, multi-brand environments
- Deep expertise in omnichannel marketing - including ecommerce (Amazon, DTC), FDM retail, and brand experience - across the full customer lifecycle
- Strong financial acumen: experience with P&L management, ROI optimization, and ability to fiercely prioritize and allocate investments across a diverse portfolio
- Analytical mindset: comfortable running experiments, building dashboards, and using data to iterate and improve
- Proven leadership presence: you demonstrate relational intelligence, inspire trust, develop people, and navigate complexity with clarity and calm
- Exceptional communicator: able to translate marketing strategy for executive stakeholders and rally cross-functional teams around a shared vision
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience
Preferred
- Experience in sports, outdoor, wellness, or health & nutrition industries
- International marketing experience
- Graduate degree (MBA or related field)
- Experience with AI tools applied to marketing strategy or execution
About Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off, mental health & company holidays
- Annual wellness benefit, race entries, product & other perks
- Opportunities to give back to the planet we play on
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