Company Overview
Paka was founded in 2016 in Cusco, Peru when its founder, Kris Cody, came across an alpaca sweater in an artisan market. He had never touched anything as soft and lightweight. Kris began living alongside a family of Quechua weavers with a dream to bring alpaca fiber to the outdoors industry; at the time, alpaca fiber was mainly used in high fashion apparel, and he saw the opportunity to harness its incredible function (having evolved in one of the most rugged climates on Earth). Fast forward 7 years, and Paka has connected hundreds of thousands of customers back to where their clothing comes from, who made it, and what it’s made of.
A Certified B Corp, Paka’s mission is to create versatile, sustainable alpaca apparel for the outdoors, fostering a deeper connection to nature and uplifting Peruvian communities. Paka donates 1% of its revenues directly back to the communities where its clothing is sourced, from financing university tuition for young Peruvian women to building greenhouses in the rural Andes for the alpaquero communities. All of its products are made with Traceable Alpaca fiber. Paka is now at a pivot point in its global journey.
Role Overview
We are looking for a passionate and highly-skilled Sr. Director of Brand and Marketing who is ready to lead Paka’s brand journey to new heights. Having gained strong traction since Paka’s inception in 2017, we’re at a stage where the business is entering a new phase and omnichannel. Your role will play a critical part in Paka reaching its ambitions.
You will be responsible for developing a cohesive brand and marketing strategy that not only resonates deeply with our target audience but also challenges the norms within the industry. You’ll bring to life Paka’s ethos through every customer touchpoint, infusing our commitment to craftsmanship, sustainability, and the spirit of adventure into every campaign and product launch.
This leader will play a crucial role in establishing Paka as a leader in premium, natural fiber apparel for outdoor enthusiasts. Through an omni-channel, full-price business model we will connect with and empower consumers that demand quality, performance and sustainability. And in doing so, we will drive meaningful impact in the communities that make our products.
You are able and willing to drive strategy and get your hands dirty at a startup level to implement processes, while building teams to scale and win. You will lead a small, passionate team to achieve these ambitions. Beginning direct reports will be the Content and Social Media Coordinator and Art Director. Additionally, this role is a key member of our leadership team and is responsible for participating in the build and execution of overall brand strategy and tactics.
Your Impact
Brand Strategy and Direction
- Develop and champion a brand strategy that aligns with Paka’s mission and connects with our community
- Understand and celebrate the diversity of our audience, tailoring our brand expression to ensure we are authentic, distinctive, and captivating.
- Consistently use customer insights and data-driven behavior to make decisions and formulate innovative campaigns that speak directly to our customer, challenge the status quo, and elevate Paka’s relevance.
- Cultivate a long-term vision that aligns with our mission, business goals, and the latest market trends.
- Create top-of-funnel awareness brand strategy to meet Paka’s customers where they are. Grow Paka’s top-of-funnel, tapping into new geo-specific markets and strengthening our presence in existing ones. Add values to those communities in meaningful ways (i.e. alpaca events to open each wholesale specialty retailer we launch with for FW25).
- Ensure Paka’s brand identity is consistently reflected across all touchpoints, from product design to customer service.
- Partner closely with our CEO/Creative Director to translate brand strategy into our voice, visual identity, and overall brand architecture.
Campaign Planning & Execution (Omnichannel):
- Lead the ideation, planning, and execution of all marketing campaigns that embody Paka’s brand ethos and elevate the brand’s aesthetic.
- Establish a marketing go-to-market process for Paka from concept to completion.
- Bridge brand strategy with marketing initiatives, spearheading omni-channel campaigns that resonate deeply with our consumer.
- Drive new product launches and highlight our core collections with passion, making each story memorable through connection to the people and places that make our product distinctive in the marketplace.
- Develop tentpole campaigns, crafting compelling narratives that span across all channels with a cohesive message.
- Ensure consistency and captivating storytelling throughout our omnichannel spectrum. Ensure all Paka’s channels (Website, Social Media, PR, Ads, Retail, and Wholesale) have the content they need to perform at the highest level (i.e. executing on seasonal refreshes for the website). Align with these cross-functional teams to execute campaigns that are true to Paka’s mission.
Community Engagement & Customer Insights
- Foster deep connections with our community, organizing meaningful interactions, events, and initiatives that reinforce our brand’s values and speak to them.
- Conduct thorough market research, benchmarking consumer trends and refining our strategies
- Champion the voice of our community, seeking feedback and weaving it into our ongoing brand narrative.
Channel Leadership & Budgeting
- Own the annual brand marketing budget, ensuring every dollar contributes to meaningful growth and impact.
- Establish KPIs and investment plan throughout all stages of the consumer journey, focus on increasing organic traffic and top of funnel awareness.
- Lead and manage all owned brand channels including social media, influencer partnerships, PR, and earned media.
- Partner with performance marketing teams to create content that drives brand awareness and aligns with our advertising strategies.
Team Leadership & Development
- Build, mentor, and guide a growing team of marketers and creatives, fostering a culture of creativity, innovation, and high performance. Ensure quality and on-time delivery of the work and overall project goals.
- Direct the best strategy for internal creative teams vs external freelancers, consultants, and agency resources.
- Drive resource planning, recruiting, and hiring efforts to support Paka’s expanding marketing needs.
- Cultivate a team environment that’s not only inspiring but also focused on delivering results, achieving brand and business objectives.
- Develop a talented creative team with the skillset and expertise to drive creative output both from a quantitative and more importantly, a qualitative point of view to ensure the assets we produce lead the marketplace and differentiate Paka.
Who You Are
Professional Experience:
- 10+ years in brand management with experience in consumer-facing brands, preferably within high-growth, e-commerce, or apparel sectors.
- Experience with fast-growing organizations where rolling up your sleeves and being scrappy is a must.
- Demonstrated success in developing and executing holistic marketing strategies, campaign and content planning, and 360º activations.
- Proven history working with brands with strong identities that foster deep loyalty and brand love.
- Demonstrated success in holistic marketing strategies, content planning, and omnichannel campaign execution.
- Strong grasp of digital marketing trends, social media, and emerging technologies — translating insights into stories that drive impact.
- Proven success creating high-quality brand campaigns and activations start to finish
- Skilled in managing both internal teams and agency relationships / external partners, balancing a high-speed / low-drag approach to deliver on-brand and on-brief work.
Personal Characteristics:
- Passionate advocate for Paka’s mission, bringing empathy and enthusiasm for our community and customers.
- Strong project management skills—organized, detail-oriented, and process-driven.
- A deep love for brand and design.
- Strategic thinker with a unique creative perspective and a firm understanding of business objectives.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to inspire and engage both internal teams and external stakeholders.
- High energy, self-motivated, and comfortable in a fast-paced environment.
- Proven ability to build and mentor high-performing teams.
