Sr. Director, Marketplace

Papa John's International , Inc.; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Papa John's International, Inc. seeks a Senior Director, Marketplace Strategy to drive growth across third-party platforms like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, architecting the ecosystem and optimizing profitability.

This executive will lead JBPs, negotiate terms, and expand channels to accelerate profitable order growth. The role requires strong analytical, negotiation, and cross-functional leadership, with deep knowledge of delivery platforms and marketing spend optimization.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in a strategic leadership role in QSR or marketplace-focused industries.
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead Enterprise JBP Strategy: Own executive-level relationships with primary aggregator partners to construct Joint Business Plans (JBPs) that align co-investment, promotional calendars, and feature roadmaps with company goals.
• Aggregator Contract & Commercial Terms: Lead contract negotiations with third-party platforms to secure optimal commission structures, marketing placements, and favorable terms for corporate and franchise locations.
• Expansion & New Channels: Evaluate and onboard emerging third-party platforms to unlock new customer acquisition and expand addressable market.
• Test & Learn Innovation: Build and execute a structured test-and-learn framework to evaluate promotional constructs, menu merchandising, targeting, pricing, and placements across platforms.
• Precision Budget Management: Oversee a multi-million dollar third-party marketing budget with precision spending to ensure high ROAS and profitable incremental order growth.
• Conversion Optimization: Optimize brand storefronts, digital merchandising, and visibility tactics across aggregator apps to drive brand impact.
• DMA & Franchise Coaching: Coach franchisees and DMA leaders with actionable playbooks and localized insights for maximizing third-party business.
• Franchise Communication: Regularly present performance, learnings, and roadmaps to franchise advisory councils and executive leadership for alignment.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Partner with Local Marketing, Technology, Operations, and Finance to align third-party strategies with first-party channels and P&L goals.

Skills

Marketplace strategy

Third-party partnerships

JBP planning

Channel profitability

Negotiation

Analytics & data-driven

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Budget management

Franchise coaching

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA

Tools

Tableau

Job description

Job Summary:

The Senior Director, Marketplace Strategy leads the strategic vision and growth across Papa Johns third-party marketplace channels (e.g., DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub). Serving as the primary architect of our third-party ecosystem, this leader is responsible for driving incremental volume, maximizing channel profitability, and expanding access to the brand.

This role bridges enterprise strategy and field execution by establishing Joint Business Plans (JBPs) with aggregator partners, spearheading aggressive "test and learn" growth initiatives, and deploying precision marketing spend. Additionally, this position acts as a key strategic partner to domestic franchises and Designated Market Areas (DMAs)—coaching field leadership and operators on localized marketplace levers that drive profitable order growth.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Partner Management & Joint Business Planning

• Lead Enterprise JBP Strategy: Own executive-level relationships with primary aggregator partners to construct Joint Business Plans (JBPs) that align co-investment, promotional calendars, and feature roadmaps with company goals.
• Aggregator Contract & Commercial Terms: Lead contract negotiations with third-party platforms to secure optimal commission structures, marketing placements, and favorable operational terms for corporate and franchise locations.
• Expansion & New Channels: Evaluate and onboard emerging third-party platforms and novel delivery models to unlock new customer acquisition and expand addressable market.

Growth Strategy & Precision Spending

• Test & Learn Innovation: Build and execute a structured "test and learn" framework to continually evaluate promotional constructs, menu merchandising, targeting, pricing, and placement strategies across platforms.
• Precision Budget Management: Oversee a multi-million dollar third-party marketing budget, applying precision spending models to ensure high ROAS, efficient customer acquisition, and profitable incremental order growth.
• Conversion Optimization: Optimize brand storefronts, digital merchandising, and visibility tactics across aggregator apps to drive brand impact and appeal.

Franchisee Coaching & Field Enablement

• DMA & Franchise Coaching: Serve as subject matter expert for franchisees, local marketing directors and DMA leaders, providing actionable playbooks, localized insights, and coaching on how to maximize third-party business.
• Franchise Communication: Regularly present channel performance, test learnings, and strategic roadmaps to franchise advisory councils and executive leadership to ensure cross-functional alignment.

Analytics, Performance & Execution

• Daily Performance Monitoring: Track key operational and financial metrics (order growth, operational consistency/reviews, profitability) to rapidly identify channel opportunities and execute corrective tactics.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Partner closely with Local Marketing, Technology, Operations, and Finance to ensure third-party strategies seamlessly integrate with first-party digital channels, commercial priorities and overall P&L goals.

Education, Experience & Certifications

• Proven experience (10+ years) in a strategic leadership role, preferably in QSR or marketplace focused industries
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred

Functional Skills

• Strong understanding of the third-party aggregator platforms and marketplace business models
• Significant third party delivery / aggregator experience required, including managing multi-million dollar promotional budgets
• Demonstrated track record of successfully driving demand and growing third-party channels profitably
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze data, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, build complex financial models that include the various fee structures of each platform, develop executive level dashboards, and make data-driven decisions
• Strong negotiation & vendor/partner management skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and build growth-minded relationships with external partners
• Intimate knowledge of delivery, POS + tech platforms (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Instacart, Amazon, GrubHub, PAR, Deliverect, etc…) and industry best practices
• Familiarity with business intelligence tools like Tableau and AI data assistants to help speed up analytics processing
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced retail environment

Our Values

• EVERYONE BELONGS - We believe connectedness and belonging are the essential ingredients to our success
• DO THE RIGHT THING - We are relentlessly focused on quality and integrity and make the right choices, even when it's difficult
• PEOPLE FIRST - To craft positive experiences for our customers, we take care of each other first
• INNOVATE TO WIN - We champion and challenge for a better way in all we do
• HAVE FUN - We find joy, create meaningful impact and celebrate the journey together

Our Core Competencies

• CUSTOMER CENTRIC - We leverage data and insights to craft a customer experience that builds relationships, cultivates trust, and delivers excellence

• RESULTS DRIVEN – We focus on measurable outcomes by remaining optimistic, tenacious, and persistent even in the face of challenges

• CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT - We champion for better through strategic risk taking, experimentation and challenging the status quo

• BIAS FOR ACTION - We courageously lead, drive towards decisions, and maintain agility to meet the demands of our dynamic industry

• WINNING TOGETHER - We work together to unlock our full potential by actively collaborating and contributing in a cross-functional capacity

Papa Johns is an equal opportunity employer.

Papa Johns is a federal contractor that participates in the E-Verify program to confirm employment eligibility for each new team member. We also comply with all Right to Work requirements. Official E-Verify and Right to Work notices are available for applicants to review in both English and Spanish.