Industry Marketing Lead, Franchises

About the role

Pilot is seeking an Industry Marketing Lead, Franchises to drive awareness, demand generation, and revenue growth within the franchise ecosystem. This person will serve as the marketing expert for the franchise industry, building go-to-market strategies that position Pilot as the trusted financial operations partner for franchise owners, multi-unit operators, emerging franchise brands, and franchisors. Franchise networks are one of the largest underserved opportunities in small business accounting. A single franchisor can represent hundreds, sometimes thousands, of operators, each running a real business with real books, real tax filings, and real cash flow to manage. We've already proven we can win in this segment. Now we need a leader who can scale it. You will work cross-functionally with Sales, Product Marketing, Customer Success, Partnerships, and Leadership to create industry-specific programs that generate pipeline and establish Pilot as a thought leader in franchise finance. Winning here means understanding the psychology of franchise owners and franchisors, building integrated campaigns that speak to that specific reality, and earning pipeline through ideas no one has tried before. This is a hybrid role based in either our San Francisco or Nashville office, with in-office presence required on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

Responsibilities

• This role has two distinct motions, and you'll be accountable for both.
• Net new franchise acquisition. Sign new franchise networks to Pilot. Build the integrated programs across paid, partnerships, events, content, and outbound that bring franchisor decision-makers into our pipeline. Own the number.
• Specifically, you will:
• Own Franchise Industry Strategy
• Develop and execute Pilot's franchise industry marketing strategy.
• Build deep expertise in franchise business models, financial operations, unit economics, and industry trends.
• Identify growth opportunities across franchise segments, including multi-unit operators, franchisees, franchisors, and emerging brands.
• Monitor competitive activity and industry developments to inform positioning and campaigns.
• Build Industry-Specific Messaging
• Develop franchise-focused value propositions, messaging frameworks, and content that clearly articulate Pilot's differentiation.
• Translate accounting, bookkeeping, tax, and CFO services into outcomes that matter to franchise operators, including profitability, cash flow visibility, expansion readiness, and multi-location reporting.
• Partner with Product Marketing to create verticalized sales and marketing assets.
• Drive Demand Generation & Growth
• Design and execute integrated campaigns that combine paid media, content, partnerships, events, lifecycle, and field marketing into coherent plays. Every channel earns its keep against the pipeline number.
• Build expansion plays that activate franchisee bases inside signed networks. Think of this as a hybrid of demand generation and lifecycle marketing inside a closed audience.
• Create industry-specific nurture programs and conversion strategies across the customer lifecycle.
• Partner with Sales to improve engagement and pipeline generation within the franchise segment.
• Create Thought Leadership
• Develop content including webinars, research reports, customer stories, playbooks, blog posts, and executive presentations.
• Establish Pilot as a trusted voice in franchise finance and operations.
• Work with subject matter experts and Pilot's CFO Services team to produce educational content for franchise operators.
• Identify speaking opportunities at franchise conferences, industry events, and association programs.
• Make Creative Bets
• We are not interested in generic B2B tactics.
• We are interested in ideas that work because you understand this audience better than anyone else.
• Some will work, some won't. Bring conviction and the math to back it up.

Requirements

• 7-10+ years of experience in one of the following areas:
• B2B marketing, vertical marketing, product marketing, or demand generation to franchises
• Franchise Operator - You are an owner of a franchise
• Franchise Developer - You have extensive experience developing franchises through sales, marketing and recruiting of franchisees
• Other franchise expertise such as an influencer, association leader, keynote speaker, etc.
• Expertise of franchise economics, franchise operations, and multi-unit business models.
• Experience working with franchise associations and industry events.
• Experience marketing to franchise businesses, multi-location operators, SMBs, or professional services organizations.
• Proven abil

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