Position Summary
The Sawmill Restaurant Group is seeking a creative, organized, and results-driven Marketing & Digital Communications Manager to lead the day-to-day marketing efforts for one of Alberta's most recognized independent restaurant brands.
Reporting directly to senior leadership, this position will oversee the creation and execution of marketing initiatives across four restaurant locations while working collaboratively with an external marketing agency on larger strategic projects. The successful candidate will become the company's primary in-house marketing expert, producing compelling creative content, strengthening our digital presence, and helping drive sales, reservations, catering, private events, and community engagement.
This position is ideal for someone who enjoys balancing creativity with analytics and can comfortably move between graphic design, digital marketing, social media, website management, and promotional planning.
Primary Responsibilities
Graphic Design & Brand Management
- Design and produce restaurant menus, feature menus, cocktail menus, banquet materials and catering packages.
- Create promotional materials including posters, table tents, banners, signage and digital displays.
- Design point-of-sale materials for all restaurant locations.
- Create advertisements for print, digital and outdoor media.
- Ensure brand consistency across all marketing materials.
- Maintain and organize the company's digital marketing assets and templates.
Social Media Management
Manage social media content across multiple accounts including:
- Four individual restaurant Facebook pages
- Four individual restaurant Instagram accounts
- Corporate Facebook account
- Corporate Instagram account
Responsibilities include:
- Monthly content calendar creation
- Photography and video coordination
- Reels and short-form video production
- Paid social advertising
- Community engagement and responding to messages
- Monitoring reviews and reputation management
- Growing audience engagement and followers
- Promoting events, seasonal features, entertainment and community initiatives
Digital Marketing
- Manage Google Business Profiles for each restaurant.
- Develop and manage Google Ads campaigns.
- Monitor online performance metrics.
- Assist with SEO improvements across company websites.
- Perform keyword research.
- Optimize local search rankings.
- Track marketing ROI using Google Analytics and other reporting tools.
- Recommend improvements based on performance data.
Website Management
- Perform routine website updates.
- Update menus and pricing.
- Publish event information.
- Create landing pages.
- Maintain promotions and seasonal campaigns.
- Coordinate with external web developers for larger website enhancements.
Community & Traditional Marketing
Coordinate marketing efforts for each restaurant's local market including:
- Edmonton
- Grande Prairie
- Leduc
- Stony Plain
Responsibilities include:
- Radio advertising
- Community sponsorship promotion
- Charity initiatives
- Local event marketing
- Grand openings and special events
- Partnership opportunities
- Media relations when required
Event & Promotion Marketing
Support marketing initiatives for:
- Holiday campaigns
- Patio promotions
- Entertainment programming
- Corporate events
- Weddings
- Banquets
- Catering
- Gift card promotions
- Seasonal feature menus
- Community fundraising events
- Loyalty program promotions
Agency Coordination
Serve as the primary internal liaison with the company's external marketing agency by:
- Coordinating projects
- Reviewing creative work
- Managing timelines
- Providing restaurant-specific content
- Identifying opportunities to complete projects internally to reduce agency reliance
- Assisting with annual marketing planning and campaign execution
Additional Responsibilities
- Photography and basic food styling
- Video creation and editing
- Email marketing campaigns
- Digital signage management
- Marketing inventory management
- Vendor coordination
- Print ordering
- Marketing budget tracking
- Competitive market research
- Industry trend monitoring
Qualifications
- Diploma or Degree in Marketing, Communications, Graphic Design or related field
- 3–5+ years of marketing experience
- Experience in hospitality, retail or consumer marketing considered an asset
- Exceptional graphic design skills
- Strong copywriting abilities
- Excellent organizational and project management skills
- Ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously
- Self-motivated with strong attention to detail
Software Experience
Preference will be given to candidates with experience using:
- Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign)
- Canva Pro
- Meta Business Suite
- Google Ads
- Google Analytics
- Google Business Profile
- WordPress or similar CMS
- Mailchimp or Constant Contact
- Microsoft Office
- CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro or equivalent video editing software
Desired Skills
- Graphic Design
- Photography
- Videography
- Copywriting
- SEO
- Google Ads
- Social Media Advertising
- Brand Management
- Digital Analytics
- Content Creation
- Event Marketing
- Community Relations
Success Measures
Success in this role will be measured and bonused through:
- Increased restaurant traffic
- Growth in reservations and private event bookings
- Growth in catering inquiries
- Increased social media engagement
- Growth in loyalty program participation
- Increased website traffic
- Improved Google search rankings
- Increased return on advertising spend
- Reduced dependence on external marketing resources
- Consistent, high-quality brand presentation across all locations
Additional Responsibilities
- Email marketing and CRM: Manage customer email campaigns, loyalty program communications, and segmented promotions.
- Online reputation management: Monitor and respond to Google, OpenTable, TripAdvisor, and Yelp reviews, escalating issues when appropriate.
- Photography and video library: Build and maintain a professional asset library of food, cocktails, events, and team members for future campaigns.
- Marketing analytics dashboard: Produce a monthly report summarizing website traffic, social media performance, advertising ROI, reservation trends, and campaign results.
- AI-assisted content creation: Leverage tools such as ChatGPT and Canva AI to improve efficiency while maintaining brand standards.
- Local business development support: Create marketing collateral for corporate sales, banquet bookings, weddings, golf tournaments, and community partnerships.
- Internal communications: Design employee newsletters, recruitment campaigns, hiring materials, and recognition communications to strengthen employer branding.
- Vendor and sponsorship coordination: Work with beverage suppliers and community partners to maximize co-op marketing opportunities and event promotion.
Pay: From $79,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Mileage reimbursement
- On-site parking
- Store discount
Work Location: In person
