Director, De Novo Marketing and Growth

The Director of De Novo Marketing is responsible for developing and leading the marketing strategy for Mission Pet Health’s newly developed veterinary hospitals, including both Livewell Animal Hospitals and Specialty de novo locations.

This leader will own the marketing lifecycle from early market planning through launch, ramp, and ongoing business-as-usual performance. The role will partner closely with Operations, Commercial, Growth, Client Experience, Recruiting, and local hospital leadership to ensure each new hospital enters the market with a clear positioning strategy, strong demand-generation plan, and sustained approach to client and referral growth. The ideal candidate is equal parts strategist and operator: capable of building repeatable enterprise frameworks while adapting the approach to the unique needs of individual markets, hospital models, and stages of maturity. Key Responsibilities *De Novo Market Entry & Opening Strategy*

* Own the end-to-end marketing strategy for new hospital openings, beginning during pre-opening planning and continuing through post-launch ramp. * Develop market-specific go-to-market plans informed by local demographics, competitive dynamics, client demand, referral opportunities, and hospital capabilities. * Establish launch timelines, channel strategies, budgets, KPIs, and readiness requirements for each new hospital. * Develop repeatable opening playbooks, while determining where individual markets require a localized approach. * Partner with Operations and hospital leadership to align marketing activity with hiring, construction, opening timelines, doctor availability, services, and operational capacity. * Ensure each hospital has the foundational marketing infrastructure required for launch, including web presence, local listings, paid media, CRM, referral materials, community activation, and measurement. * Monitor competitive activity and local market trends to identify opportunities for differentiation, developing targeted go-to-market strategies and campaigns that position new hospitals competitively and drive awareness, client acquisition, and growth. *Livewell Growth Strategy*

• Lead client acquisition and local market growth strategy for the Livewell portfolio.
• Develop pre-opening awareness and client acquisition campaigns designed to establish demand before hospital opening.
• Manage post-opening ramp strategies focused on new client acquisition, appointment volume, retention, service awareness, and market penetration.
• Partner with enterprise marketing teams to activate paid search, paid social, CRM, local marketing, partnerships, events, and other growth channels.
• Monitor hospital-level performance and adjust marketing investment and tactics based on demand, capacity, client acquisition cost, and growth opportunity.
• Develop

*Business as Usual Portfolio Management*

• Own ongoing marketing strategy for the de novo portfolio after initial launch.
• Establish a structured transition from launch mode into ongoing hospital growth management.
• Maintain hospital-level growth plans based on lifecycle stage, performance, market opportunity, and operational capacity.
• Identify underperforming locations and develop targeted recovery or acceleration plans.
• Support new service launches, doctor additions, capacity expansion, promotional opportunities, and other local growth initiatives.
• Ensure hospital marketing remains aligned with broader enterprise campaigns while retaining the flexibility necessary to respond to local market conditions.

*Performance Management & Optimization*

* Establish clear KPIs for hospital openings and ongoing portfolio performance * Build reporting and operating rhythms that provide visibility into hospital performance, marketing activity, and areas requiring intervention. * Partner with Analytics and Finance to evaluate marketing effectiveness, investment efficiency, and incremental impact. * Continuously test and refine channel mix, messaging, offers, and market strategies. *Recruitment Marketing & Talent Acquisition Support*

• Partner with Talent Acquisition, Operations, and cross-functional stakeholders to develop and execute recruitment marketing strategies that support staffing needs for new hospital openings.
• Lead the development of localized recruitment campaigns, employer branding initiatives, and targeted outreach strategies to attract veterinarians, technicians, and hospital support staff.
• Align recruitment marketing efforts with de novo launch timelines, ensuring talent acquisition campaigns build awareness, generate qualified candidates, and support successful hospital openings.
• Measure campaign effectiveness and optimize strategies based on candidate engagement, application volume, and hiring outcome.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive marketing experience, including significant experience in growth marketing, local marketing, multi-location businesses, market launches, or go-to-market strategy.
• 3+ years of leadership experience managing teams and complex cross-functional programs.
• Demonstrated success launching new locations, markets, products, or services and growing them through the early stages of maturity.
• Strong understanding of performance marketing, CRM/lifecycle marketing, local marketing, digital acquisition, and measurement.
• Strong financial and analytical acumen with the ability to connect marketing activity to client, revenue, and business outcomes.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving environment with multiple simultaneous openings and competing priorities.
• Strong executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Comfortable building structure where processes may not yet exist.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing marketing across a distributed or multi-location organization strongly preferred.
• Experience in veterinary medicine, healthcare, consumer services, retail, hospitality, or another location-based business is a plus.

How You're Supported

*As part of the Mission Pet Health family, you get the stability of a local practice backed by the comprehensive benefits and resources of a larger network. The focus is on investing in you, so you can focus on what you love.*

*Note: Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support you at every stage. Eligibility for specific benefits varies based on your role and hours worked.*

##### Competitive Compensation

A competitive hourly rate or salary based on your experience and role.##### Health & Wellbeing

We offer comprehensive coverage options including Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance, along with access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for all teammates.##### Financial Security

Plan for your future with our 401k retirement options and additional financial protection benefits like Life Insurance and Disability coverage.##### Commitment to Growth

We support your career goals with opportunities for professional development, including educational assistance for qualified teammates to enroll in AVMA-accredited veterinary technician programs.##### The Power of a Network

Join a nationwide community of over 20,000 veterinary professionals who share a passion for collaboration, career growth, and sharing best practices.##### Valuable Perks

Enjoy discounted veterinary care for your own pets, access to an online discount platform, and free 24/7 access to doctors through Teladoc. About Mission Pet Health

Mission Pet Health was founded by veterinarians on the belief that local practices thrive with clinical autonomy, collaboration, and medical excellence. The organization provides world-class support to its 850+ hospital teams on a hyper-local basis so they can focus on what matters most: the medicine, their patients, and their team culture. Learn more at missionpethealth.com.

Driving the award-winning culture are the WAG values – Work Together, Amaze, and Grow. Mission Pet Health is veterinarian-led, people-focused, and on a mission to be the best place to work in veterinary medicine. We are proud to be recognized as the 2026 "Most Loved Workplace," ranked #1 in both America's Top 100 and #1 in veterinary care.

Reasonable Accommodations

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation. Please contact benefits@mvetpartners.com with your request and contact information.

EEO Statement

Mission Pet Health is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.