Senior Manager, Brand & Partnerships Activation

Job Summary: The Senior Manager of Brand & Partnerships Activation serves as Saxbys' primary brand ambassador to external partners, leading our campus activation strategy during our aggressive growth phase. This role will establish & elevate Saxbys' presence on campuses through strategic partnerships, grand opening events, and media placements that create excitement and drive awareness. As we expand, this position will develop scalable processes that transform our campus activation from good to great, ensuring Saxbys stands out in competitive campus environments.

What You Will Own

• Partnership & Campus Marketing Strategy: Develop and execute comprehensive strategies for grand opening events, on-campus media placements, and partner communications that maximize brand impact and ROI. Create scalable processes that can be implemented across multiple campus openings simultaneously.
• External Brand Representation: Serve as Saxbys' primary marketing representative to all campus partners, building relationships with key stakeholders and generating excitement for our brand, targeting the students of our new and existing campuses. Lead communications and press pitches for grand opening events, pre-opening marketing activations, campaign launches, and more.
• Media Strategy: Identify high-impact media opportunities across campus placements, digital/social media, sponsorships, and emerging channels (e.g. NIL).  Prioritize activations, negotiate rates, and strategically allocate budget to establish broad brand awareness on new campuses while maintaining relevance on existing ones. Track and report on media KPIs to inform budget decisions.
• SVP Program Development: Own the strategy and oversee execution of the Student Vice President program, establishing clear goals and processes for campus activation. Create frameworks that enable SVPs to build partnerships and operate with guided autonomy.
• Influencer & Community Engagement: Supporting the Digital Marketing Coordinator, oversee influencer partnership strategies for SVP influencer pitches and supporting goal achievement. Oversee strategy of required event plans for campaign events that SVPs execute, such as Happy Hours and Influencer Preview Parties.

Who You Will Support

• Associate Director, Brand Marketing: Collaborate on overall brand strategy and ensure alignment between campus activation initiatives and broader marketing objectives.
• Marketing Team: Work cross-functionally with creative, digital, and content teams to execute the brand activation vision.
• Operations Team: Partner with operations to ensure seamless coordination between marketing initiatives and cafe openings.
• External Partners: Build and maintain relationships with university stakeholders, media partners, and community organizations to maximize Saxbys' campus presence.

Who You Will Supervise

None at this time.

What Success Looks Like

• Grand opening events consistently exceed attendance targets and generate measurable brand awareness
• Media placements deliver strong ROI as measured by brand awareness metrics and cafe traffic
• SVP program demonstrates consistent execution of brand activation initiatives across all campuses
• Partner relationships lead to expanded opportunities and positive word-of-mouth
• Scalable processes are established that allow for efficient execution of multiple cafe openings

Where You Excel

• Strategic Partnership Building: Exceptional ability to identify, develop, and nurture relationships with key stakeholders that advance Saxbys' brand objectives.
• Event Orchestration: Proven talent for conceptualizing and executing memorable events that generate excitement and strengthen brand connections.
• Media Strategy: Strong understanding of media landscape and ability to identify high-impact opportunities that maximize budget efficiency.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Skilled at aligning and motivating diverse teams toward common goals without direct reporting authority.
• Scalable Process Development: Talent for creating systems and frameworks that can be efficiently replicated across multiple locations.

What You Have Done

• 5-7 years of experience in brand activation, event management, partnerships, media planning or related marketing roles
• Successfully led large-scale marketing events or grand openings that delivered measurable results
• Developed and managed strategic partnerships with external organizations
• Created and executed media strategies across multiple channels
• Demonstrated success in building and scaling marketing programs
• Managed significant marketing budgets with proven ROI

What is Required

• Support, exhibit, and promote Saxbys Mission and Core Values in all daily activities. 
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related field 
• Travel Requirement up to 30% 
• Valid driver's license
• Physical requirements:
• Able to stand, walk, and smile for extended periods of time 
• Able to stoop and kneel
• Push, pull, lift or carry up to 35 lbs
• Ascend or descend ladders, stairs, ramps

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