Sr. Director, Brand Marketing

Description

The club is one of 30 teams in Major League Soccer and one of its ten charter clubs, competing since the league began in 1996.

Home matches are played at the stadium in Harrison, New Jersey.

The club has won the MLS Supporters' Shield three times and is owned by an Austrian beverage company.

It runs one of the country's leading youth development programs, spanning local partnerships in New York and New Jersey, Regional Development Schools and the Academy teams.

This leader sets brand strategy, positioning and annual marketing plans for the club and the stadium, reports to the Chief Marketing Officer and works as a core member of the marketing leadership team.

The goal is to make the club a destination for sports, entertainment and live experiences that grows fandom and attendance.

The brand must look and sound consistent across campaigns, content, stadium spaces, merchandise, signage and digital channels.

Responsibilities

• Protect the consistency, distinctiveness and emotional pull of both the club and stadium brands on every channel.
• Turn club values and business goals into bold creative campaigns that build fan loyalty, get people talking and deliver results.
• Lead brand strategy, positioning and annual planning for long-term growth and differentiation.
• Turn insights and data into strong brand stories, go-to-market plans and presentations for executives.
• Build integrated programs linking the club and stadium to the parent brand's athletes, creators, sports, music and culture network.
• Lead the in-house graphic design and video production team, guiding concepts, design quality and brand storytelling.
• Set high standards for visual and verbal identity, balancing consistency with creativity and strategy with style.
• Lead the ideation and delivery of campaigns, stadium experiences and digital content.
• Look for AI and technology that speeds up and improves workflows.
• Manage the club's social team and set the direction for every social platform and handle.
• Give each channel its own voice, rhythm and point of view, based on fan behavior, platform best practices and club priorities.
• Track trends, culture and new platforms to keep the brand current.
• Lead the influencer and VIP strategy, building relationships with creators, tastemakers and celebrities to widen reach and drive engagement.
• Own integrated marketing planning and project priorities, setting clear owners, milestones and deadlines across teams.
• Settle competing priorities and hold project leads responsible for delivery.
• Bring the parent brand's energy to matchdays, third-party events, content and fan experiences.
• Keep execution tied to timelines, KPIs and the business plan.
• Work with the Directors of Digital Growth, Ticketing and Partnerships so assets support fan growth and revenue goals.
• Work with Ticketing and Sales to develop and launch new products and offers, including their go-to-market plans.
• Act as the main contact for Business Development on ideas, research and approvals, and build custom presentations that support client marketing goals and KPIs for new business and renewals.
• Create innovative, integrated partnerships and platforms suited to market needs and trends.
• Turn existing assets and inventory into story-led platforms that increase monetization.
• Oversee the asset tracker showing available and committed inventory to judge feasibility and priority.
• Work with the Activation team on everything from creative production and in-stadium activations to digital and experiential campaigns.
• Keep departments aligned so partnership commitments are delivered on time and to a high standard.
• Make sure all deliverables meet visual, experiential and operational standards.
• Work with the Activation team on mid-season and end-of-season recaps that show value through visuals, data and storytelling.
• Use data and performance insights to guide creative decisions and increase brand impact.
• Move initiatives forward with decisive action and measured risks, seeking out existing research and running new research when needed.
• Think commercially about creative work and creatively about business results.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive experience in brand and leadership roles, ideally in sports, entertainment, consumer or lifestyle brands.
• A record of building and scaling brand identities, campaigns and visual systems across digital, social, experiential and print.
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred but not required.
• A history of building, mentoring and motivating multidisciplinary teams.
• Equally comfortable doing hands-on execution and setting high-level strategy.
• Experience managing many projects and deadlines in a fast-paced, high-visibility setting.
• Strong written, verbal and visual storytelling; fluency in English required, additional languages an asset.
• Classically trained marketer with strong creative judgment, a feel for design and storytelling, and the ability to guide execution and inspire teams.
• Deep knowledge of digital and social ecosystems and how to show up in culture with relevance.
• Calm under pressure, clear in direction and consistent in follow-through.
• Able to see the big picture and then shape it into concrete work.
• Highly organized, action-oriented, with strong project management and an eye for dependencies.
• Comfortable using insights and analytics to improve content, campaigns and team focus.

Conditions

Base salary range is $107,680 to $161,520 plus cash incentives.

Actual offers may vary based on work experience, and the pay range may change.

Because the entertainment industry is cyclical, schedules may vary to meet business needs.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the grounds protected by law.

Benefits

• Full-time employees receive medical and dental insurance, a 401(k) plan, flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement, life insurance, health and wellness benefits and paid time off.