Cultural Partnership Strategist Manager

The Manager, Cultural Partnership Strategist oversees talent management and vendor relationships with influencers of all levels and industries, as well as keeping the Brand team's initiatives and strategies in mind.

Key Responsibilities

• Leads a team that serves as a talent liaison and partners with cross-functional team members to effectively develop, drive, and execute strategic talent programs and processes
• Oversees, coaches, and develops direct reports to motivate and inspire strategic action
• Acts as the strategic owner of the culture and partnerships brand pillar and works amongst your first team to validate and deliver culture relevance on behalf of the DTLR brand
• Identifies and maintains relationships with industry-relevant influencers and partners while considering key markets, association with brands, and clout within culture
• Communicates creative briefs and guidelines/objectives of key programs to culture partners
• Provides recommendations on new ways to partner based on ongoing research in social and cultural trends and tools
• Evaluates relationships - both long and short-term - to optimize and align with key brand priorities and programs
• Oversees contract requests to legal
• Oversees merchandise removal requests and/or gathering of samples for influencers, photoshoots, and seeding in partnership with the DC
• Oversees execution of influencer program including deliverables, timelines and coordination of logistics
• Responsible for direct report oversight of all Talent team members including interviewing, hiring, and training Talent Cultural Partnership employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and performance managing employees; addressing inquiries and resolving problems; ensuring all direct reports are continuously developing and are set up for career growth.
• Additonal duties and projects as required.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Extensive experience in all aspects of developing and maintaining marketing strategies to meet organizational objectives
• Superior written and verbal communication skills, coupled with highly developed interpersonal skills
• Strong project management skills with demonstrated ability to multi-task and set priorities within tight time lines and high client expectations
• Proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Must be outgoing and passionate to the urban environment in which it is marketed
• Must demonstrate an ability to think strategically, plan and organize effectively.
• Excellent customer service skills, in person, on the phone and in writing
• Comfortable with team-based work structure and, when needed, the ability to work independently
• Demonstrate flexibility on the job and the ability to adapt quickly and react to business needs and change
• Proven ability to work independently and remotely.
• Detail oriented, acute attention to detail and excellent time management with strong sense of urgency.
• Ability to work some Saturdays and evenings.
• Must be able to maintain an exemplary degree of professionalism in all situations.
• Demonstrated leadership and decision-making skills
• Comfortable with team-based work structure and, when needed, the ability to work independently
• Ability to adapt quickly and react to business needs and change

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree from a 4-year college or university and at least 5-8 years' experience in talent management, the digital marketing field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Required Computer and/or Technical Skills
• Should have intermediate knowledge and abilities with Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office products; strong knowledge of computer and web/digital technologies, software, and applications; and strong understanding of file management.

Core Competencies

• Communication Skills
• Must be an effective communicator with internal and external individuals at all levels. This includes spoken, written, electronic, and presentation skills. Communication should be consistently constructive and professional.
• Decision Making and Problem-Solving Skills
• Able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and decide on course of action after considering the consequences of possible solutions. Able to analyze results at a micro and macro level and present findings. Makes routine decisions following established policies and procedures; collaborates with managers to gain assistance when complex issues arise.

Qualifications

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Requirements

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand throughout the day. The employee must frequently use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk; or hear.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job may include close vision, distance vision, and depth perception.
• The incumbent must be able to work in a fast-paced environment.