The Senior Strategic Partnerships Associate plays an integral role as part of the Strategic Partnerships team in the Licensing Division. The core focuses of this role include project management, influencer management, business development, contract negotiation, go-to-market executions, and talent/brand management to expand the influence of the Skechers brand.
As a Senior Associate, this position will also spearhead the execution of strategic plans, communications, and partnership negotiations for our ambassadors, brand collabs, sports leagues, philanthropic initiatives, and other opportunities. This includes vetting in-bound opportunities, liaising with partners, and presenting strategic initiatives to management.
This Associate is also primarily responsible for end-to-end influencer campaign management by working closely with our external agency partners, which includes but not limited to developing campaign briefs and proposals, identifying influencers, packaging and seeding products, consolidating feedback, and developing campaign wrap reports.
Additionally, this position provides the Managing Director and Director of Strategic Partnerships administrative support to maintain organized communications and calendars.
Essential Job Responsibilities
General
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Support the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Managing Director of Global Licensing & Strategic Partnerships in managing ambassador and influencer partnerships, identifying potential collaboration opportunities, acquiring & negotiating deals, and executing go-to-market launch campaigns.
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Develop and maintain best in class relationships with Skechers ambassadors and partners, and establish strong connections with potential future partners and talent.
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Work alongside Product, Creative, PR, Digital, and Retail teams to maximize partnership initiatives and activations.
Influencer Campaign Management
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Spearhead end-to-end project management of influencer campaigns by working closely with external agency partners to do the following (including but not limited to):
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Support the department in developing campaign briefs and proposals for influencer campaigns that support key product initiatives throughout the year.
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Proactively research and identify influencer partners and opportunities.
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Work closely with product teams, paid digital teams, and web teams to set up landing pages, product codes, affiliate links, etc.
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Support the department in agency contract negotiations and influencer rates.
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Package and ship products to influencers and managers for both influencer campaigns and general seeding needs on an ongoing basis.
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Track all shipments, status reports, and approvals process.
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Consolidate internal feedback and approvals and submit to agency via their tech platforms.
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Support the department in developing campaign wrap reports and present to leadership team.
Ambassador Management & Product Seeding
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Proactively research and identify opportunities for gifting and seeding products to new and existing partners (e.g., key dates, launch milestones, relevant industry events, cultural/topical moments, etc.).
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Work closely with our ambassadors, licensees, and brand teams to understand their interests and needs, as well as managing their product and shipment requests.
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Handle gift assortment, packaging, and shipments by working closely with the Strategic Partnerships Coordinator, distribution center, and product teams.
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Collaborate with the Strategic Partnerships Coordinator in updating and managing all trackers and assets on a regular basis, which should include ambassador sizes, team members info, important dates, previous shipment info, etc.
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Serve as a liaison between Strategic Partnerships, Outbound Licensing, PR, Product, and Distribution Center in communicating any gifting opportunities, delays, or revisions to planned shipments.
Project Management & Strategic Planning Initiatives
- Identify new partnership opportunities and manage existing partnership campaigns across various categories, such as sports, music, fashion, visual arts, philanthropy, gaming, influencer marketing, etc.
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Successfully project manage campaigns by working closely with the department, cross-functional teams, and external vendors, agencies, and partners.
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Identify key insights and learnings across consumer habits that will provide strategic growth opportunities for Skechers.
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Support the department in creating presentation templates and materials that effectively communicate go-to-market plans and recaps across departments.
Business Development Support
- Drive deal flow process, including research, lead acquisition, vetting inbounds, negotiation, contract management, and closing deals.
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Prepare and submit initial deal terms to leadership team and potential partners for review/approval.
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Manage all stages of contract comments.
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Prepare contract summaries and coordinate with relevant departments to ensure details are shared across the company.
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Track all copies of signed deal memos and contracts.
Analytics & Research
- Work independently to lead research projects related to competitive intelligence and market trends.
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Gather market intelligence to identify culturally relevant trends, agency news, and successful marketing campaigns in the fashion/footwear, celebrity partnerships, and media/entertainment space.
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Use data analytics and trend analysis to propose suitable regional/designer/influencer/talent partnerships – either traditional brand endorsement supported by above and below the line promotional activity, social media, Public Relations, and/or Designer capsule collections supported and driven by talent/influencer partnerships.
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Prepare and present research reports on specific product categories, brands, and celebrities.
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Track new and ongoing conversations with potential partners.
Administrative Support
- Manage scheduling and administrative duties for the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Managing Director of Global Licensing & Strategic Partnerships, including but not limited to the below tasks:
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Developing and managing project trackers and timelines.
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Creating and presenting robust presentation materials.
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Setting meetings and managing department calendars.
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Handling expense reports and travel plans.
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Photocopying, printing, filing, binding, and tracking signed deal memos and presentation materials.
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Tracking and managing product shipments.
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Managing to-do reminders for the department via project management tools like Asana.
Job Requirements
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Ability to multi-task and prioritize effectively.
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Energetic and eager mentality to tackle new projects and ideas.
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Has a “thick skin” and can handle high pressure scenarios.
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Proactive and resourceful, with a can-do attitude.
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Strong organizational skills.
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Excellent ability to manage scheduling for self and others.
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Excellent communication skills (both written and oral).
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Ability to work effectively in a dynamic, quick-moving environment.
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Flexing creative skills and curious mindset.
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Strong understanding of contract negotiation & management.
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High-level professionalism for client-facing responsibilities and communications.
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Ability to effectively utilize project management tools, such as Asana.
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Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, PPT, Teams, etc), Google Suite, KeyNote.
Education and Experience
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Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent work experience.
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5+ years of experience in a similar field, such as fashion, entertainment, and/or agency/talent management.
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Demonstrated capability of successful project management related to celebrity talent management, influencer management, account management, and/or brand management.
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Demonstrated capability to support deal negotiation, contract management, and contract renewals.
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Experience in influencer marketing and/or social media management preferred.
The pay range for this position is $75,000-$95,000.
About Skechers
Skechers (NYSE: SKX), a global, Fortune 500® brand develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel, and accessories. Developing comfort technologies is the foundation of all we do – delivering stylish, innovative, and quality products. Serving over 180 countries and territories, Skechers connects customers to products through department and specialty stores, e-commerce and digital stores, and through our more than 5,200 company-and third-party-owned retail locations. Headquartered in Southern California, with offices and distribution centers around the globe, Skechers has spent 30 years helping people of all ages look and feel good.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Skechers is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful work environment. Skechers provides equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment without regard race, color, religion, gender, gender identification and expression, national origin, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, military status, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic established by local, state or federal law.
Reasonable Accommodation
Applicants for employment who require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job should request appropriate accommodation by emailing [email protected].
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each job responsibility satisfactorily. The skills, abilities and physical demands described are representative of those duties that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities, who are otherwise qualified for the job position, to perform the essential functions.