Associate Director, Experiential

New York City, NY (Hybrid)

$105K/yr – $115K/yrSenior LevelFull time

Posted 21 hrs ago

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Job Summary

Own end-to-end experiential activations from ideation through on-site delivery, directing strategy, budgeting, vendor management, and client collaboration.

  • Lead pitch strategy, RFP responses, and client-facing updates
  • Partner with cross-functional teams to ground concepts in audience insight and brand strategy; manage budgets and production timelines

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Lead ideation, scoping, and pitch strategy for custom events and brand activations across our stable of proprietary properties.
  • Write and revise compelling pitch decks and RFP responses, shaping direction rather than just contributing to it.
  • Partner with Creative, Sales, and Editorial to ground concepts in audience insight and brand strategy.
  • Own budgeting for assigned activations: building budgets, onboarding and managing vendors, tracking spend, approving invoices, and reconciling final costs.
  • Lead vendor negotiation, contracting, and production timelines as primary point of accountability for delivery.
  • Interface with clients throughout the process — refining concepts, managing expectations, and solving creatively in real time, including on-site.
  • Manage logistics for tentpole events (room blocks, travel, staffing) and ensure proper team resourcing.
  • Oversee recaps and event materials, guiding junior team members on quality and brand alignment.
  • Present strategic recommendations and recaps to leadership and clients.
  • Refine best practices and templates to improve team efficiency over time.

Requirements

  • 5–8+ years in experiential marketing, brand activations, or events, with a track record of leading complex activations independently and successfully.
  • A fast-paced go-getter with an out-of-the-box, marketing-minded approach — genuinely passionate about where experiential is headed.
  • Skilled negotiator with proven budget and vendor management experience.
  • Strategic thinker with strong creative instincts and excellent writing and visual storytelling skills.
  • Strong client-facing communication and presentation skills.
  • Highly dependable and collaborative across cross-functional teams.
  • Highly organized, able to manage multiple high-stakes projects under tight deadlines.
  • Proficient in Canva, Keynote, PowerPoint, MS Office, and Monday.com (or similar).
  • Willing to travel and work nights/weekends as needed.
BDG logo

BDG

BDG is one of today’s leading global media companies with a portfolio of distinct digital and experiential brands that are shaping culture through its authentic and trusted storytelling. Audiences turn to our brands – Bustle, Elite Daily, The Zoe Report, NYLON, Inverse, Mic, W, Romper, Scary Mommy, Fatherly, and The Dad – to hear from a set of diverse voices around the interests engaging the next generation. Founded in 2013, the Company reaches over 223 million readers and social fans and serves hundreds of the world's largest advertisers. BDG has global offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, and Paris.

Founded in 2013
New York, New York, USA
876 employees (291 in marketing)

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
27.8K
Traffic Source Mix
Search
38.8%
Direct
50.4%
Referral
6%
Social
3.4%
Paid
1.2%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~876

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
230 (26% of company)
Median Career Experience
12 years
Median Tenure
5.9 years
Marketing Roles Posted (Last 30 Days)
1