Senior Experiential Marketing Manager

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a rolling 12-month customer experience and activation calendar covering events, PR boxes, gifting, retail displays, sampling, and partnerships, aligned with product launches, brand campaigns, retail priorities, and commercial goals.
• Proactively recommend events, partnerships, and activation concepts, with clear audience fit, objectives, timing, resource requirements, and expected outcomes.
• Build proposed plans and budget scenarios using stated assumptions, then refine them with leadership and Finance. Maintain forward planning while final allocations or other inputs are being resolved.
• Evaluate the value of each opportunity and recommend where to invest, simplify, or decline participation.
• Develop annual and project-level budget proposals covering events, PR boxes and gifting kits, displays, packaging and inserts, production, sponsorships, staffing, travel, freight, product, sampling, storage, and contingency.
• Present the rationale, measurable deliverables, expected business impact, alternatives, and measurement plan before requesting approval.
• Obtain appropriate approvals before commitments or deposits, manage scope changes, and track committed, forecast, and actual costs with Finance.
• Own events from brief and planning through onsite execution, breakdown, reconciliation, and follow-up.
• Verify attendance estimates, audience profile, venue requirements, staffing coverage, product quantities, transportation, shipping, setup, and return logistics with the appropriate partners.
• Build workback schedules, run-of-show documents, staffing plans, checklists, and contingency plans, with named owners and deadlines.

Requirements

• 6+ years of experiential, event, field, or brand activation experience, including independent ownership of complex events and budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to propose calendars and budgets, evaluate opportunities, and manage multiple activations from planning through measurable follow-up.
• Strong vendor negotiation, production, staffing, logistics, and project management skills, with experience leading agencies, contractors, or onsite teams.
• Evidence of commercial judgment, financial discipline, and practical performance reporting.
• Strong cross-functional communication and the ability to secure inputs, resolve blockers, and drive follow-through independently.
• Ability to travel and work onsite for events, including scheduled evenings and weekends as required.

Preferred

• Experience in beauty, haircare, CPG, lifestyle, or retail is strongly preferred; understanding of textured-hair consumers and product education is valuable.
• Experience developing and executing brand partnerships, with evidence of proactive sourcing, negotiation, and measurable value.
• Experience owning PR boxes, gifting kits, and retail display programs from concept through production and delivery, including sample review, assembly, quality checks, and vendor management.
• Experience with trade shows, retail activations, and community events; live commerce production experience is a plus.