Director, US Partnerships & Events

What makes this a great opportunity?

As the Director of Partnerships & Events at Suntory Global Spirits, you will play a pivotal role in developing and owning strategic partnerships and executing high impact events that elevate our Suntory Global Spirits brands and drive business growth. This role involves identifying potential partners, supporting negotiation of contracts, fostering mutually beneficial relationships to achieve business goals as well as overseeing all aspects of event planning, execution and evaluation. This individual will collaborate with internal teams and external stakeholders to create and implement initiatives that align with our company’s goal to build brands that consumers love. This role will be focused on our full portfolio with focus on brands within the American Whiskey, Tequilas, RTD and the House of Suntory portfolios. This position will lead the team and will work closely with cross-functional stakeholders -- Brand Marketing, Field Marketing, Legal, Procurement, PR, Consumer Connections and Commercial Marketing teams. Reports to the US - Chief Brands Officer.

Role Responsibilities

Partnership Development

• Identify and pursue strategic partnership opportunities with key industry players, influencers/celebrities and organizations across sports, entertainment and lifestyle.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships to maximize value and collaboration
• Negotiate partnership and event agreements working with internal parties (legal, procurement, sales, brand marketing, PR)
• Vet inbound opportunities with relevant internal stakeholders - build business cases, help sell in for incremental funding

Partnership Management

• Responsible for leading the strategy for negotiation and management of strategic partnerships and entertainment marketing for SGS brands.  Identify and pursue strategic partnership opportunities with key industry players, influencers, and organizations to ensure we are connecting our brands within culture.
• Manage incoming partnership pitches and opportunities.
• Work closely with the Brand teams, Consumer Connections, PR and agencies to source new partnership streams and ensure that partnerships are activated 360 degrees with earned amplification
• Work closely with Field Marketing and Commercial teams to ensure that the business / field impact is considered in partnership strategies and negotiations.
• Responsible for creating partnerships and event recaps and socializing results from partnerships

Event Planning and Execution 

• Develop and implement a comprehensive events strategy that supports brand objectives, enhances consumer experience, and builds market presence.
• Plan, coordinate and execute events (nationally led) and partner with local teams on event planning, execution and implementation
• Own event and partnership budgets
• Work closely with Field Marketing to ensure that event execution is managed in collaboration with local markets and in line with state and federal legalities

Evaluation

• Develop and implement a comprehensive framework for evaluating the effectiveness and impact of existing and potential partnerships and events.
• Define clear, measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each partnership, including both financial KPIs (e.g., revenue generated, sales achieved) and strategic KPIs (e.g., brand awareness, customer satisfaction, engagement levels).
• Track and analyze partnership performance against established KPIs, regularly reporting on progress and identifying areas for improvement or optimization.
• Conduct PDCA analyses (Plan, Do, Check, Act) that builds towards a continuous improvement mindset and provides actionable feedback to key stakeholders (internal and external)

Qualifications

• • 12+ years’ consumer marketing experience with premium, luxury goods, packaged goods or services
  • Strategic thinker, enterprise mindset, thought leadership, results orientation
  • Experience negotiating deals from the initial conversations through contract execution management, partnering with the Procurement team and obtaining executive-level sign-off
  • Proven ability to execute flawlessly on event and partnership projects that align with overall brand strategy 
  • Strong understanding of how to intersect with culturally relevant moments and touchpoints for today’s modern consumer
  • Self-starter with an ability to manage through ambiguity and transformation in a new strategic role within the organization 
  • Demonstrated experience in working across and up, within the organization, gaining credibility amongst peers, managers and other commercial leadership 
  • Strong collaborator across teams and functions; coupled with strong drive and pursuit of excellence
  • Flawless communication skills in writing, meetings, and presentations 
  • Demonstrated personal characteristics to be brand evangelist to local teams 
  • Experience working in or with commercial sales or field marketing is a plus 
  • Multicultural marketing experience is a plus 
  • Experience with the beverage alcohol industry and/or three-tiered distribution system a plus (soft drinks, beer, and other wholesale-distributed products) 
  • Experience directing and managing multiple agency partners is preferred
  • Travel required 25-50%

The salary range for this role, based in New York, is $150k-$190k, along with an annual bonus, 401K match, profit sharing, and medical and wellness benefits. The salary range is commensurate with the candidate’s location, experience, and skillset. The range will vary if outside of this location.