Associate Director, Diageo Integrated Partnerships

Adelphi Group•New York, NY

1d•$70,000 - $125,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director on the Diageo Partners team develops and delivers integrated, direct-to-publisher solutions across premium video, digital, content, sponsorships, experiential and emerging media. The role bridges investment and content partnership expertise, translating Diageo’s business and brand objectives into innovative, scalable programs that connect paid media, custom storytelling and real-world experiences. It leads partner strategy, negotiation and activation while ensuring recommendations meet Diageo’s audience, brand safety, responsible marketing and measurement requirements. The role shapes the team’s vision and ways of working, develops integrated partner recommendations, identifies opportunities across publishers and other media and experiential partners, and works closely with cross-functional teams. It leads investment strategy and negotiations, evaluates partner proposals, builds senior partner relationships and ensures programs have clear scopes, deliverables, timelines, rights, distribution plans and accountability. The Associate Director serves as a day-to-day partnership lead from brief through launch and final recap. The position guides custom content, video, social, talent or creator, sponsorship, hospitality and experiential programs; manages integrated distribution, workstreams, production and approvals; and ensures compliance with applicable Diageo standards. It defines KPIs, works with Data and Analytics on measurement, monitors performance, leads post-campaign evaluations and communicates results. The role also builds client relationships, presents recommendations and results, helps establish team priorities and best practices, mentors junior staff and contributes to agency thought leadership and business development.

Requirements

Minimum 6 years of experience in media investment, digital partnerships, video, branded content, sponsorships, experiential marketing or integrated activation.
Experience developing and negotiating direct partnerships with publishers, platforms, media owners, entertainment companies or experiential partners.
Demonstrated success managing complex, multi-channel programs from strategy and ideation through execution and measurement.
Strong understanding of premium video, streaming, digital publishing, social media, creator ecosystems, content production and experiential activation.
Proven client service, strategic thinking, analytical, communication, negotiation and project management skills.
Ability to evaluate opportunities through strategic, commercial, creative, operational and measurement lenses.
Understanding of how video, digital, social, content, sponsorship and experiential elements perform independently and together within an integrated plan.
Knowledge of marketplace pricing, media owner capabilities, custom content development, production processes and partnership measurement.
Ability to turn complex information into clear, compelling recommendations, presentations, briefs, recaps and points of view.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple workstreams, deadlines, stakeholders and approvals simultaneously.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a focus on presentation excellence.
Collaborative leadership style, sound judgment, intellectual curiosity and a passion for culture, entertainment and innovation.

Nice To Haves

Experience working within regulated categories or applying rigorous brand safety, audience eligibility and responsible marketing standards.
Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Advertising, Media, Marketing or a related field.

Responsibilities

Help shape the vision, priorities and ways of working for the Diageo Partners team across video, digital direct-to-publisher investment, content and experiential programs.
Translate brand, audience and communications strategy into integrated partner opportunities that support awareness, engagement, consideration and conversion objectives.
Develop recommendations grounded in audience insight, cultural relevance, marketplace intelligence, big ideas and clear activation plans.
Identify opportunities across premium publishers, television and streaming companies, social platforms, entertainment properties, creators, live events and experiential partners.
Collaborate with Strategy, Planning, Investment, Social, Commerce, Creative, Data and Analytics teams to connect partnership programs to the broader media plan.
Stay current on media and partnership landscapes and assess implications for Diageo’s business.
Support senior leadership with presentation materials, status updates, annual planning, marketplace points of view and client meetings.
Lead direct-to-publisher investment strategy and negotiations across premium video, digital media, custom content, sponsorships and experiential opportunities.
Evaluate partner proposals for strategic fit, audience quality, scale, pricing, added value, measurement, feasibility and brand suitability.
Cultivate senior relationships with media owners and strategic partners to secure innovation, access, commercial value and tailored solutions.
Coordinate with broader investment teams to maintain consistency across plan development, negotiations, implementation and stewardship.
Monitor marketplace dynamics, inventory trends and partner capabilities to identify opportunities and manage risks.
Ensure negotiated programs have clear scopes, deliverables, timelines, usage rights, distribution plans, performance expectations and accountability.
Lead partnership programs from brief through launch and final recap as a day-to-day lead and subject matter expert for clients, internal teams and external partners.
Develop and activate branded content, video integrations, social amplification, talent or creator partnerships, sponsorship assets, hospitality and experiential activations.
Guide partners in creating distinctive, culturally relevant, executable ideas appropriate for each Diageo brand.
Develop integrated distribution plans connecting custom content or experiences with paid video, digital and social media.
Own program timelines, production schedules, approval processes, asset delivery, trafficking dependencies, meetings and cross-functional communication.
Manage workstreams during ideation, creative development, production, launch and post-campaign reporting.
Ensure programs meet Diageo responsible marketing, legal, regulatory, brand safety, audience composition and category suitability requirements.
Define KPIs and measurement plans for media, content and experiential components.
Partner with Data and Analytics teams to apply approved frameworks and quantify media delivery, engagement, brand impact and business value.
Monitor campaign performance, partner delivery and program quality, and identify in-market optimization opportunities.
Lead post-campaign evaluations and synthesize results, learnings and recommendations for future decisions.
Create performance materials communicating quantitative results and the incremental value of custom programs.
Build trusted client relationships through proactive communication, sound judgment and solutions-oriented counsel.
Present strategies, marketplace opportunities, investment recommendations, activation plans and results clearly and confidently.
Help set team priorities, allocate responsibilities and establish best practices.
Mentor and develop junior team members in partner evaluation, negotiation, project management, content activation and client service.
Foster a collaborative culture focused on accountability, learning, innovation and quality execution.
Contribute to agency thought leadership, case studies, marketing materials and new business efforts as needed.