Brand Partnerships & Experiential Marketing Specialist

Subaru•Camden, NJ

3d•$72,000 - $93,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Supports, develops, maintains, and executes a portfolio of lifestyle partnerships and events at a national scale for Subaru of America (SOA). The partnerships and events support Subaru brand goals by providing uniquely Subaru impressions and experiences for customers and owners that bring the brand to life, drive consideration and awareness, and increase owner loyalty. These experiences and partnerships demonstrate the Subaru Love Promise, show support of Subaru owner passion points, and create memorable consumer journey touchpoints. Supports end-to-end activation execution — including partner coordination, contract deliverables oversight, vendor/agency collaboration, on-site event operations, content planning/capture enablement, measurement and reporting, and day-to-day financial administration (e.g., purchase requests, invoices, and spend tracking) for assigned programs. The lifestyle partnerships include subject areas such as outdoor adventure, sports, the environment, multicultural and LGBTQ+ access, horticulture, and more, and may strategically change over time.

Requirements

Strong project management skills, including the ability to adhere to timelines, stakeholders, and multiple concurrent workstreams.
Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office.
Strong interpersonal, writing, and presentation skills, including experience writing creative briefs.
Ability to effectively work with all levels of the organization, including executive team.
Strong team player.
Adept at building relationships.
Strong creativity and problem-solving skills.
Agency/vendor and partner management skills, including tracking scopes, deliverables, and approvals.
Measurement and reporting capability, including key performance indicator (KPI) planning, post-event/partner recaps, and actionable insights.
Demonstrated comfort with day-to-day program financial administration, including spend tracking, purchase/purchase order (PO) coordination, invoice workflow management, and payment processing support, partnering with internal stakeholders to ensure accuracy and timeliness.
Bachelor's degree in marketing, business or related field required.
At least 4-6 years of experience required.

Nice To Haves

Background in the following areas of Marketing: Brand management, strategic marketing, partnership marketing, and/or event marketing (Preferred)
Understanding of the automotive industry, field operations, retailer (dealership) operations, or experience related to these areas (Preferred)

Responsibilities

Ensures that events and partnerships (including partnership stories) are shared and promoted via Subaru-owned communications through Relationship Marketing, Social Media, Corporate Communications, and Website Operations teams. Supports development of integrated messaging and content plans, helps coordinate asset delivery, and supports approvals and usage requirements for partner-facing and public-facing materials.
Coordinates and collaborates with Subaru of America (SOA) Corporate Communications, Advertising, Auto Shows, Creative Services, and Social Media teams, as well as agency third parties, to develop and execute earned marketing communications plans, media events, content development and capture opportunities, and cross-promotional opportunities. Helps manage agency/vendor workflows (timelines, deliverables, action logs), supports development of creative briefs/shot lists, and helps ensure that deliverables align to partner agreements. Works with retailers to ensure that the developed retailer activation plan is functional and effective and that communications/promotional materials are utilized as intended. Develops/maintains partnership toolkits and guidance (where applicable) and solicits/analyzes partnership feedback to share with Manager for further action.
Collaborates with the Brand Partnerships and Love Promise team to promote and integrate assigned partner organizations across other areas and activations. Tracks partner benefits and deliverables calendars, supports internal stakeholder alignment, and helps ensure that partner programs are communicated consistently across channels.
Develops and leads engaging experiential marketing series with partners and third-party event and advertising agencies that resonate with customers and target audiences, support Subaru vehicle launches, showcase vehicles, and integrate the Love Promise. May provide creative briefs and work on designing giveaways. Supports event operations planning (run-of-show, staffing/volunteer coordination, site plans, contingency planning) and on-site execution to deliver high-quality, brand-right experiences.
Maintains responsibility for partnership maintenance to ensure partnerships are mutually beneficial and strategically support Subaru business and marketing objectives. Keeps abreast of day-to-day operations and serves as a conduit of information between Subaru and partners. Works with Manager to develop requests for proposals (RFPs) and supports negotiation/oversight of contracts/statements of work (SOWs), agreement deliverables, and program implementation. Supports day-to-day financial administration for assigned partnerships/events (e.g., spend tracking, purchase requests/purchase order [PO] coordination, invoice processing support, reconciliation support) and helps ensure that spend aligns to contracted deliverables. Supports key performance indicator (KPI) definition and measurement plans, reports on impact and success measurements, and conducts regular stakeholder meetings, including post-activation recaps and optimization recommendations.
Oversees event planning and activations, alongside Manager, including day-to-day planning and administration of events/activities, including volunteers and Ambassadors. Serves as on-the-ground support day-of event, inspects Subaru brand presence, and provides recommendations for improvements. Supports operational readiness and compliance, including coordination of required documentation (as applicable) such as insurance/waivers, permits, safety considerations, and partner/venue requirements; coordinates vendor/production partners as assigned; and supports incident/issue escalation and post-event learnings. Where appropriate, helps ensure that customer journey touchpoints include engagement and that lead/data capture approaches are aligned with privacy/opt-in requirements and internal handoff needs.
Researches partnership opportunities within relevant subject areas by becoming knowledgeable of trends and forecasts within that industry and community. Recommends potential partnership opportunities to Manager. Maintains a partnership opportunity pipeline (as assigned), supports evaluation against strategic criteria, and helps inform renewal vs. exit recommendations based on performance and fit.
Translates partner value and programs across various organizational levels, including executives, Marketing, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Communications, Customer Advocacy Department (CAD), Legal, Risk Management, and Field departments.
Coordinates end-to-end logistics for a large national fleet of promotional vehicles supporting assigned partners, working closely with Corporate Vehicle Services to forecast needs, place vehicle orders in a timely manner, and ensure that vehicles are strategically positioned to meet program timelines. Oversees ongoing fleet readiness by addressing driving violations, coordinating maintenance and compliance requirements, and arranging safe, efficient transportation and delivery to support partner and activation needs.
Drives continuous improvement across assigned projects and partnerships by leveraging research, performance data, and relevant trends to assess results, capture operational learnings, and recommend actions that improve return on investment (ROI), strengthen use of partner benefits, identify new mutual opportunities, and increase efficiency. Develops and maintains partner/event scorecards and post-event recaps to strengthen future planning and decision-making.
Supports day-to-day financial administration for assigned partnerships and events (not a formal budget owner), including tracking spend against planned allocations, coordinating purchase/PO requests, and supporting invoice processing and reconciliation in partnership with appropriate internal teams.