Brand Partnerships Lead Manager - RRP

JT International S.A.•Raleigh, NC

66d

About The Position

The Brand Partnerships Lead Manager - RRP will be responsible for building the Brand Partnerships pillar from scratch at JTI LIGGETT to support the USA Reduced Risk Products (RRP) strategy. This role involves identifying and securing strategic partnerships to achieve JTI LIGGETT RRP objectives. Reduced-risk products (RRPs) are defined as products with the potential to reduce the risks associated with smoking, such as modern oral, e-vapor, and heated tobacco products. The position will also define priority locations for brand activation aligned with target audiences and brand strategy, and build and manage a new multi-location team. The role owns the end-to-end delivery of on-ground brand experiences, from acquisition through retention, in close collaboration with Brand, Strategic Insights, Consumer Programs, and Sales Teams. Additionally, the Brand Partnerships Lead Manager will establish and manage the one-to-one external partner model, including recruitment guidelines, training, and education. The role also provides input to the RRP Consumer Activation Strategy and develops HRC & Events strategic plans with cross-functional stakeholders and HQ.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing or related field
6-8 years work experience in HRC & Events (either from FMCG or the event industry side)
Strong understanding of the U.S. market and consumer behavior
Solid track record of partnerships and collaboration within HRC & Events industry in the USA
People management experience and leadership skills (large teams & remote teams)
Strong project management capabilities, combined with curiosity, a self‑starter mindset, and high ownership
Demonstrated strategic and critical thinking skills, with the ability to influence, communicate, and collaborate across teams
Proven excellent negotiation skills
Excellent command of MS Office, particularly PowerPoint and Excel
Fluent English (written and spoken)

Responsibilities

Build the Brand Partnerships pillar from scratch to support the USA Reduced Risk Products (RRP) strategy.
Identify and secure strategic partnerships to deliver on JTI LIGGETT RRP objectives.
Define priority locations for brand activation aligned with target audiences and brand strategy.
Build and manage a new multi-location team.
Own end-to-end delivery of on-ground brand experiences (acquisition through retention) in close collaboration with Brand, Strategic Insights, Consumer Programs and Sales Teams.
Establish and manage the one-to-one external partner model, including recruitment guidelines, training and education.
Provide inputs to the RRP Consumer Activation Strategy.
Develop HRC & Events strategic plans with cross-functional stakeholders (Marketing, Commercial Planning, Sales, Finance, Corporate Affairs & Communications) and HQ.
Partner with the Consumer Programs Lead Manager to build the RRP consumer activation strategy.
Identify Festivals, Bars, Nightclubs, Special Events partnerships & consumer activation opportunities; source and contract partners, lead negotiations, define priority locations across US states to drive awareness and trial.
Lead consumer activation execution to ensure strong brand visibility and seamless consumer experience; align with Brand and Consumer Programs Teams on creative brand execution.
Build and lead remote field activation teams across key US cities/states; build and manage the 1-2-1 partner model (guidelines, hiring, training, coaching).
Establish the Field Consumer Activation pillar and connect functions to deliver an omnichannel consumer journey (acquisition to retention); partner with Retail, Chains & Wholesale on 360 activations and growth synergies.
Own the activation budget; maximize ROI and manage phasing with Finance in line with local/global requirements.