Director, Brand Partnerships

Ripple Street•New York City, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role is designed to own the growth strategy for a portfolio of Ripple Street's most valuable CPG relationships, transforming initial programs into long-term, compounding partnerships. The ideal candidate is someone who can see the full scope of a relationship, understand its potential over several years, and strategize the steps to achieve that growth. This involves navigating complex organizational structures, understanding the motivations of various stakeholders (from champions to funders, procurement, and agencies), and building genuine curiosity-driven relationships. The role emphasizes proactive engagement with client planning calendars, aiming to be involved before budgets are finalized. It's for someone who prefers building new opportunities over defending existing ones, and who can elevate the performance of those around them. Ripple Street's model relies on real people using and sharing real products, and this role is crucial for deepening relationships with brands and agencies that understand this value, moving beyond single programs to comprehensive, multi-faceted partnerships.

Requirements

Eight to twelve years in CPG, brand-side marketing, agency, or commerce partnerships.
Demonstrated ownership of growth strategy on major accounts, with a focus on growing business rather than just managing it.
Ability to describe a buying group, including who wanted the business, who funded it, who could have stopped it, and the strategy employed.
Established relationships at the VP and category level that have resulted in tangible outcomes (e.g., three-year partnerships).
Confidence in conducting hard commercial conversations, including scope, pricing, terms, and procurement, especially on large deals with multiple stakeholders.
Comfort with team selling, where Solutions Architects, strategists, and operations are involved.
Experience developing other commercial people, formally or informally.

Responsibilities

Own the growth strategy for a portfolio of CPG relationships.
Lead accounts through the full arc, from initial programs to multi-faceted partnerships spanning brand, shopper, digital, and trade.
Engage with client planning calendars to ensure involvement before budgets are locked.
Build account plans that serve as learning tools for the team.
Develop and maintain senior-level relationships (VP, category leadership) to secure multi-year work.
Build broad relationships across shopper marketing, e-commerce, trade, procurement, finance, and agencies.
Act as a strategic advisor on brand and category strategy.
Lead negotiation and close high-value opportunities, collaborating with a Solutions Architect.
Navigate procurement, legal, and multi-stakeholder sign-off processes.
Coach Partnership Managers, using live accounts as teaching examples.
Develop playbooks based on learnings to benefit the entire team.