director, marketing - Olympics & Strategic Initiatives

Starbucks•Seattle, WA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only celebrated coffee and the rich tradition, but that also brought a feeling of connection. We are known for developing extraordinary leaders who share this passion and are guided by their service to others. Reporting into the Vice President, US Marketing, the Director of Olympics & Strategic Initiatives will lead the enterprise-wide strategy and execution of Starbucks’ official partnership with the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Team USA. This role represents one of the most visible and cross-functional brand initiatives in the company’s near-term future. This leader will architect and operationalize a multi-year, global activation strategy that reinforces Starbucks as a culturally relevant, emotionally resonant brand—culminating in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The Director, Olympics & Strategic Initiatives will serve as the cross-functional leader of Starbucks’ Olympic Operating Model, overseeing strategy, planning, governance, and execution from 2026 through Games-time operations in 2028. This role requires an enterprise mindset, strong executive presence, and the ability to align internal teams, agency partners, and external stakeholders around a unified brand narrative.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive leadership experience in brand strategy, integrated marketing, large-scale partnerships, or experiential activation.
Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-year, cross-functional initiatives.
Experience with global events, sponsorship activations, or cultural moments at scale strongly preferred.
Proven ability to influence senior executives and lead enterprise alignment.
Strong financial acumen and experience managing significant budgets.
Exceptional organizational, communication, and storytelling skills.
Experience working with agencies and external partners in high-visibility environments.
Ability to operate with agility under ambiguity and time-sensitive pressure.
Strategic enterprise thinker with operational rigor.
Calm, decisive leader in high-visibility, high-pressure environments.
Inclusive collaborator who builds trust across diverse teams.
Balances creativity with disciplined execution.
Skilled at anticipating risk and proactively mitigating complexity.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of Starbucks’ end-to-end Olympic strategy across all five phases (Foundation, Contracting, Build, Activation, Games-Time).
Translate enterprise brand priorities into a cohesive Olympic platform that spans retail, content, experiential, hospitality, and internal engagement.
Ensure alignment with Starbucks’ broader brand transformation strategy and cultural narrative.
Serve as primary strategic advisor to executive leadership on Olympic-related initiatives and decisions.
Stand up and lead the Olympic Steering Group, establishing governance cadence, decision rights, and escalation protocols.
Partner closely with Brand, Retail Operations, Creative, Talent, Communications, Legal, Supply Chain, Finance, and Partner Resources to ensure flawless execution.
Align global and licensed markets to Olympic activation requirements and timelines.
Drive enterprise-level readiness across product, packaging, digital, and in-store channels.
Oversee the development of Starbucks’ Olympic Village presence, Torch Relay activations, and LA-based city integrations.
Ensure hospitality programs for athletes, partners, and executives reflect Starbucks’ human-first ethos.
Guide the integration of athlete storytelling and content across paid, owned, and earned channels.
Champion emotional resonance over spectacle—prioritizing meaningful moments at scale.
Establish and manage the Olympic program roadmap, milestone tracking, and performance dashboards.
Lead scenario planning and crisis escalation frameworks in partnership with Legal and Communications.
Oversee budget management across the multi-year Olympic lifecycle.
Ensure full compliance with IOC, LA28, and Team USA brand and IP requirements.
Define and track Olympic-specific KPIs across brand health, retail impact, partner engagement, and media performance.
Translate Olympic activation into enduring brand equity beyond the Games.
Lead post-Games analysis and transition strategy.

Benefits

As a Starbucks partner, you (and your family) will have access to medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, and other voluntary insurance benefits.
Partners have access to short-term and long-term disability, paid parental leave, family expansion reimbursement, paid vacation from date of hire, sick time (accrued at 1 hour for every 25 hours worked), eight paid holidays, and two personal days per year.
Starbucks also offers eligible partners participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, a discounted company stock program (S.I.P.), Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock), incentivized emergency savings, and financial well-being tools.
Additionally, Starbucks offers 100%25 upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program via the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, student loan management resources, and access to other educational opportunities.
You will also have access to backup care and DACA reimbursement.
Starbucks will comply with any applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, and in accordance with its plans and policies.
This list is subject to change depending on collective bargaining in locations where partners have a certified bargaining representative.
For additional information regarding partner perks and more detailed information about benefits, go to starbucksbenefits.com.
If you are working in CA, CO, IL, LA, ME, MA, NE, ND or RI, you will accrue vacation up to a maximum of 120 hours (190 in CA) for roles below director and 200 hours (316 in CA) for roles at director or above.
For roles in other states, you will be granted vacation time starting at 120 hours annually for roles below director and 200 hours annually for roles director and above.