group manager, Experiential Marketing

Starbucks•Seattle, WA

6h•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. This role contributes to Starbucks success by leading and inspiring the experiential marketing team to create immersive, high‑impact brand moments that deepen customer connection and reinforce Starbucks as a cultural icon. The group manager, Experiential Marketing is a strategic and creative leader with deep experience across live brand activations, cultural moments, tentpole events, pop‑ups, partnerships, and integrated cross‑channel experiences. This leader brings a high bar for innovation, craft, operational excellence, and cultural fluency, guiding Starbucks into the next generation of experiential storytelling.

Requirements

Strong understanding of experiential production, creative storytelling, and event logistics.
Ability to translate cultural and customer insights into strategy.
Excellent communication.
Strong people leadership.
Ability to influence senior stakeholders.
Ability to develop innovative, feasible, safe experiences.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading major activations, tentpole events, or integrated experiential campaigns.
7–10 years experiential marketing, brand activation, event marketing, cultural partnerships, or related roles.
Deep experience with agencies, production partners, and cross-functional collaboration.
3–5 years in strategy or creative development at a brand or agency.
Prior experience leading people and teams.
5+ years people-management experience.
Strong operational/budget/financial acumen.
Advanced PowerPoint skills.
Proven track record using insights to inspire experiential concepts.

Responsibilities

Identify and communicate key responsibilities and practices to ensure the team operates with clarity, positivity, and accountability.
Lead development, oversight, and approval of experiential marketing strategies, frameworks, and activation playbooks.
Provide clear vision and inspiration to agency partners, creative teams, cross-functional stakeholders, and internal leaders.
Establish a multi‑year experiential roadmap aligned to brand priorities, cultural moments, customer insights, and enterprise initiatives.
Represent experiential marketing across the broader marketing and GTM (go-to-market) ecosystem.
Own end‑to‑end process for experiential strategy, activation development, execution, and measurement.
Ensure alignment of experiential programs with campaign strategy and integrated marketing.
Oversee operational excellence including timelines, budgets, agency coordination, vendor management, and cross-functional alignment.
Lead prioritization across simultaneous programs.
Develop strategic briefs, executive presentations, and activation plans.
Champion measurement frameworks for experiential KPIs.
Lead with a 360 approach—considering how the brand is activated across experiential, PR (public relations) and social, while balancing operational needs.
Serve as SME (subject matter expert) for experiential marketing, event innovation, cultural trends, and emerging technologies.
Partner closely with integrated marketing, media, social, PR, brand strategy, store design, and product teams.
Oversee agency partners and ensures best‑in‑class output.
Challenge and inspire team members.
Coach direct reports on strategy, creative, operations, and collaboration.
Ensure compliance with legal, operational, and experiential standards.
Lead hiring, training, development, and performance management.
Build an inclusive, innovative team culture.

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.