Manager, Brand Activation & Events

NEW ERA CAP LLC • Buffalo, NY

4d • $70,000 - $90,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, Brand Activation & Events is responsible for the planning, execution, and on-site leadership of New Era’s events and brand activations across league partnerships, retail environments, and internal initiatives. This role is highly executional and detail-oriented, serving as a lead project management and operations resource across multiple events throughout the year. The ideal candidate is organized, proactive, and thrives in fast-paced environments, with a strong ability to manage timelines, oversee vendors, lead on-site execution, and independently run projects from concept through completion. This role requires a high level of flexibility and a willingness to travel frequently, acting as a key on-site operator across event setups, live operations, and teardowns. This position works closely with internal stakeholders and cross-functional teams to bring activations to life while maintaining a high standard of brand presentation, operational excellence, and overall event experience. The ideal candidate will also bring a creative eye for internal and culture-driven events, helping elevate how New Era shows up across both consumer-facing and internal moments.

Requirements

• Strong organizational and project management skills with exceptional attention to detail
• Experience acting as a point-person at installations, partnering with vendors and external partners to execute projects within retail, event, and tradeshow environments
• Ability to independently manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt quickly to changing priorities and timelines
• Effective communicator who can collaborate across internal teams, external partners, and leadership groups
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with a strong sense of urgency and accountability
• Strong on-site presence and ability to lead effectively in live event environments under pressure
• Solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to troubleshoot issues in real time and provide creative, efficient solutions
• Creative eye for event environments, visual presentation, and overall guest experience, particularly for internal and culture-driven events
• Team-first mentality with a willingness to support across multiple projects and event workstreams
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently and work non-traditional hours, including nights and weekends, as required by event schedules
• Knowledge of print production, fabrication methods, and materials commonly used in creative retail and experiential production
• Strong attention to detail with experience in visual merchandising, fixturing, and product presentation across multiple environments
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Visual Merchandising or related field preferred; additional experience in lieu of degree considered
• Five (5) to seven (7) years of relevant experience in events, experiential marketing, retail activation, production, or agency environment
• Experience managing large-scale events, retail activations, or experiential projects from planning through on-site execution preferred
• Background working within sports, lifestyle, fashion, or consumer brands a plus

Nice To Haves

• Experience with space planning and event layouts preferred
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) preferred
• Experience in SketchUp a plus

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and execution of a wide range of events and activations, including league tentpoles (Super Bowl, Draft, All-Star), retail pop-ups, tradeshows, and internal events
• Own project timelines, deliverables, and cross-functional coordination to ensure projects remain on track from concept through execution
• Partner with internal teams (Marketing, Sales, E-commerce, Creative Services, Merchandising) to align on product, creative, and operational needs across events and activations
• Manage relationships with external vendors and partners (production, fabrication, creative, logistics), ensuring timelines, budgets, and brand expectations are met
• Oversee the production process from concept approvals through fabrication, delivery, installation, and on-site execution
• Manage project details including budgets, timelines, orders, staffing, shipping, and logistics across multiple concurrent projects
• Serve as a lead on-site operator across events, overseeing setup, live operations, troubleshooting, and teardown to ensure seamless execution from start to finish
• Travel frequently to support event execution, often acting as a primary point of contact on-site for vendors, partners, staffing teams, and operational needs
• Lead real-time decision making and problem solving in fast-paced live event environments
• Maintain organized documentation across projects (run of show, recaps, contact lists, production trackers, budgets, etc.)
• Develop presentation materials, project recaps, and internal communications as needed
• Support the planning and execution of internal events (e.g., sales meetings, company events, holiday party), contributing to overall experience, flow, and presentation
• Bring a creative and experiential mindset to internal-facing events, helping elevate the overall environment and employee experience
• Help drive process improvement and build more consistent workflows, systems, and best practices across events and activations
• Assist with other departmental projects as needed
• Keep all sensitive matters confidential
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• competitive compensation
• generous PTO policy
• world-class benefits designed to promote health, financial stability, and personal growth
• paid parking
• exclusive discounts on apparel and headwear
• professional development opportunities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager