Managing Director, Cultural Mobilization

Bully Pulpit International•Los Angeles, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Bully Pulpit International (BPI) is seeking a Managing Director, Cultural Mobilization to build and lead a new practice focused on cultural intelligence, strategic relationship-building, and senior advisory. This role involves understanding culture, building credibility within it, and driving real-world impact for clients across various sectors including entertainment, sports, and media. The practice complements existing creator programs by focusing on cultural strategy, long-term relationship building, and strategic activations. This is a practice-building role with the potential to grow into leading a dedicated team. The role will serve a diverse client roster, from major corporations to philanthropic and advocacy groups, driving impact across industry transformation, public policy, and brand reputation. Initially, the focus will be on strategy development, relationship building, originating opportunities, and enabling execution through client teams and a network of contractors.

Requirements

15+ years of experience in entertainment, communications, media, marketing, advocacy, consulting, or a related field.
Public affairs knowledge or policy expertise.
Demonstrated track record of building trusted relationships and influence within culture.
Established network and strong credibility across entertainment, talent representation, media, sports, philanthropy, or other cultural institutions.
Ability to continually expand and deepen those relationships.
Deep understanding of how influence moves through today’s media ecosystem and how cultural narratives shape public perception, legitimacy, and behavior.
Exceptional strategic judgment and ability to advise senior leaders on complex, high-stakes challenges.
Commercially minded, with experience building a practice, leading a business line, managing a P&L, generating new business, or contributing to profitable growth.
An entrepreneurial builder who thrives in ambiguity and is energized by creating new capabilities.
Comfort operating across sectors, moving fluidly between mission-driven organizations, public affairs, philanthropy, entertainment, media, and the broader cultural landscape.

Responsibilities

Build & Manage the Practice: Define and evolve the Cultural Mobilization practice, including its operating model, service offerings, methodologies, and intellectual property. Establish competitive and unique service offerings. Recruit, develop, and lead the team as the practice grows. Represent BPI externally through speaking, publishing, industry engagement, and business development. Present to senior clients to demonstrate expertise and ensure work drives impact. Develop and execute a marketing and visibility strategy to elevate the practice’s profile.
Cultural Intelligence & Opportunity Identification: Build BPI’s cultural intelligence capability by identifying narratives, communities, creators, platforms, and moments that shape public attitudes and behavior. Identify and leverage cultural mapping tools to understand target audiences and engagement opportunities. Identify emerging cultural trends, opportunities, and reputational risks, translating them into actionable recommendations. Partner with the Insights team to produce cultural intelligence briefings and strategic insights.
Cultural Lobbying & Strategic Relationships: Lead BPI’s “cultural lobbying” practice by building sustained, trusted relationships with cultural shapers (showrunners, writers, talent, agents, producers, executives, creators, cultural institutions) to ensure clients have credibility and access. Develop and steward a network of advisors, partners, and cultural experts across various sectors. Cultivate relationships and institutional knowledge for early access to emerging ideas and cultural moments. Position BPI as a trusted thought partner within the cultural ecosystem.
Client Cultural Strategy & Advisory: Partner with senior client leaders to identify where culture can accelerate priorities, translating objectives into cultural strategies grounded in storytelling, entertainment, partnerships, and shared experiences. Advise clients on building credibility, relationships, and influence within culture, integrating cultural mobilization with other strategies. Serve as a trusted advisor to CEOs, foundation presidents, communications executives, and advocacy leaders on cultural strategy and narrative development.
Activation & Delivery: Translate strategy into action by partnering with BPI’s client teams and a network of specialists to deliver high-impact cultural engagements. Design approaches, assemble collaborators, and oversee flagship work to ensure quality and strategic intent. Build, manage, and expand a trusted network of contractors and experts. Equip BPI’s client teams with tools and guidance to deliver cultural mobilization work, developing repeatable methodologies and measurement frameworks.