Partnerships & Influencer Manager

SteelSeries • Chicago, IL

6h

About The Position

We’re looking for a Partnerships & Influencer Manager for North America who can turn players, creators, and affiliates into a real community—not just a set of followers. You’ll be responsible for building and nurturing KontrolFreek’s North American community through Influencers, content creators and affiliates while you build up KontrolFreek’s FreekNation. You’ll identify, initiate outreach and secure partnerships with content creators either with a defined long term program or setting them up as a participant in our Affiliate Freek Nation program. With your conversations, you will deepen engagement with our most important audiences and make them feel like part of the brand’s success! The role involves defining how KontrolFreek engages players beyond one-way posts through UGC challenges, “best plays,” setup spotlights, and community events. It also includes identifying and recruiting high-potential affiliates and creators into FreekNation, bringing their content and personalities into community spaces and social platforms, and acting as a point of contact for affiliates on community-related activities. The manager will plan and execute community beats around key campaigns, identify creators aligning with direct and retail initiatives, and secure relationships for consistent educational and performance-focused content. Collaboration with internal teams to define expectations and deliverables, and ensuring usage rights are crucial. The role also involves bringing influencer content into the broader community and social ecosystem. Partnership with Social & Marketing teams is key to ensure community and creator content is highlighted on main channels and social campaigns include participation mechanics. Support for cross-channel programs and alignment with broader Marketing, Product, and Sales GTM plans is also expected. Measurement & Reporting includes tracking and reporting on NA community health, engagement, and impact, as well as providing regular updates on affiliate/influencer pipeline and performance, and community program performance and learnings.

Requirements

• 3–5 years’ experience managing online communities and/or creator/affiliate programs, ideally in gaming or adjacent youth culture.
• Strong understanding of gaming culture, creators, and how communities actually behave (not just what decks say).
• Experience building and managing affiliate or creator programs.
• Experience working directly with creators, streamers, or esports personalities.
• Excellent written communication and interpersonal skills; comfortable being a visible, human presence for the brand.
• Highly organized and able to juggle multiple community threads, campaigns, and relationships at once.
• Comfortable working cross-functionally with Marketing, Product, Sales, and Social/Affiliate teams.

Nice To Haves

• Gaming? Check. Esports? Check. Hardware? Check. Software? Check.
• Most of us are gamers, but you don't have to be, we promise! Just don't be surprised if you become one within a few weeks of starting!

Responsibilities

• Define how KontrolFreek shows up for players beyond one‑way posts—UGC challenges, “best plays,” setup spotlights, and community events.
• Identify and recruit high‑potential affiliates and creators in NA into FreekNation.
• Bring their content and personalities into community spaces and social (e.g., reposts, spotlights, Discord/UGC features).
• Act as a point of contact for affiliates on community-related activities (UGC campaigns, map drops, challenges).
• Plan and execute community beats around key campaigns with affiliates (e.g., Heist launch, Fortnite collection, EA FC, holiday).
• Identify high‑potential creators in NA that align with KF’s direct and retail initiatives (e.g., Target, Walmart, Amazon, key game tie‑ins).
• Secure relationships (typically 3+ months) that deliver consistent educational and performance-focused content for our key products.
• Work with internal teams to define expectations and deliverables (e.g., setup videos, “best plays,” launch day content) and ensure usage rights for paid/social/PDP.
• Bring influencer content into the broader community and social ecosystem (e.g., FreekNation campaigns, “Heist” and Fortnite activations).
• Collaborate closely with the Social Media Specialist to ensure community and creator content is consistently highlighted on main channels.
• Ensure social campaigns include participation mechanics (UGC prompts, challenges, Discord/FreekNation integration).
• Support cross-channel programs.
• Work with broader Marketing, Product, and Sales to align creator/affiliate activity with GTM plans.
• Track and report on NA community health, including engagement and impact.
• Provide regular (e.g., monthly) updates on affiliate/influencer pipeline and performance, and community program performance and learnings.

Benefits

• We believe in being true to the gaming community, which means being true to ourselves.
• We create products that help the best of the best be better, and products that help the not-so-good feel not-so-bad.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed