Senior Director, Client Management & Strategic Initiatives

Edelman•New York, NY

18h•$80,000 - $120,000

About The Position

The Senior Director, Client Management & Strategic Initiatives is a senior operational and client-facing leader responsible for driving high-touch execution of celebrity-brand ventures from concept through activation and ongoing performance. Once verbal alignment is secured between talent, platforms, cultural entities, and brand partners, this role assumes ownership of advancing, formalizing, and executing partnerships through to measurable success. You will serve as the connective tissue between talent, platforms, cultural entities, brand stakeholders, internal resources, and legal counsel—ensuring clarity, momentum, and excellence across every touchpoint.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in client services, strategic partnerships, business affairs, operations, or account leadership roles.
Strong experience within entertainment, brand marketing, influencer partnerships, or venture-based environments.
Deep understanding of talent, platform, cultural, and brand ecosystems, with the ability to navigate complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Proven success leading cross-functional initiatives from contract through execution, launch, and scale.
Comfort operating in an entrepreneurial, fast-evolving, high-touch environment with senior-level accountability.
Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills.
Experience working closely with legal teams and familiarity with commercial and partnership deal structures.

Responsibilities

Lead the transition of verbal agreements into structured, executable partnerships with clear ownership, timelines, and outcomes.
Partner closely with legal counsel to manage term sheets, contracts, and compliance, ensuring alignment on partnership terms and responsibilities.
Own and lead cross-functional workstreams to bring ventures to life, from business planning and operational development to product or brand activation and launch oversight.
Anticipate, identify, and proactively resolve operational, legal, or stakeholder roadblocks and complexities.
Manage multiple initiatives concurrently, providing senior-level oversight across a portfolio of ventures.
Serve as the senior day-to-day relationship lead for talent, platforms, cultural entities, and brand partners throughout execution and the ongoing partnership lifecycle.
Build trust and transparency with senior stakeholders, acting as a strategic advisor and operational leader on both sides of the partnership.
Actively monitor relationship health and business performance post-launch, identifying opportunities to optimize, expand, or extend partnerships.
Ensure a high-quality client experience where partners feel supported, heard, and energized by the collaboration, reinforcing long-term relationship value.
Lead coordination across internal UEG teams (creative, communications, marketing, analytics) and external partners (agencies, talent representatives, clients, platforms, and cultural entities) to align resources, timelines, and deliverables.
Help define, implement, and refine internal processes that support venture creation and partnership management at scale.
Contribute to internal knowledge building through case studies, best practices, and scalable partnership models.
Provide senior-level guidance and decision-making to ensure consistent execution quality across initiatives.