Senior Manager, Business Development & Brand Partnerships

Whalar Group•Brooklyn, NY

1d•$120,000 - $130,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lighthouse is seeking an Associate Director, Brand Partnerships to transform its Creator campuses in Brooklyn and Venice into a sought-after marketing platform for brands. This role involves owning the sales of turnkey brand activations, typically in the $50,000 to $100,000 range, against a personal revenue target. Additionally, approximately 40% of the time will be dedicated to supporting the VP, Business Development & Brand Partnerships on larger deals, including preparing pitch materials, managing client communications, and initiating post-sale kickoffs. This position is ideal for individuals with a background in media buying, publishing, or account management who are looking to transition into sales, with the benefit of hands-on mentorship and a clear career progression towards an independent sales role.

Requirements

2–3 years of experience in agency media buying, publishing, account management, integrated marketing, or at a Creator network or influencer platform.
A clear drive and ambition to move into sales.
Experience building and presenting media plans to clients, including working with rate cards, guaranteed impressions, and eCPMs.
A deep, practical understanding of social media and Creator economics; active engagement on platforms like Instagram or TikTok and knowledge of what Creators seek in brand deals.
Confidence in pitching during client meetings, writing pitch materials independently, and conducting focus groups with subsequent presentation of findings.
Proficiency with AI tools for rapidly building decks, media plans, and client materials.
Strong project management skills to manage scope, timelines, and handovers across multiple teams, and to keep deals on track post-sale.
Enthusiasm for building a career in sales.
A collaborative approach to working on shared deals with a manager.
A desire for hands-on coaching and professional growth.

Responsibilities

Sell and close The Lighthouse's turnkey, off-the-shelf brand activations, primarily one-off events at the Brooklyn and Venice campuses, in the $50,000 to $100,000 range, ensuring speed and margin are protected.
Join inbound client calls with the VP, help grow opportunities into larger partnerships, and take ownership of deals below the specified threshold, maintaining an accurate and up-to-date pipeline.
Act as the VP's right hand on larger deals by polishing pitch decks, gathering necessary information, and responding promptly to clients when the VP is unavailable.
Provide real market feedback to help shape program tiers, including insights on what resonates, pricing issues, and common brand requests.
Support the VP in managing and scaling the Creator engine, which includes Creator casting, briefing, contracting, and payment, and applying impression and eCPM (effective cost per thousand impressions) methodology to new deals.
Partner with the Creator Intelligence team to conduct occasional focus groups with Lighthouse members and present findings to brands.
Build pitch decks and media plans efficiently using AI tools, extracting rates from the rate card to create clear plans by placement, format, and channel.
Lead post-sale kickoff for deals closed by you and the VP, ensuring proper scoping, briefing, and handover to activation teams.
Serve as the primary client contact for owned deals and support the VP on larger deals throughout pre-production, on-site execution, and post-campaign reporting.
Collaborate with programming, content, activation, and campus teams, including location GMs, to source themes, concepts, and resources for client pitches, ensuring a unified Lighthouse experience for every client.