senior marketing manager, Entertainment (Los Angeles or Seattle - U.S.)
About The Position
As senior marketing manager, Entertainment, you will lead the strategy and execution of entertainment‑driven marketing initiatives that connect Starbucks to culture in meaningful, authentic ways. This role sits at the intersection of brand, entertainment, partnerships, and storytelling, shaping how Starbucks shows up across film, television, music, live experiences, talent, and cultural moments. In this highly visible role, you will own end‑to‑end entertainment and cultural initiatives — from identifying opportunities and building concepts to launching programs that drive relevance, brand love, and business impact across Starbucks’ 17,000+ U.S. stores. You will act as the internal marketing lead and spokesperson for entertainment initiatives, influencing cross‑functional partners and external collaborators to bring bold ideas to life. This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic, culturally fluent marketer who understands how entertainment fuels fandom and wants to help build Starbucks into an enduring lifestyle and culture brand.
Requirements
- 7+ years of progressive experience in marketing, brand, partnerships, entertainment, or cultural marketing with a proven track record of delivering impactful programs.
- Strong strategic thinker with high cultural fluency and a deep understanding of entertainment, fandom, and consumer behavior.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross‑functional initiatives in fast‑paced, highly visible environments.
- Exceptional storytelling, communication, and presentation skills, including executive‑level influence.
- Experience managing agencies, creative partners, entertainment relationships, and marketing budgets.
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and balancing multiple priorities while maintaining strategic focus.
- Passion for brand building, pop culture, and customer‑centric innovation.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required
Responsibilities
- Lead the strategic development and execution of entertainment‑driven marketing programs across film, television, talent, and cultural moments.
- Identify and size new entertainment opportunities and partnerships that align with Starbucks brand values, customer passions, and business priorities.
- Own the marketing strategy, positioning, and go‑to‑market plans for entertainment initiatives, ensuring clear objectives and measurable impact.
- Partner closely with Social, PR, Brand, Partnerships, Product, Retail, Creative Studio, Legal and external agencies and partners to ensure seamless activation across touchpoints.
- Author clear, consumer‑obsessed, insight‑led briefs that inspire creative excellence and strategic alignment.
- Translate entertainment partnerships into integrated marketing moments that drive awareness, traffic, trial, and brand affinity.
- Optimize campaigns through test‑and‑learn approaches, evolving strategies based on performance, cultural relevance, and customer response.
- Balance long‑term brand building with short‑term business impact, grounding recommendations in consumer insight and data.
- Serve as the primary marketing lead for entertainment initiatives, influencing senior leaders and key partners across the organization.
- Build and manage relationships with entertainment partners, talent, agencies, and studios to deliver best‑in‑class collaborations.
- Champion recommendations, business cases, and learnings to senior leadership to inform prioritization and investment decisions.
- Act as the connective tissue across teams, ensuring alignment, clarity, and accountability from idea through execution.
- Use cultural fluency, customer insights, and trend analysis to inform strategic direction and anticipate what’s next in entertainment and culture.
- Translate complex data, trends, and performance metrics into actionable insights and compelling narratives.
- Continuously evaluate performance of entertainment initiatives, identifying opportunities to scale, evolve, or sunset programs.
- Foster a growth mindset through experimentation, innovation, and ongoing learning.
- Mentor and develop team members, fostering a culture of curiosity, collaboration, accountability, and bold thinking.
- Model leadership behaviors rooted in Starbucks Mission and Values, promoting integrity, respect, inclusion, and excellence.
- Actively invest in personal and professional growth while supporting others to do the same.
- Contribute to a high‑performing, inclusive team environment that celebrates creativity, learning, and shared success.
Benefits
- medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, and other voluntary insurance benefits
- short-term and long-term disability
- paid parental leave
- family expansion reimbursement
- paid vacation from date of hire
- sick time (accrued at 1 hour for every 25 hours worked)
- eight paid holidays
- two personal days per year
- 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
- discounted company stock program (S.I.P.)
- Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock)
- incentivized emergency savings
- financial well-being tools
- 100% upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program via the Starbucks College Achievement Plan
- student loan management resources
- access to other educational opportunities
- backup care
- DACA reimbursement
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Number of Employees
5,001-10,000 employees
