SVP, Influencer + Creator Marketing

Barkley•Kansas City, KS

About The Position

The SVP, Influencer + Creator, will lead BarkleyOKRP’s influencer + creator vision, philosophy, growth and integration of the practice across the agency and with clients. This leader will be responsible for scaling the influencer practice—from UGC/ambassador and nano influencers to macro an mega/celebrities— and expanding the services and integration across strategy, creative, social and media. The leader will have a deep understanding of influencer strategies, a history of connecting brands to culture, cultivating long-term relationships with creators and talent agencies, and shaping how clients authentically engage communities through creators. The role requires a mastery of influencer negotiations, SAG-AFTRA, FTC rules and regulations, best industry practices and a belief that brands, guided by brand/agency strategy, should trust creators to develop content that resonates with the influencer + creator audiences. In addition to a deep understanding of influencer strategy and relationship building, this leader will be responsible for evaluating current influencer platforms and tools and developing an influencer operating system to bring value, efficiency and effectiveness to operational practices within the agency. This ecosystem will create a best-in-class influencer and creator offering, both from the client side and from an internal operational perspective. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in the influencer ecosystem, proven experience building large-scale creator programs for brands, and strong relationships across platforms and talent networks. This role requires a mix of creative vision, strategic leadership, and the ability to inspire cross-disciplinary teams to deliver work that earns attention and drives results.

Requirements

15+ years of experience in influencer marketing, talent partnerships, or digital strategy within an agency, platform, or brand.
Established relationships with creators, talent agencies, and platforms.
Proven track record of developing influencer programs that drive measurable business results.
Exceptional leadership, team-building, and client-facing communication skills.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, creatively driven environment.

Responsibilities

Define and lead the agency’s influencer marketing approach and POV.
Anticipate cultural trends and platform shifts to keep the agency and its clients ahead of the curve.
Collaborate on marketing and growing the agency’s practice
Build and maintain strong relationships with creators, talent agencies, and platforms (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, etc.).
Negotiate influencer partnerships and collaborations that elevate both client and agency reputation.
Serve as the senior influencer advisor to clients, ensuring programs are authentic, culturally relevant, and business-driving.
Partner with account, strategy, social and creative teams to integrate influencer thinking into 360 brand campaigns.
Build and lead a team of influencer strategists, talent managers, and partnership leads.
Establish frameworks, best practices, and measurement models for influencer activations across clients.
Build an influencer operating system with best-in-class tools and platforms to optimize operations and improve efficiencies.
Represent BarkleyOKRP in industry forums, conferences, and media as an authority on influencer relations.
Lead internal education and training to elevate influencer expertise across the agency.