Vice President, Consumer Brand, Sports Portfolio - Burson

Burson•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

Burson is seeking a senior communications leader to develop and execute integrated earned media and brand communications programs for a portfolio of sports clients. The role focuses on generating earned media results, elevating brand reputation, and connecting clients with consumers through sports, culture, talent, and experiences. The Vice President will counsel senior clients, lead campaigns and athlete and brand partnership programs, oversee experiential events and other communications initiatives, and build long-term client relationships. The role also manages and mentors team members, collaborates across agency disciplines, and contributes to agency growth through business development, client expansion, innovative strategies, and thought leadership. Preferred locations are Los Angeles (hybrid), Southern California (remote), or San Francisco (hybrid).

Requirements

10+ years of experience in sports communications, consumer brand marketing, earned media, public relations, or integrated communications; agency experience is preferred.
Deep understanding of the consumer sports landscape, including leagues, teams, athletes, media ecosystems, sponsorship trends, fan engagement, and cultural moments.
Established relationships with leading sports, consumer, lifestyle, business, and entertainment media outlets, publishers, and journalists.
Demonstrated success developing and executing integrated earned media campaigns that generate impactful coverage and measurable results.
Significant experience planning and executing press trips, media events, product launches, experiential activations, and large-scale event communications programs.
Proven success leading athlete activations, sponsorship campaigns, endorsement programs, and talent-driven consumer marketing initiatives.
Strong client-facing presence and exceptional presentation, storytelling, and executive communication skills.
Experience counseling senior executives and marketing leaders on communications strategy, media engagement, and reputation management.
Demonstrated ability to lead integrated teams and collaborate across disciplines to deliver business results.
Experience attracting, managing, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams in a fast-paced environment.
Strong understanding of agency business operations, including account management, staffing, financial oversight, and resource planning.
Proven success supporting and winning new business, including developing pitch strategies, presenting recommendations, and building relationships with prospective clients.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail, and sound judgment in high-pressure situations.
Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a strategic mindset and delivering exceptional client service.
Passion for sports, culture, communications, and storytelling, with awareness of emerging industry trends and opportunities.

Nice To Haves

Experience in an agency environment.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute integrated earned media and communications programs for brands, sports properties, and entertainment clients.
Advise clients on media strategy, reputation management, athlete partnerships, sponsorship activations, and brand storytelling.
Build client stakeholder relationships and identify opportunities to deepen partnerships and grow business.
Develop media strategies that generate earned coverage, cultural relevance, and audience engagement across traditional, digital, social, and emerging channels.
Build and maintain relationships with sports, consumer, lifestyle, entertainment, and business media, publishers, journalists, podcasts, newsletters, and broadcast partners.
Develop and execute athlete activation programs aligned with client business objectives and brand narratives.
Identify and manage athlete, ambassador, influencer, and talent partnerships.
Plan and execute press trips, media tours, product launches, experiential activations, sporting event programs, and consumer experiences.
Collaborate with talent agencies, athlete representatives, leagues, teams, and industry partners to maximize program impact.
Manage, mentor, and develop account teams; coach junior and mid-level team members and foster an inclusive, collaborative, high-performance culture.
Lead cross-functional teams across strategy, creative, social, influencer, analytics, and production disciplines.
Contribute to business development through prospecting, pitch strategy, proposal development, and presentations.
Develop communications strategies and recommendations for prospective clients and support new business opportunities.
Identify opportunities to expand existing client relationships through strategic counsel and innovative programming.
Support account planning and resource management and contribute to the financial success of the business.
Represent Burson as a subject matter expert in sports communications, athlete partnerships, consumer brand marketing, and integrated communications.