About Essence Ventures
Essence Ventures was established with the goal to articulate through experiences, media, technology, and commerce, that Black is not a monolith. Essence exists to serve Black Women deeply through culture, equity and celebration — encouraging and equipping them to embrace the power of their roles standing at the forefront of their lives, homes, and communities. We accomplish this mission and vision through our incredible and distinct brands: ESSENCE Communications, Inc. (ESSENCE, Girls’ United), AFROPUNK and ESSENCE Studios.

ESSENCE is looking for a Vice President of Sales Activations to join our team. The Vice President of Sales Activation oversees the development and execution of client services program initiatives for EV client accounts including sponsorship fulfillment, activation, solving partnership issues and any other services pertaining to the needs of our corporate clients. You will be accountable for helping EV’s Partners cultivate and build their brands and grow revenue through activation initiatives designed specifically around our custom content programs, teams, live events, festivals and digital initiatives.

Our Vice President, Sales Activations is an integral member of our Revenue organization responsible for supporting Sales, Marketing and Live Events teams from the “top down”.  They ensure consistency and a strategic approach across the business from engagement to activation. While working alongside key leadership personnel within the Sales Department and across the company, to develop and execute successful partnership activations or campaigns to enhance brand visibility, drive revenue, and foster mutually beneficial relationships with partners.

What you'll do...

Building and leading a team responsible for all post sale activations including but not limited to custom content programs, experiential activations, influencer initiatives and bespoke  projects Work cross-functionally with sales, marketing and experiential teams, editorial, insights and research, legal, and PR to deliver high quality post sale activation Provide stellar white glove client service through presale activation planning, program management and program wrap up. Create new opportunities for growth based on learnings from existing buys and by aiding in the prospecting of new client opportunities Develop mechanisms, processes, and measurement of all custom content and events to understand what is working and what needs improvement Own operations and prioritization of event resources; conduct monthly business reviews and annual resource planning Move easily between generating big, creative ideas and driving ongoing process improvement. Ability to identify stakeholder needs, implement prioritization Frequently presenting to leadership; including scoping new proposals, program reviews for in-process events, and post-event evaluations Coordinate internally with various departments to communicate Partner obligations and fulfillment strategies. Manage a team of FTE and seasonal freelancers and be able to assess talent for freelance roles

Customer Service:

Build and sustain positive relationships with clients through direct and indirect communication. Receive incoming Client Services inquiries and manage requests from sales and marketing on behalf of clients Focus on timely client response and thorough and accurate responses

Event Management:

Serve as primary Client Service/Activation contact during brand live events. Assume leadership role by preparing event night fulfillment and partnership activation as well as resolving any client issues or complaints to successfully manage the overall experience for corporate clients.

General Administration:

Administer and ensure follow-up of any emails sent to or from clients. Execute important correspondence for clients Administer follow-up required from post-event reports. Coordinate legal paperwork for partner accounts and ensure fulfillment of contractual obligations. Maintain client files. Coordinate and lead meetings, as necessary. Ensure that CRO is kept abreast of all activities relating to corporate clients through established reporting procedures. Attend sponsor/partner functions and events as needed

Media Deliverables and Execution

Campaign Execution Timeline Management Performance Metrics and Reporting: establishing/developing KPIs and reporting. Qualify metrics for success, report on impact of our sponsorships. Develop templates to generate post-event/campaign analysis. Cross-Platform strategy and innovation: identify new platforms and event strategies that keeps our experiences fresh and relevant across our media channels. Client Feedback - establish process for regularly gathering client feedback on our deliverables, activation success, partnership satisfaction, fostering long-term relationships and continuous improvement

What you have...

9+ years of professional marketing experience with heavy experiential/activation experience in both large scale events and bespoke VIP experiences Experience driving direction and alignment with cross-functional teams Experience building, executing and scaling cross-functional marketing programs Experience using data and metrics to measure impact and determine improvements Experience using Microsoft Excel to manipulate and analyze data Experience presenting metrics and progress to goal to senior leadership Exceptional communication skills Operational excellence managing schedules and budgets

Preferred Qualifications

4+ years building, leading, and developing teams Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Communications, or related discipline Excellent written and verbal communication skills Proven skills in building strong team culture with inclusive management style track record of delivering innovative entertainment experiences (inclusive of live events) to large audiences. Experience working cross-functionally and driving decision making among stakeholders with competing goals Demonstrated ability to operate both strategically and tactically in a high-energy, fast-paced environment. Equally comfortable building strategic marketing plans and executing at a tactical level Ability to identify better ways of working at scale through building new mechanisms and processes, and ability to deliver against lofty goals on time Demonstrated analytical and quantitative skills with the ability to use hard data and metrics to back up assumptions and develop business cases. Experience managing external agencies, vendors, and production companies Digital advertising and advertising technology experience

Requirements

Must be able to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 lbs Requires prolonged periods of sitting, standing and walking throughout the workday, including during meetings, site visits (if applicable), or operational tasks. May involve occasional travel to which could include extended periods away from the primary workplace (if applicable and approved). East Coast based (This position does not offer relocation assistance. Candidates must be local) Hybrid role (3 min. days in office required) Ability to travel domestically & internationally and work weekends and holidays when required

Salary 200k to 210k

Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k, EAP, Annual Bonus eligibility