Senior Manager, Brand Partnerships and Activation

WHO WE ARE

Breakaway Group is a premiere entertainment and music festival multimedia company. We have the largest independent touring music festival in North America, spanning 14 cities over 9 months. With a focus on underserved markets, Breakaway is bringing a premium 2-day EDM/Pop festival experience with an always-changing lineup of top artists to where consumers live, work, and play.

THE ROLE

Breakaway is a fast-growing music and entertainment company seeking an experienced and solutions-driven Senior Manager, Brand Partnerships and Activation. In this role, you will lead the planning, execution, and on-the-ground delivery of brand partnership activations across Breakaway’s national festival and Breakaway Presents events. You will serve as a key liaison between partners and internal teams, ensuring every on-site activation is executed flawlessly—from concept to recap.

This role blends strategic account management with hands-on activation leadership. The ideal candidate thrives in fast-paced event environments, excels at relationship building, and has a strong understanding of sponsorship fulfillment, on-site activation, partner expectations, and live event operations. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Sponsorship Activation & Fulfillment

• Lead the full lifecycle of partner activation, advance, planning, and execution, across all 14 Breakaway festival markets and Breakaway Presents events (up to 20 events annually), serving as the primary owner of partner activation, whether onsite or remote.
• Translate contracts and promised deliverables into actionable activation plans, timelines, and internal workflows.
• Own on-site execution, ensuring partners’ activations, signage, HEQ, TTC, branding, hospitality, and experiential elements are delivered at a premium level.
• Troubleshoot and problem-solve in real time to maintain partner satisfaction and event success.
• Manage asset tracking, placement maps, and operational execution related to sponsorship deliverables.

Partner & Client Management

• Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for all partners, building long-term, trusted client relationships.
• Lead partner calls, manage communications, and deliver proactive updates and next steps.
• Ensure partner expectations are consistently met and exceeded across all events. 
• Develop comprehensive wrap reports and post-event recaps that capture performance metrics, deliverables completed, and ROI insights.

Sales & Business Development Support

• Support the VP in identifying new activation opportunities across categories and festival markets.
• Collaborate on sales materials, proposal decks, and category positioning.
• Provide market insights and activation concepts that drive new business.

Internal Collaboration & Leadership

• Collaborate with Operations, Creative, Marketing, Talent, Ticketing, and Production teams to ensure seamless activation integration.
• Communicate timelines, specs, and partner expectations clearly across internal stakeholders.
• Lead cross-functional pre-event meetings, ensuring all teams are aligned on partnership requirements.
• Travel to festival markets to oversee on-site activations, host partners, and guide internal teams on sponsorship delivery.

Process, Reporting & Department Operations

• Maintain updated records, internal trackers, and fulfillment documentation.
• Manage invoicing milestones, partner payment schedules, and contract term compliance.
• Contribute to department playbooks, activation SOPs, and best-practice improvements.
• Support coordinator-level team members by delegating tasks, reviewing materials, and providing coaching.

QUALIFICATION:

• 3–5+ years of experience in sponsorship activation, brand partnerships, experiential marketing, and/or live event production.
• Strong client management and communication skills with the ability to lead high-value partner relationships.
• Proven track record executing sponsorship activations at festivals, live events, sports, or large-scale productions.
• Experience with event concessions as related to brand partnerships is a plus.
• Excellent organizational and project management abilities with sharp attention to detail.
• Ability to thrive in fast-paced, on-site event environments and remain calm under pressure.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Office Suite and CRM platforms.
• Ability to lift at least 50 pounds and stand for extended periods of time. 
• Travel to 12+ festivals and events per year with approximately 5 days on-si

• Flexible work environment (Monday & Friday – WFH, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday – In Office)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401K plan with employer matching
• Paid Vacation Plans
• Select festival attendance
• Growth opportunities