Who We Are
Why Authentic
You’ll be able to access the resources and scale, while leveraging innovative technology and nimble environment. What we’re saying is, this isn’t your average day job. If you’re hungry to drive ideas into action and own your career, let’s chat. Our team is rapidly innovating to evolve and define the future of our brands. With the help of some of the brightest minds in retail, marketing, licensing, legal and more, we are building the intersection of digital and experiential marketing to help achieve that mission. We reimagine, evolve and transform brands! At Authentic, we foster an inclusive workplace where diversity of thought and expertise drive competitive advantage. Our global teams are built by go-getters who contribute unique perspectives and push the boundaries of creativity and innovation. Headquartered in New York City, Authentic has offices in major metropolitan cities including Los Angeles and Miami, as well as Toronto, Mexico City, London, and Shanghai.
The Director, Talent Marketing (Sports & Athletes) will lead the development and execution of athlete-driven marketing strategies across Authentic Brands Group’s global portfolio. As part of the centralized Talent & Influencer Marketing function, this role will be responsible for leveraging athletes and sports talent as a core marketing channel to drive cultural relevance, brand storytelling, and measurable business growth.
This individual will translate brand and product priorities into impactful marketing campaigns powered by athlete talent—overseeing creative, content, and distribution strategies across paid, owned, and earned channels. The Director will serve as a key cross-functional marketing leader, partnering closely with brand marketing, PR, social, and regional teams to bring campaigns to life at scale. The role reports into the VP of Talent & Influencer Marketing.
What you’ll be working on
Marketing Strategy & Campaign Development
- Lead athlete-driven marketing strategies across ABG’s portfolio, aligning talent to seasonal campaigns, product launches, and key cultural moments
- Translate brand objectives into integrated marketing plans powered by athlete talent
- Develop campaign frameworks that drive full-funnel impact—from awareness to conversion
Content & Creative Leadership
- Oversee the development of athlete-led content across campaigns, including shoots, social content, and brand storytelling
- Partner with creative and brand teams to shape narratives that resonate culturally and elevate brand positioning
- Ensure all talent content is optimized for performance across platforms (social, digital, retail, ecomm)
Campaign Execution & Channel Integration
- Lead execution of athlete marketing campaigns across paid, owned, and earned channels
- Partner with paid media, social, and PR teams to maximize reach, engagement, and conversion
- Ensure seamless integration of athlete talent into broader marketing ecosystems (retail moments, events, brand activations)
Talent Strategy
- Identify and recommend athletes who align with brand positioning, audience targets, and campaign objectives
- Build a strategic roster of athletes to support ongoing marketing needs (ambassadors, campaign talent, cultural moments)
- Partner with internal teams to ensure talent is leveraged effectively across all marketing touchpoints
Cross-Functional & Global Collaboration
- Collaborate with global and regional marketing teams (EMEA, LATAM, APAC) to scale campaigns and localize athlete-driven content
- Act as a central connector across brand, PR, social, and events teams to ensure cohesive campaign execution
- Align talent marketing efforts with broader business and retail priorities
Performance & Optimization
- Define and track campaign success metrics, including engagement, impressions, traffic, and sales impact
- Analyze performance and optimize talent-driven marketing strategies based on data and insights
- Develop executive-level recaps highlighting marketing impact and ROI
Leadership & Team Development
- Mentor and manage junior team members, fostering a marketing-first mindset
- Establish best practices for athlete-driven marketing across the organization
- Drive operational excellence across campaign planning, execution, and reporting
- 7–10+ years of experience in marketing, talent marketing, sports marketing, or influencer marketing
- Proven experience developing and executing integrated marketing campaigns
- Strong understanding of how talent (athletes/celebrities/influencers) drives brand marketing and consumer engagement
- Experience working across content, social, PR, and paid media channels
- Strong analytical mindset with the ability to tie marketing efforts to business outcomes
- Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing senior stakeholders
- Excellent communication, leadership, and presentation skills
- Passion for sports, culture, and modern marketing
Primary Location Salary Range: $125,000 - $140,000
Fraud Alert: Unauthorized Job Offers and Impersonations
We have been made aware of fraudulent job offers and interview requests being sent by individuals falsely claiming to represent Authentic. These scams are often initiated via email, employment websites and social media, and may include fake interview requests, offer letters or attempts to collect personal and financial information.
Please note:
- All legitimate Authentic job postings can be found only on our official website (authentic.com) or through our verified LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/company/weareauthentic).
- Authentic does not conduct interviews over Teams or Zoom without prior email correspondence from a verified @authentic.com email address.
- We will never ask you for sensitive personal information, payment or banking details as part of the hiring process.
If you believe you've been contacted by someone impersonating an Authentic team member, please report it immediately by emailing [email protected].
Authentic is an equal-opportunity employer and we value and embrace the diversity and inclusion of all Team Members. We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, national origin, disability, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or other legally protected status.
For individuals with disabilities or religious obligations who would like to request an accommodation, please contact [email protected]
To access Authentic' s Privacy Policy, which contains information regarding data collected from job applicants and how we use it, please click here: https://authentic.com/pages/privacy-policy
Skills Required
- 7-10+ years of experience in talent partnerships, sports marketing, athlete relations, or influencer marketing
- Deep understanding of the sports landscape, including athlete representation, agencies, and deal structures
- Proven track record of securing and managing high-profile athlete partnerships and ambassador programs
- Strong negotiation experience and fluency in contracts, usage rights, and talent deal structures
- Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing senior stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple high-priority projects in a fast-paced environment
- Strong analytical mindset with experience tying talent efforts to business outcomes
- Excellent communication, leadership, and presentation skills
- Passion for sports, culture, and the evolving talent landscape
What We Do
Authentic Brands Group (ABG) is a brand development, marketing and entertainment company, which owns a portfolio of global media, entertainment and lifestyle brands. Headquartered in New York City, ABG elevates and builds the long-term value of more than 50 consumer brands and properties by partnering with best-in-class manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. Its brands have a global retail footprint across the luxury, specialty, department store, mid-tier, mass and e-commerce channels and in more than 6,100 freestanding stores and shop-in-shops around the world. ABG is committed to transforming brands by delivering compelling product, content, business and immersive experiences. It creates and activates original marketing strategies to drive the success of its brands across all consumer touchpoints, platforms and emerging media. ABG’s portfolio of iconic and world-renowned brands includes Marilyn Monroe®, Elvis Presley®, Muhammad Ali®, Shaquille O'Neal®, David Beckham®, Dr. J®, Greg Norman®, Neil Lane®, Thalia®, Sports Illustrated®, Reebok®, Eddie Bauer®, Spyder®, Volcom®, Airwalk®, Nautica®, Izod®, Forever 21®, Aéropostale®, Juicy Couture®, Vince Camuto®, Lucky Brand®, Nine West®, Jones New York®, Frederick's of Hollywood®, Adrienne Vittadini®, Van Heusen®, Arrow®, Tretorn®, Tapout®, Prince®, Vision Street Wear®, Brooks Brothers®, Barneys New York®, Judith Leiber®, Herve Leger®, Frye®, Hickey Freeman®, Hart Schaffner Marx®, Thomasville®, Drexel® and Henredon®. For more information, visit authenticbrands.com.
