Activation Manager

OSLRS; Toronto; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 100,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading retail services company in Toronto seeks an Activation Manager. You will manage agency relationships and oversee activation campaigns across digital, social, and retail channels. This role requires strong agency management, digital marketing knowledge, and project coordination skills. Ideal candidates will have significant experience in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, a proven track record of leading teams, and the ability to analyze campaign performance. Competitive salary and supportive workplace culture offered.

Benefits

Competitive base salary

3 weeks’ Vacation

Supportive workplace culture

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing external agencies and vendors.
• Strong understanding of paid media, social platforms, and influencer marketing.
• Skilled in coordinating multiple stakeholders and timelines.
• Ability to interpret agency reports and ensure data-driven decisions.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary liaison with creative, media, and activation agencies.
• Monitor paid media, social content, and influencer campaigns.
• Collaborate on content calendars, influencer partnerships, and community engagement.
• Work with agencies to deliver trial activations and ensure compliance.
• Coordinate on marketplace operations and ad optimization.

Skills

Agency Management Expertise

Digital Marketing Knowledge

Project Management

Analytical Skills

Leadership

Communication

Job description

Overview

At OSL Retail Services, we believe people are the heart of everything we do, and it is an exciting time to be part of something special! Our momentum is growing, and is fueled by innovation, collaboration, and a shared entrepreneurial spirit that drives real results. Founded in 2012 in Mississauga, Ontario, OSL delivers customized sales solutions in retail, direct sales, and customer acquisition, all built on a foundation of integrity, respect, and passion. Our culture thrives on connection, purpose, and growth. If you’re looking for a place where your talents are valued, your ideas matter, and your career can grow, we’d love to meet you.

The Position

The Activation Manager is responsible for managing agency relationships and ensuring flawless execution of activation campaigns within strategic guardrails set by leadership. This includes overseeing digital, social, experiential, and retail activations delivered by external partners, providing clear briefs, monitoring progress, and ensuring alignment with brand objectives. The role requires strong experience in agency collaboration, project management, and campaign optimization, with a preference for candidates who have worked in an agency environment.

CONTRACT: with possibility of full time upon completion.

What you’ll do

• Agency Partnership Management (Core Focus): Act as the primary liaison with creative, media, and activation agencies; set priorities, provide briefs, and ensure deliverables meet brand standards.
• Digital Activation Oversight: Monitor paid media, social content, influencer campaigns, and CRM execution managed by agencies; review performance and approve optimizations.
• Social media & Influencer Coordination: Collaborate with agencies on content calendars, influencer partnerships, and community engagement strategies.
• Experiential & Sponsorship Support: Work with agencies to deliver trial activations, tradeshows, and sponsorship activations; ensure logistics and compliance.
• Retail Media & POSM: Oversee agency-led POSM development and in-store placement strategies.
• E-Commerce & Amazon: Coordinate with agencies on marketplace operations and ad optimization.
• Reporting & Performance Analysis: Review agency reports, validate KPIs, and provide feedback for continuous improvement.

What you’ve done

• Agency Management Expertise (Required): Proven experience managing external agencies and vendors; ability to provide clear briefs, evaluate creative/media plans, and drive accountability.
• Digital Marketing Knowledge: Strong understanding of paid media, social platforms, influencer marketing, and CRM to guide agency execution.
• Preferred Background: Experience working in an agency environment or managing agency relationships from the client side.
• Project Management: Skilled in coordinating multiple stakeholders and timelines.
• Analytical Skills: Ability to interpret agency reports and ensure data-driven decisions.
• Industry Experience: Candidates must have substantial experience in the CPG industry or with Natural Health Products (NHPs). This includes familiarity with market trends, consumer behaviour, regulatory standards, and product lifecycle management in these sectors. Experience in launching new products, understanding the unique marketing needs of CPG. Experience in NHP or beverage industry is a plus.

Managerial & Interpersonal Skills

• Leadership: Proven ability to lead and inspire a team, setting high standards and achieving stretch goals.
• Global Engagement: Ability to collaborate effectively with global teams, aligning local strategies with global objectives.
• Communication: Excellent communication skills, capable of effectively articulating strategies and insights to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Problem-Solving: Strong problem-solving skills, with an innovative and creative approach to overcoming challenges.
• Agency Collaboration: Ability to manage and influence external agencies, ensuring alignment with brand objectives and timely delivery of activation plans. Preference for candidates with prior agency experience or strong understanding of agency dynamics.

What’s in it for you

• Competitive base salary $90K-100K
• 3 weeks’ Vacation
• A supportive workplace culture and work environment

The Interview Process

• Stage 1: If your profile is a match, we will invite you for a first conversation with the recruiter.
• Stage 2: The next step is a virtual conversation with the hiring manager.
• Stage 3: The final step is an in-person interview with the hiring manager and extended team members.

If this sounds like you and you’re excited to be a member of our team, please apply now.

We thank all interested applicants; however, only qualified candidates will be contacted. This position requires successful completion of a criminal background check.

Disclaimer: As part of our recruitment process, we utilize artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools to assist with certain stages, including initial resume screening and skills-matching assessments. These tools are designed to help our hiring team identify candidates whose experience and qualifications align closely with the requirements of the role. Please note that all final hiring decisions are made by our recruitment team. The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this job. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. In compliance with Ontario’s Bill 190, we confirm that this posting represents a current existing vacancy within our organization. Comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. In compliance with Ontario’s Bill 190, we confirm that this posting represents a current existing vacancy within our organization.