AVP, Influencer, Communications + Cultural Strategy

amika; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

amika is seeking an AVP of influencer, communications and cultural strategy to architect and lead amika's influence ecosystem with creators, VIPs, stylists, media, and culture voices to elevate brand equity and trust.

This senior leader will define a modern, insight-led strategy connecting earned media, creator partnerships, events, and market execution into a cohesive influence engine, mentoring a six-person team and collaborating across functions.

Qualifications

• Senior leader with deep beauty/brand experience.
• Proven ability to architect influencer ecosystems across creators, media, and advocates.
• Strong commercial instincts and cultural fluency.
• Experience building and mentoring teams of six+.
• Expert in strategy development, storytelling, and measurement.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the influence strategy, roadmap, and playbooks.
• Build and scale a multi-tier advocacy ecosystem including VIPs, creators, and professionals.
• Lead earned storytelling, cultural relevance, and reputation management.
• Oversee campaigns across influencer, PR, earned media, and advocacy activations.
• Drive events and experiential programs for brand moments and partnerships.
• Provide direction to leadership and manage internal and external partnerships.
• Oversee measurement metrics including share of voice, engagement, and brand health.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Influencer marketing

Brand communications

Creator partnerships

Team leadership

Agency management

Job description

the job: AVP, influencer, communications + cultural strategy is a senior brand leadership role responsible for architecting and leading amika's influence ecosystem - spanning creators, VIPs, stylists, professional advocates, media, and cultural voices to drive brand equity, cultural relevance, earned authority, consumer trust, and measurable business impact.

This leader will define and scale a modern, insight-led communications, influence, and advocacy strategy that connects brand strategy, earned media, organic storytelling, paid influencer programming, creator partnerships, advocacy, cultural initiatives, events, and market execution into one cohesive influence engine. The ideal candidate is a strategic operator, cultural translator, and communications leader with deep beauty expertise, strong commercial instincts, a sophisticated understanding of the creator economy and paid influencer market, and the ability to build and mentor a high-performing team of six, manage complex agency partnerships, and develop playbooks that drive brand love, advocacy, demand, and growth.

location: Brooklyn, NY - 2 days a week onsite (must be based in + have the right to work in the US)

what you’ll do:

strategy & roadmap

• Architect and lead amika's influence ecosystem-spanning organic advocacy, earned media, brand storytelling, and paid influencer programming-to drive brand equity, cultural relevance, and measurable business impact.
• Define the annual communications, influencer, and advocacy roadmap, ensuring alignment to brand priorities, product launches, retail moments, professional initiatives, international market needs, and cultural opportunities.
• Continuously benchmark amika against leading beauty, hair care, and lifestyle brands to identify white space, emerging platforms, talent opportunities, cultural shifts, competitive threats, and new models of advocacy.

advocacy ecosystem & creator partnerships

• Build and evolve a multi-tiered advocacy ecosystem spanning VIP, macro, mid-tier, creator, stylist, micro, emerging, professional, and organic brand advocates.
• Translate beauty, haircare, fashion, entertainment, wellness, professional, and digital culture signals into actionable brand opportunities, storytelling territories, creator partnerships, and campaign ideas.
• Identify breakthrough cultural partnerships, creator-led campaigns, VIP moments, editorial opportunities, stylist advocacy programs, and experiential concepts that generate earned conversation and brand heat.

storytelling & cultural strategy

• Lead earned storytelling strategies that reinforce brand equity, deepen consumer trust, drive cultural relevance, and generate meaningful awareness, engagement, advocacy, and brand love.
• Serve as the senior internal authority on influence, communications, advocacy, earned storytelling, creator culture, cultural relevance, and reputation.
• Act as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on brand reputation, issues management, creator risk, corporate/product communications, competitive positioning, and cultural opportunities.

campaigns & execution

• Lead influencer, PR, earned media, and advocacy strategy across 360 go-to-market plans, from strategic development through activation, optimization, reporting, and post-campaign learnings.
• Own strategic leadership of paid influencer agency programming, including creator selection, briefing, content strategy, usage rights, approvals, and performance learnings. Coordinate with the paid media lead on investment strategy and channel amplification.
• Partner closely with social, integrated media, brand marketing, creative, professional marketing, international, retail marketing, and sales teams to ensure influence and communications strategies connect to broader brand and business priorities.

events & experiential

• Lead annual influencer, press, stylist, and advocacy event strategy, including tentpole activations, immersive brand experiences, launch moments, and always-on relationship-building programs.
• In partnership with brand management and cross-functional stakeholders, identify and negotiate larger-scale brand collaborations, cultural partnerships, and advocacy programs that fuel annual marketing plans.

leadership & standards

• Develop and maintain influencer, communications, and advocacy playbooks, including market prioritization, creator criteria, briefing standards, localization guardrails, KPI frameworks, agency ways of working, and brand safety guidelines.
• Provide strategic direction to international marketing leads and local agency partners on influencer identification, earned media strategy, cultural relevance, and market-specific activation while maintaining amika's brand DNA and community standards.

measurement & insights

• Oversee measurement and reporting across EMV, share of voice, sentiment, engagement quality, creator efficiency, earned reach, advocacy retention, launch impact, and brand health indicators.

crisis management & reputation

• Lead product, brand, and corporate cr