Brand Partnerships Manager

Wawa, Inc

United States

On-site

USD 110,000 - 165,000

Full time

12 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Tuition Reimbursement

401(k) Plan

Medical/Dental/Prescription Coverage

Flexible Spending Accounts

Employee Assistance & Wellness Program

Employee Credit Union

Paid Time Off

Employee Resource Groups

Job summary

Wawa, Inc. is seeking a Brand Partnerships Manager to oversee partnerships, sponsorships, activations, influencer marketing, and talent engagement.

This role builds the strategy for how Wawa appears in fandoms and cultural moments, translating it into partnerships and experiences that enhance brand relevance and customer connection. You will lead the Influencer Marketing Lead and Sponsorships and Activations Lead, providing strategic direction and ensuring programs work together as a unified

Qualifications

BA or BS degree in Marketing preferred, MBA/MS a plus
Ten or more years of experience in brand partnerships, sponsorships, experiential marketing, influencer marketing, or entertainment marketing
Strong digital background with experience in social media and content platforms
Prior supervisory experience
Proficiency in MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint
Experience leading an influencer marketing, partnerships, and/or social media team

Responsibilities

Develop and lead brand partnerships, sponsorships, activations, influencer marketing, celebrity and talent relationships
Define how Wawa should show up in key customer passions and fandoms
Identify opportunities with brands, entertainment properties, sports organizations, celebrities, and creators
Lead partnership negotiations and deal development with internal stakeholders
Shape the consumer story, creative vision, and activation strategy for partnerships
Oversee the Influencer Marketing Lead and the Sponsorships and Activations Lead
Connect partnership efforts into cohesive programs and manage budget and vendor relationships
Provide leadership and development to direct reports and establish clear KPIs

Skills

Strategic leadership

Partnership development

Negotiation

Team management

Marketing strategy

Education

BA or BS in Marketing

MBA/MS a plus

Tools

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Sprout

Captiv8

Job description

Job Title: Brand Partnerships Manager Location: Corporate Department: Marketing

Job Summary

The Brand Partnerships Manager will oversee Wawa’s approach to partnerships, sponsorships, activations, influencer marketing, and talent engagement. This role will build the strategy for how Wawa shows up in the fandoms, cultural moments, and passion points that matter most to its customers, translating that strategy into partnerships and experiences that build brand relevance, deepen customer connection, and support business priorities. The Brand Partnerships Manager will oversee the Influencer Marketing Lead and the Sponsorships and Activations Lead, providing strategic direction and ensuring all programs work together as one connected brand platform.

Principal Duties

Develop and lead Wawa’s overarching strategy across brand partnerships, sponsorships, activations, influencer marketing, celebrity and talent relationships, and culturally relevant brand experiences. Define how Wawa should show up in key customer passion points and fandoms, including sports, music, entertainment, food, fashion, family, and community. Identify the cultural spaces where Wawa has the greatest opportunity to participate credibly, create value for fans, and strengthen brand affinity. Serve as the business development lead for third-party brand, entertainment, celebrity, athlete, talent, and property partnerships supporting Wawa’s brand and business priorities. Identify and pursue new opportunities with brands, entertainment properties, sports organizations, celebrities, athletes, creators, and other culturally relevant partners. Develop and pitch compelling partnership concepts that clearly articulate the shared vision, consumer opportunity, and value for both Wawa and the partner. Lead partnership negotiations and deal development in collaboration with Legal, Finance, Procurement, and other internal stakeholders. Shape the consumer story, creative vision, and activation strategy for partnerships, ensuring each program feels authentic to Wawa and meaningful to the partner’s audience. Oversee the Influencer Marketing Lead, providing strategic direction for creator relationships, talent engagement, gifting and seeding, campaign amplification, and real-time cultural opportunities. Oversee the Sponsorships and Activations Lead, guiding Wawa’s sponsorship portfolio and the development of distinctive experiences that bring the brand to life. Connect Wawa’s partnership, sponsorship, activation, and influencer efforts into cohesive programs rather than individual or disconnected executions. Provide leadership, coaching, and development to direct reports while establishing clear priorities, roles, expectations, and measures of success. Manage the overall brand partnerships, sponsorships, activations, and influencer marketing budget, including partner fees, agency costs, production expenses, forecasting, and reconciliation. Establish clear success measures and evaluate performance against brand relevance, reach, engagement, customer affinity, loyalty, traffic, and business objectives. Maintain a pipeline of partnership and activation opportunities informed by cultural trends, audience insights, entertainment releases, sports moments, and emerging consumer interests.

Essential Functions

Demonstrated experience building strategies rooted in consumer passions, fandoms, and cultural insights. Experience negotiating and structuring complex, multimillion-dollar partnership, sponsorship, talent, or media deals Strong understanding of how partnerships, sponsorships, influencer marketing, and experiences work together across paid, owned, earned, social, loyalty, digital, and retail channels. Strong business judgment and negotiation skills, with the ability to balance cultural relevance, creative ambition, brand fit, and value. Experience leading and developing team members across related but distinct marketing disciplines. Excellent leadership and problem-solving skills Excellent presentation skills Analyze information and effectively propose solutions Handle multiple priorities simultaneously Work independently as well as in a team environment Establish and maintain a working environment conducive to positive morale, individual style, quality, creativity, and teamwork. Organize, plan and manage projects in a timely and efficient manner Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams Willingness to lead as well as be hands-on with project deliverables Very high attention to detail

Basic Qualifications

BA or BS degree in Marketing preferred, MBA/MS a plus Ten or more years of experience in brand partnerships, sponsorships, experiential marketing, influencer marketing, or entertainment marketing
Strong digital background with experience in social media and content platforms
Prior supervisory experience
Prior experience leading an influencer marketing, partnerships, and/or social media team
Computer skills include MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint
Proficiency in social media tool such as Sprout, Captiv8, etc.

Wawa will provide reasonable accommodation to complete an application upon request, consistent with applicable law. If you require an accommodation, please contact our Associate Service Center at asc@wawa.com.

Wawa, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Wawa maintains a work environment in which Associates are treated fairly and with respect and in which discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. In accordance with federal, state and local laws, we recruit, hire, promote and evaluate all applicants and Associates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, familial status, marital status, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity or expression, citizenship status, disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Unlawful discrimination will not be a factor in any employment decision.

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Here at Wawa, the sky's the limit. Voted as “America’s Favorite Convenience Store,” Wawa operates a chain of convenience retail stores located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina and Washington D.C. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for fresh, built-to-order foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services, and surcharge-free ATMs. We're making every day a little more fulfilling—one smile, hoagie, and experience at a time. We know that it's our Associates who put the "wow" in working at Wawa, so we're invested in giving them the encouragement they need to take flight. By providing flexibility and support, at work and beyond, we create an environment where everyone can thrive. We believe that with the right ingredients to grow and build a career—and a little wind beneath the wings—our Associates can reach new heights. Guided by our commitment to community, Wawa Associates take pride in putting people first, making days brighter, and bringing joy to our friends and neighbors. With opportunities such as volunteering, charitable giving, and events, we're able to extend care beyond the workplace, building stronger neighborhoods and long-lasting relationships.