Manager, Creator Strategy & Partnerships

Company description Recognized as Social Media/Influencer Agency of the Year, and as the annual partner for Forbes Top Creators List, Influential sits at the center of culture and the creator economy. Through our platform Captiv8, the industry’s #1 ranked influencer marketing platform, we combine deep API integrations, advanced AI, and machine learning with human expertise to connect brands with a network of more than 15 million creators worldwide. Our work powers award-winning campaigns across Meta, Snap, TikTok, YouTube, and more, partnering with Fortune 500 companies and global organizations to deliver impact across retail foot traffic, in-store sales, online conversions, and TV tune-in. At Influential, you’ll work with a fast-moving, high-performance team solving complex problems and shaping the future of marketing. You’ll build, grow, and make an impact alongside top talent, leading brands, and the world’s most influential creators. Ready to join us? Overview The Manager Creator Strategy & Partnerships is a senior role responsible for owning creator strategy, quality, and thought leadership across a dedicated “creator pod.” This individual acts as the strategic and operational backbone of creator indentification—ensuring that every talent recommendation is insight and data driven, culturally relevant, and aligned to client objectives. This role elevates creator strategy from a sourcing function to a high-impact, consultative discipline—bringing rigor, storytelling, and market intelligence into the campaign lifecycle. Managers are accountable for the quality of all creator outputs within their pod, while also serving as a key partner to Sales, Client Management, Creative Strategy, Creator Management and Campaign teams. Responsibilities Pod Leadership & Quality Control Own the vision, standards, and quality control for all creator strategy outputs within assigned pod Oversee and QA all creator lists, ensuring strategic alignment, cultural relevance, and executional excellence Lead workload distribution and prioritization across pod to maximize efficiency and output quality Maintain a high bar for precision and service excellence, ensuring all deliverables are client-ready Serve as the primary point of contact (POC) for assigned talent agencies and key external partners Strategic Talent Development Translate client briefs into clear, insight-driven creator strategies Guide talent selection through a full-funnel lens (awareness → conversion), incorporating platform data, agency input, and cultural trends Provide strong rationale and storytelling behind every talent recommendation—not just lists of names Lead sourcing for celebrity, VIP, and high-profile talent within the pod Ensure all creator recommendations reflect current cultural moments, emerging talent, and platform-native behavior Pre-Sale Strategy & Pitch Leadership Elevate pre-sale creator strategy across RFPs and proactive pitches Contribute to high-quality proxy lists and narrative development during pre-sale Shape the “why this creator” story to improve client confidence and approval rates Identify and package exclusive or differentiated talent opportunities to support new business efforts Post-Sale Execution & Optimization Ensure all campaign talent strategies are executed with consistency, quality, and speed Oversee that creator lists leverage platform insights, historical performance, and agency relationships Track and analyze talent approvals (R1), feedback, and performance signals across the pod Drive continuous improvement by applying learnings from past talent selects and client feedback into future strategy Proactive Opportunities & Thought Leadership Own and develop proactive creator opportunities within assigned agencies and brands Surface emerging talent, cultural trends, and whitespace opportunities to Sales and clients Position the team as a trusted authority on the creator economy, both internally and externally Continuously bring forward-thinking id...