Fanatics · 1 week ago
Director, Talent & Influencer
United States
Full-time
Remote
Director/Executive
$143K/yr - $206K/yr
10+ years expFanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform, and they are seeking a Director of Talent & Influencer to own the strategy and development of their influencer ecosystem. This senior leadership role involves defining long-term talent strategy, managing partnerships, and building programs that drive brand relevance and customer acquisition.
eSportsManufacturingRetailSporting GoodsSports
Responsibilities
Define and lead the long-term influencer and talent strategy to drive brand awareness, cultural relevance, and sustained engagement
Establish best-in-class frameworks for talent selection, compensation models, and performance measurement
Serve as the internal subject-matter expert on the creator economy, talent marketing trends, and sports-culture relevance
Partner closely with Brand, Social and Creative teams to ensure integrated execution
Build and manage relationships with top-tier creators, athletes, streamers, agents, and talent managers across sports and entertainment
Negotiate and oversee complex contracts and long-term partnerships, ensuring alignment with brand values, regulatory requirements, and ROI goals
Lead the influencer and talent function, with the opportunity to build and manage a high-performing team over time
Define KPIs and reporting frameworks to measure the business impact of influencer and talent initiatives
Own talent casting across campaigns, tentpole moments, and always-on programming, ensuring the right voices show up in the right moments across sports, culture, and entertainment
Balance paid partnerships with earned creator influence, recognizing when authenticity, cultural relevance, or organic momentum matter more than scale
Identify emerging creators and cultural signals early, building proactive relationships ahead of major moments
Develop flexible talent rosters and partnership models that can scale quickly across markets, leagues, and seasons
Maintain brand integrity, consistency, and risk management across all influencer and talent activations
Qualification
Required
10+ years of experience in influencer marketing, talent management, brand partnerships, or related roles, preferably within sports, entertainment, or regulated industries
Proven success leading large-scale influencer and talent programs with measurable business impact
Deep, established network of creators, athletes, agents, and talent partners across sports and entertainment
Deep understanding of social platforms, creator economics, and cultural trends
Strong point of view on talent selection and casting with demonstrated ability to match creators and talent to brand moments, audiences, and platforms
Experience operating in environments where speed, cultural relevance, and risk management must coexist
Strong strategic thinking combined with hands-on execution in fast-paced, high-growth environments
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence senior stakeholders
Open to regular travel to events and other Fanatics offices for various offsite and team meetings
Company
Fanatics
Fanatics is a sports merchandise retailer that manufactures fan gear and jerseys across retail channels. It is a sub-organization of Kynetic.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$4.9BKey Investors
Clearlake Capital GroupNational Football LeagueAlameda Research
2022-12-06Private Equity· $700M
2022-03-02Private Equity· $1.5B
2022-01-01Series Unknown· $10M
Leadership Team
J
Joseph Bozich
Advisor to Chief Executive Officer
Michael Mahan
CEO
Recent News
Sports Business Journal
2026-01-23
Sports Business Journal
2026-01-23
Company data provided by crunchbase