Activation Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Operational owner of the mobile marketing campaign and client experience — from handoff through  closeout.

Role Summary

The Activation Manager owns the successful field execution of Lime Media’s mobile marketing campaigns, serving as

the operational and client-experience lead from activation readiness through campaign completion. This role transforms

project plans into exceptional in-market experiences by connecting the client, Project Management, Sales,

Operations/Fleet, Tour Managers, vendors, and field teams.

More than a logistics role, the Activation Manager is the steward of the campaign once it enters the field—protecting

client intent, brand presentation, operational readiness, and quality of execution while anticipating risk, solving problems,

and communicating clearly across teams. The role requires the judgment to understand not only what needs to happen

next, but how field decisions affect the client relationship, scope, cost, margin, and future business.

Core Accountabilities

• Client and Campaign Stewardship — Understand the client’s objectives, activation plan, success measures, brand expectations, and key sensitivities; translate them into clear field requirements and protect that intent throughout execution.
• Mobile Activation Execution — Own day-to-day execution of touring and mobile campaigns, including activation schedules, travel, site readiness, routing coordination, permits, vendors, asset presentation, field logistics, and closeout.
• Cross-Functional Leadership — Serve as the connective tissue among Sales, Project Management, Operations/Fleet, Shop, Tour Managers, vendors, and the client. Participate actively in handoffs, kickoffs, readiness reviews, and problem-solving.
• Field Experience & Brand Quality — Ensure the activation shows up in market as sold: clean, safe, on-brand, operationally ready, and prepared to deliver the intended consumer experience. Coordinate corrective action when conditions fall short.
• Proactive Communication and Problem Solving — Anticipate issues, surface risks early, develop options, make sound field decisions within authority, and own issues through resolution rather than simply reporting them.
• Commercial Awareness — Manage assigned budgets, forecasts, vendor spend, scope, and change impacts with an understanding of how in-market decisions affect margin, client satisfaction, and future opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Own assigned programs from operational handoff through final activation, return, reconciliation, and lessons learned.
• Lead pre-activation planning and Gate 5/readiness activities; confirm that asset, staffing, travel, routing, permitting, site, vendor, reporting, and client requirements are ready for launch.
• Act as the primary operational client partner during active campaigns, providing timely, accurate, solution-oriented updates and creating confidence in Lime’s execution.
• Build strong working relationships with Tour Managers and field teams; set clear expectations, maintain communication channels, and ensure they have the information and support required to succeed.
• Coordinate travel and lodging needs for field personnel and support site visits, market reconnaissance, content/guerrilla days, and other campaign-specific field requirements.
• Monitor asset condition and brand presentation throughout the campaign; coordinate washes, vinyl repairs, fabrication fixes, local vendors, or other in-market corrective work as needed and within defined approval authority. 
• Partner with Fleet/Operations on mechanical issues and asset movement; maintain a single, current understanding of vehicle status, location, restrictions, and recovery plans.
• Maintain visibility to campaign budget, contingency usage, vendor spend, scope changes, and potential change orders; escalate material financial impacts appropriately.
• Ensure field reporting, photos, client updates, incident documentation, and activation recaps are complete, accurate, and shared with the appropriate teams.
• Capture lessons learned and recurring patterns, and recommend process improvements that strengthen future activation readiness and client experience.
• Coach and hold field partners accountable to Lime standards while modeling composure, judgment, curiosity, ownership, and a solutions-first mindset.
• Travel to markets as required and support nontraditional hours when campaign execution demands it.

Success Looks Like

• The client experiences one coordinated Lime team, not departmental handoffs.
• The activation is ready, on-brand, and operational when and where promised.
• Risks are identified before they become client surprises.
• Tour Managers and field teams know the plan, decision path, and escalation contacts.
• Field issues are resolved with urgency, sound judgment, and appropriate cost/scope awareness.
• Internal partners receive accurate information quickly enough to make good decisions.
• Each campaign closes with clean documentation, actionable learning, and stronger client confidence.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of experience in experiential marketing, mobile marketing, account management, field operations, live events, tour management, or related program delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex programs involving multiple stakeholders, vendors, field teams, changing schedules, and competing priorities.
• Strong client-facing communication and executive presence; able to deliver clear updates and recommendations in high-pressure situations.
• Working knowledge of budgets, vendor management, scope, schedules, change control, and basic financial implications of operational decisions.
• Strong organizational and technology skills, including Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, etc.), project trackers, and field-reporting tools.
• Ability to travel and work nontraditional hours based on campaign needs.

Preferred Experience

• Mobile marketing tours, experiential activations, out-of-home or brand experience programs.
• Distributed field teams, Tour Managers, drivers, or brand ambassadors.
• Fleet/DOT/logistics environments, permitting, routing, and site operations.
• Turning ambiguous or rapidly changing field conditions into a clear, executable plan.

Core Competencies

Client and executive presence • Campaign ownership • Solution orientation • Anticipation and contingency thinking •

Program planning • Cross-functional influence • Financial and scope awareness • Clear communication • Composure

under pressure • Field operations and asset literacy • Curiosity and continuous learning • Sound judgment

Our Hiring Process

We're committed to a fair, consistent, and efficient experience for every candidate. Here's what to expect:

1. Application Review — We assess alignment with the role's qualifications and requirements.
2. Job-Related Assessment (Required) — Candidates who move forward complete a video-based behavioral assessment and role-relevant questions. This step helps us make interviews sharper and more meaningful for everyone.
3. Recruiter Screening — A phone or virtual conversation to explore experience, skills, and fit.
4. Hiring Manager & Team Interviews — Meetings with the hiring manager and key stakeholders, virtually or in person.
5. Final Steps — Top candidates may have additional conversations before an offer decision.

We provide timely communication throughout and encourage questions at any stage.