Manager, Brand Activation & Events

New Era Cap, LLC. is an international lifestyle brand headquartered in Buffalo, NY with an authentic sports heritage that dates back over 100 years. Best known for being the official on-field cap for MLB, official sideline cap for NFL, and official on-court cap for NBA, New Era Cap is the brand of choice not only for its headwear collection, but also for its accessories and apparel lines for men, women and youth. The brand is worn as a symbol of self-expression by athletes, artists and some of the most interesting people around the globe. New Era Cap encourages people to truly express their personal style and individuality through its products.

Since 1920, this family-owned business has hired employees who are masters of their craft. We are innovators, architects of culture, experts, and forward thinkers. We demand excellence because we pride ourselves on the quality of our products and the authenticity of our brand.

Interested in working with us? Check out this exciting opportunity at New Era Cap's Headquarters (HQ) building located in downtown Buffalo, NY. This role is 100% on-site, encouraging employees to collaborate and connect in person five days a week. HQ offers an inviting atmosphere, complete with an on-site cafe, fitness center, and Flagship store.

Apply to join New Era's team!

The Manager, Brand Activation & Events is responsible for the planning, execution, and on-site leadership of New Era's events and brand activations across league partnerships, retail environments, and internal initiatives.

This role is highly executional and detail-oriented, serving as a lead project management and operations resource across multiple events throughout the year. The ideal candidate is organized, proactive, and thrives in fast-paced environments, with a strong ability to manage timelines, oversee vendors, lead on-site execution, and independently run projects from concept through completion. This role requires a high level of flexibility and a willingness to travel frequently, acting as a key on-site operator across event setups, live operations, and teardowns.

This position works closely with internal stakeholders and cross-functional teams to bring activations to life while maintaining a high standard of brand presentation, operational excellence, and overall event experience. The ideal candidate will also bring a creative eye for internal and culture-driven events, helping elevate how New Era shows up across both consumer-facing and internal moments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and execution of a wide range of events and activations, including league tentpoles (Super Bowl, Draft, All-Star), retail pop-ups, tradeshows, and internal events
• Own project timelines, deliverables, and cross-functional coordination to ensure projects remain on track from concept through execution
• Partner with internal teams (Marketing, Sales, E-commerce, Creative Services, Merchandising) to align on product, creative, and operational needs across events and activations
• Manage relationships with external vendors and partners (production, fabrication, creative, logistics), ensuring timelines, budgets, and brand expectations are met
• Oversee the production process from concept approvals through fabrication, delivery, installation, and on-site execution
• Manage project details including budgets, timelines, orders, staffing, shipping, and logistics across multiple concurrent projects
• Serve as a lead on-site operator across events, overseeing setup, live operations, troubleshooting, and teardown to ensure seamless execution from start to finish
• Travel frequently to support event execution, often acting as a primary point of contact on-site for vendors, partners, staffing teams, and operational needs
• Lead real-time decision making and problem solving in fast-paced live event environments
• Maintain organized documentation across projects (run of show, recaps, contact lists, production trackers, budgets, etc.)
• Develop presentation materials, project recaps, and internal communications as needed
• Support the planning and execution of internal events (e.g., sales meetings, company events, holiday party), contributing to overall experience, flow, and presentation
• Bring a creative and experiential mindset to internal-facing events, helping elevate the overall environment and employee experience
• Help drive process improvement and build more consistent workflows, systems, and best practices across events and activations
• Assist with other departmental projects as needed
• Keep all sensitive matters confidential
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong organizational and project management skills with exceptional attention to detail
• Experience acting as a point-person at installations, partnering with vendors and external partners to execute projects within retail, event, and tradeshow environments
• Ability to independently manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt quickly to changing priorities and timelines
• Effective communicator who can collaborate across internal teams, external partners, and leadership groups
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with a strong sense of urgency and accountability
• Strong on-site presence and ability to lead effectively in live event environments under pressure
• Solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to troubleshoot issues in real time and provide creative, efficient solutions
• Creative eye for event environments, visual presentation, and overall guest experience, particularly for internal and culture-driven events
• Team-first mentality with a willingness to support across multiple projects and event workstreams
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently and work non-traditional hours, including nights and weekends, as required by event schedules
• Knowledge of print production, fabrication methods, and materials commonly used in creative retail and experiential production
• Strong attention to detail with experience in visual merchandising, fixturing, and product presentation across multiple environments
• Experience with space planning and event layouts preferred
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) preferred
• Experience in SketchUp a plus

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Visual Merchandising or related field preferred; additional experience in lieu of degree considered
• Five (5) to seven (7) years of relevant experience in events, experiential marketing, retail activation, production, or agency environment
• Experience managing large-scale events, retail activations, or experiential projects from planning through on-site execution preferred
• Background working within sports, lifestyle, fashion, or consumer brands a plus

Travel Requirement

• The location for this position is 100% on-site in Buffalo, NY
• Up to 50%, including nights, weekends, and occasional international travel as required by event schedules

The salary range for this posted position is $ $70,000 - $90,000 (plus bonus & benefits) and pertains to candidates located in Western New York. Actual compensation will fall within this range and is determined by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, education, essential job duties and requirements, and necessary experience.

Our casual work environment celebrates individuality and encourages employees to showcase their personal style. We pride ourselves on offering competitive compensation, a generous PTO policy, along with world-class benefits designed to promote health, financial stability, and personal growth.

As an employee, you'll enjoy a range of perks, including paid parking, exclusive discounts on apparel and headwear, and professional development opportunities right here on-site. We can't wait for you to experience all that our dynamic workplace has to offer!

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