Strategic Partnerships Lead II

At Carhartt, the values of hard work—dependability, honesty, and trust—are rooted in the legacy of our founder, Hamilton Carhartt. His commitment to serving hardworking people continues to inspire everything we do. Guided by his legacy and our mission—We serve and protect all hardworking people by building durable products—we remain dedicated to upholding these principles in every decision we make and every product we create.

About the role

The Strategic Partnerships Lead II leads Carhartt’s Partnerships Marketing, balancing brand objectives, partnership strategies, and critical business initiatives. This role manages work with cross-functional departments and agencies to ensure the successful execution of partnership programs. The Lead contributes to partnership strategy, oversees partner relationship management, leads event planning, and ensures detailed results reporting and process improvement. This position plays a key role in shaping the direction of partnership initiatives and driving measurable brand growth.

Responsibilities

• Contributes to the development of partnership strategies and leads execution aligned with brand and business objectives.
• Owns relationships with key sponsorship partners and agencies, ensuring high-impact program delivery and on-site event execution.
• Tracks and manages the planning and allocation of budgets for partnership programs, ensuring fiscal responsibility.
• Leads negotiations on long-term partner deals to ensure the brand is represented to meet business needs.
• Collaborates with the brand team to integrate partnerships into seasonal campaigns, bringing new consumers and a broader reach.
• Identifies process improvements and implements best practices across the partnership team to enhance productivity and efficiency.
• Represents Carhartt at national and strategic partnership events, acting as a brand ambassador.
• Serves as the primary escalation point for partnership issues, resolving conflicts and ensuring partner satisfaction.
• Collaborates with Retail Brand Managers and other internal stakeholders to maximize the impact of partnership programs on sales and brand awareness.
• Leads the development of creative briefs and manages the creative process in partnership with Brand Creative teams.
• Develops partnership performance reports, including key metrics, insights, and recommendations for optimization.
• Supports the integration of partnership activities with D2C, Public Relations, Social Media, Advertising, and Internal Communications.
• Executes partnership initiatives and activations designed to support retail store traffic and brand engagement.
• Fulfills ticket requests for local and national events.
• Ensures compliance with company policies, core values, and legal requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of marketing experience within a branded product or consumer-focused environment.
• Proven experience developing and executing partnership strategies at a national level.
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams.
• Strong track record of managing complex projects and delivering results under tight deadlines.
• Apparel, retail, or consumer products industry experience preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with experience presenting to leadership.
• Advanced relationship management skills with agencies, partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Outstanding organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize and delegate effectively.
• Strategic thinker with a passion for consumer engagement and brand building.
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint/Keynote, Word, and project management tools.

Schedule

• Hybrid location: Associate will work on-site regularly as needed for work activities.
• Willing to work some evenings and weekends if necessary.
• National travel required (up to 30%).

Physical Requirements

Typical office environment; extended periods of time sitting, standing, and typing on a computer are required.