Sr. Director, Activation
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MGA Entertainment is on a mission to inspire imagination and creativity through innovative toys, entertainment, and experiences that transform play into limitless possibilities. As the largest privately held toy and entertainment company in the U.S., MGA is a global leader in designing and delivering world-class consumer products that spark wonder and drive play forward. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices worldwide, MGA’s portfolio spans a dynamic range of original and licensed brands — from toys, dolls, games, and electronics to fashion, home décor, and entertainment content including hit movies and TV series. The company is recognized for its bold approach to storytelling, trendsetting design, and deep commitment to quality. The award-winning MGA family includes fan-favorite brands such as L.O.L. Surprise!™, Little Tikes®, Rainbow High™, Bratz®, MGA’s Miniverse™, Yummiland™, CarTuned™, Wonder Factory™, BABY born®, and Zapf Creation®. To learn more, visit www.mgae.com and follow MGA on LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
Role Overview:
The Senior Director, Activation leads the development and execution of 360° marketing campaigns that build brand love, drive retail demand, and deliver breakthrough consumer experiences. This role oversees the North America marketing strategy and execution across media, social, influencer, experiential, and retail activations for a portfolio of brands within a specific Brand Team.
Working closely with Franchise, Planning, and Creative partners, this leader ensures that every consumer-facing expression is insight-driven, channel-optimized, and culturally relevant. The ideal candidate blends strategic leadership with executional excellence—and brings a collaborative, entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for marketing innovation, including the use of AI tools to boost creative impact, planning efficiency, and campaign performance.
Key Responsibilities:
Integrated Campaign Leadership
• Lead the strategic development and execution of integrated marketing campaigns across media, social, influencer, experiential, and retail channels.
• Own North America marketing plans and activation calendars that drive brand objectives, product launches, and seasonal priorities.
• Develop and oversee 360° briefs that align cross-functional teams, inspire creative excellence, and deliver cohesive brand experiences.
Team & Cross-Functional Leadership
• Manage and mentor a team of activation managers and associates; oversee team resourcing, growth planning, and performance development.
• Collaborate closely with Franchise (brand strategy) and Planning (product & retail strategy) functions to ensure campaigns are grounded in insights and business goals.
• Partner with Creative and external agencies to bring campaign ideas to life across all consumer touchpoints.
Media, Social & Influencer Strategy
• Guide the media strategy and investment planning process—partnering with internal teams or media agencies to optimize spend and performance.
• Lead the social strategy in partnership with brand managers and social leads, ensuring platform-appropriate content and consistent brand voice.
• Oversee influencer marketing and content partnerships that drive cultural relevance and consumer trust.
Retail & Experiential Activation
• Collaborate with Sales and Retail Marketing teams to support retail sell-through via shopper marketing, in-store merchandising, and omni-channel promotions.
• Concept and lead experiential marketing programs, trade shows, and live events that build fandom and brand engagement.
Performance, AI, & Innovation
• Build and maintain dashboards and campaign recaps that track KPIs, learnings, and optimizations.
• Explore and implement AI-powered tools for content ideation, reporting, workflow management, and trend forecasting.
• Stay current on cultural, consumer, and platform trends to continuously evolve brand activation strategies.
Qualifications:
• 10+ years of experience in consumer marketing, brand activation, or integrated campaign management—ideally within toys, entertainment, lifestyle, or youth-focused industries.
• Proven track record of leading high-impact campaigns across media, social, influencer, experiential, and retail.
• Experience managing teams and agencies, with strong project leadership and creative problem-solving skills.
• Strategic thinker with a performance mindset—able to connect brand building to business outcomes.
• Deep understanding of consumer trends, pop culture, youth behavior, and channel best practices.
• Strong presentation and communication skills; adept at influencing across stakeholders and functions.
Additional Qualifications:
• Experience with omnichannel retail marketing, DTC campaigns, or live events.
• Background working with or inside creative/media agencies.
• Familiarity with AI tools for marketing ideation, content tagging, reporting automation, or productivity enhancement.
Salary:
$170,000.00 – $200,000.00 / year