Director, Talent & Influencer
Fanatics
As Director, Talent & Influencer at Fanatics Betting & Gaming (FBG), you will own the strategy, development, and scale of FBG’s influencer, creator, and talent ecosystem. You will set the vision for how talent drives brand relevance, cultural impact, and customer acquisition across all major marketing moments.
Reporting to the VP, Brand Communications, this role is a senior leader within FBG Marketing, responsible for defining long-term talent strategy, managing high-impact partnerships, and building scalable programs that deliver measurable business results.
This is a ground-floor leadership role within a fast-moving, high-growth organization, responsible for building Fanatics Betting & Gaming’s talent engine from the ground up. You will define how creators/influencers, talent, and cultural voices are cast across campaigns and always-on programs, balancing paid partnerships with earned influence to drive relevance, credibility, and performance. Success in this role requires strong cultural instincts, sharp talent judgment, and the ability to move quickly within ambiguity.
The ideal candidate is part casting director, part cultural strategist, and part operator; someone who understands how talent drives culture, credibility, and business impact.
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.
Experience and Skills
- 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.
Salary range is listed in USD; ranges will change based on country and state of residence, which are reflected in Geographical Zones defined by Fanatics Betting and Gaming. *Salary Range: $143,000 to $206,000 (Salary range incorporates all of our Geographical Compensation Zones and is subject to change as the Zone associated with the actual Offer is confirmed). In addition to the base and bonus, full-time employment, and more. For information about our benefits, please visit https://benefitsatfanatics.com/
Launched in 2021, Fanatics Betting and Gaming is the online and retail sports betting subsidiary of Fanatics, a global digital sports platform. The Fanatics Sportsbook is available to 95% of the addressable online sports bettor market in the U.S. Fanatics Casino is currently available online in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Fanatics Betting and Gaming operates twenty-two retail sports betting locations, including the only sportsbook inside an NFL stadium at Northwest Stadium. Fanatics Betting and Gaming is headquartered in New York with offices in Denver, Leeds and Dublin.