Head of Brand Partnerships & Strategic Growth
2 days ago
Burbank
Job Description West Coast Customs is on the hunt for a Head of Brand Partnerships & Strategic Growth to turbocharge our brand expansion. Your mission: drive WCC’s growth through two key avenues – Product Licensing (branded merchandise lines, creative collaborations, collectibles/toys) and Media Partnerships (TV integrations, streaming platform collaborations, branded content series). In this senior role, you will craft and execute a partnership strategy that amplifies WCC’s cultural impact while delivering tangible revenue results. This is a full-time leadership position with significant responsibility and visibility, reporting directly to our executive team. We offer a base salary of $100,000–$120,000 plus performance-based incentives – you directly share in the upside of the deals you close. If you’re a creative dealmaker who knows how to build culturally relevant collaborations and hit ambitious growth targets, this is your chance to lead an iconic brand’s next big move. Key Responsibilities • Drive Strategic Partnerships End-to-End: Identify, evaluate, and secure high-impact partnership deals that align with WCC’s brand and growth goals. You’ll own the full cycle from prospecting and pitching to negotiating and closing deals in both licensing and media domains., • Product Licensing & Collaborations: Develop licensing opportunities to turn the WCC brand into new products and revenue streams. This includes branded merchandise collections, fashion/streetwear collaborations, automotive accessories, collectibles and toys – anything from a WCC apparel line to die-cast model cars. You will pitch and negotiate licensing agreements with manufacturers and brand partners, ensuring WCC’s name is on products that drive significant sales and hype., • Media & Content Partnerships: Forge partnerships that embed WCC into TV, film, streaming, and digital content. For example, negotiate TV show integrations, Netflix/YouTube series collaborations, special appearances, or branded content productions that feature WCC. Work with studios, networks, streaming platforms, and content creators to create win-win collaborations that boost our brand’s visibility in front of millions., • Creative Deal Concepting: Work closely with our creative, design, and marketing teams to brainstorm innovative partnership ideas. You’ll connect the dots between WCC and other brands or media projects – whether it’s a limited-edition product drop with a popular streetwear label or a cross-promotion with a gaming franchise – and shape these ideas into polished proposals. Your deals should not only generate revenue, but also make cultural noise and strengthen WCC’s credibility among our core audience., • Negotiation & Relationship Management: Leverage your negotiation skills and industry relationships to cement partnerships that deliver value. You’ll negotiate contract terms, licensing agreements, and sponsorship deals, protecting WCC’s brand integrity and ensuring profitable outcomes. Post-deal, you will manage and nurture relationships with partners (licensing partners, media producers, sponsors, etc.) to ensure successful execution and long-term value for both sides., • Market Research & Strategic Vision: Continuously monitor industry trends in entertainment, automotive culture, lifestyle branding, and licensing. Identify emerging opportunities (e.g. new platforms, trending brands, events) and develop a strategic vision for WCC’s partnership roadmap. You’ll create business cases for new partnership verticals – for instance, evaluating if WCC should enter gaming collaborations, festival sponsorships, or a new product category – and present growth strategies to the executive team., • Cross-Functional Leadership: Collaborate internally with marketing, content, design, legal, and operations to bring partnerships to life. Ensure licensed products or content integrations are delivered on-brand and on schedule. You will act as the point person coordinating between WCC and our partners, troubleshooting issues and keeping projects on track. This role comes with high expectations and high rewards. You will be accountable for clear targets that measure the growth you drive, including: • Revenue Growth from Partnerships: Deliver substantial new revenue streams via partnerships and licensing. Success means meaningfully boosting WCC’s annual revenue (think in terms of strong double-digit growth) through deals you spearhead. You will have quarterly and annual partnership revenue targets, and performance incentives tied to hitting or exceeding these numbers., • Deal Volume & Size: Secure a healthy pipeline of deals with increasing magnitude. We expect you to close multiple six-figure deals and at least one seven-figure+ deal within your first 12-18 months. The goal is to elevate WCC’s partnership game to the point where seven-figure collaborations become the norm., • Licensing Portfolio Expansion: Grow the range of WCC-licensed products and collaborations. A key objective is to launch WCC into new product verticals (for example, if we currently focus on apparel and accessories, expand into toys, gaming, or tech gadgets). KPI examples: number of new licensing agreements signed, number of product categories added, and sales performance of new licensed products., • Media Integration & Audience Reach: Increase WCC’s brand integration reach through media partnerships. This could be measured by the number of major media projects featuring WCC (TV episodes, streaming series, etc.), the total audience/viewership of those integrations, and the engagement generated (press coverage, social media buzz). For instance, a successful outcome might be securing a multi-episode feature of WCC on a popular streaming show that reaches millions, or launching a branded content series that drives significant YouTube viewership., • Strategic Partnership Development: Build a sustainable pipeline for future growth. Key metrics include the number of high-quality partnership leads developed, proposals in play, and relationships initiated with target brands and media platforms. We will also look at qualitative success: the caliber of partners brought in (e.g. well-known, culturally relevant brands) and how these partnerships elevate WCC’s brand long-term. We want a dynamic, entrepreneurial leader who can both envision big-picture growth and sweat the details of closing a deal. The ideal candidate will have: • 5–10+ years of experience in brand partnerships, licensing, or entertainment marketing, with a proven track record of closing high-value deals. You might be a senior partnerships manager/director ready to step up, or already heading partnerships at a cutting-edge brand. Experience with culture-forward companies is a major plus – think Red Bull, Monster Energy, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Hypebeast, or similar brands known for their creative marketing and cultural capital., • Deal-Making Prowess: Demonstrated ability to negotiate and close complex deals in the six and seven figures. You have directly led partnerships or sponsorships that involved significant budgets and multi-year agreements. You know how to navigate contract terms, IP/licensing agreements, and have the business acumen to structure deals that benefit all parties., • Industry Network & Credibility: A strong network of contacts across relevant industries – e.g. consumer brands, licensing agencies, entertainment studios, streaming platforms, media agencies, etc. – and the credibility to get in the door with decision-makers. Perhaps you’ve brokered deals with global brands or worked with major entertainment properties before; you can leverage those connections to accelerate WCC’s partnerships., • Strategic & Visionary Thinking: Ability to see the big picture of where our brand can go. You’re always thinking strategically about growth opportunities: spotting emerging trends, understanding WCC’s brand positioning, and envisioning partnerships that others wouldn’t immediately think of. You can develop a long-term roadmap for brand expansion and articulate a clear vision to both our internal team and external partners., • Cultural Savvy: You are deeply in tune with youth culture and lifestyle trends – from streetwear and automotive trends to music, sports, and gaming. This cultural credibility is crucial; you know what’s authentic and cool (and what’s not)slashgear.com, ensuring WCC’s partnerships feel genuine and hype-worthy. You’re able to build partnerships that resonate with our fan base and attract new audiences because you understand the passions of our community., • Creative Collaboration Skills: A knack for creative brainstorming and storytelling. You’re not just a “salesperson” – you’re a creative marketer who can dream up compelling collaboration ideas and work with designers/creatives to make them real. Whether it’s conceptualizing a limited-edition product or a video series, you contribute ideas that push boundaries while staying true to the brand., • Results-Driven & Entrepreneurial: You thrive on accountability and autonomy. Setting and achieving ambitious targets excites you, and you take ownership of outcomes. In a fast-moving environment like WCC, you’ll need an entrepreneurial mindset – you roll up your sleeves, move fast on opportunities, and adapt quickly. You’re comfortable building something new, not just managing an established playbook., • Communication & Leadership: Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills. You can pitch vision and value to anyone in the boardroom or on a Zoom call. Internally, you can rally cross-functional teams behind partnership projects, and externally, you can represent WCC with passion and professionalism. Experience managing or mentoring junior staff or cross-functional teams is a plus, as you’ll be a senior leader in our growth efforts., • Passion for Our Brand: Last but not least, passion for custom car culture and creative design. West Coast Customs lives at the intersection of automotive and artistic expression. While you don’t need to be a mechanic, having an appreciation for what we do – from insane car builds to the artistry behind them – will help you tell our story authentically. You should be excited about the idea of taking an already legendary brand and making it even more influential through partnerships.