Associate Director of Brand Experiences & Activations

Position Description

Performs administrative duties in the management and coordination of a large specialized project and program. Under general supervision, performs varied and complex administrative duties requiring independent judgment and the application of established policies and procedures. May provide supervision and direction to clerical, paraprofessional or professional staff members.

About the Department and/or College

In Marketing & Communications, we deliver high-quality communications that tell the story of Texas Tech in the most compelling way possible.

Major/Essential Functions

The Associate Director of Brand Experience & Activations provides strategic and operational leadership for Evermore Exclusives, the university's official merchandise retail operation within Marketing & Communications. This position is responsible for the day-to-day management, strategic growth, and brand integration of the merchandising enterprise, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and brand standards.

This role leads the planning, execution and optimization of retail operations including inventory management, merchandising strategy, point-of-sale systems, visual presentation, and in-store experience design. The Associate Director develops and activates comprehensive brand campaigns that drive affinity, engagement, and revenue across key university audiences including students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and additional stakeholders of the university.

Serving as a central collaborator within Marketing & Communications, this position partners with functional team leaders and team members throughout the department, to amplify merchandise campaigns and ensure cohesive storytelling across all channels. The Associate Director also contributes to long-term growth strategy, policy development, budget oversight, and performance measurement for the merchandise operation.

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Evermore Exclusives, overseeing daily retail operations, inventory planning, merchandising execution, staffing coordination, pop-up sales opportunities and point-of-sale performance.
• Develop and implement comprehensive brand activation strategies and retail campaigns that drive revenue growth, brand affinity and audience engagement, with a proactive approach to identifying market trends and emerging consumer behaviors.
• Lead store layouts, visual merchandising, and experiential retail design to enhance customer experience and align with university brand standards.
• Oversee vendor relations, including sourcing, negotiations, product development collaboration, and performance evaluation to ensure quality, compliance and alignment with brand standards.
• Identify and pursue custom-product development opportunities that differentiate the university's merchandise offerings and respond to evolving audience demand.
• Collaborate with internal Marketing & Communications functional teams to integrate merchandise initiatives into broader institutional campaigns and promotional strategies.
• Establish and manage operational policies, procedures, budgets, vendor relationships, licensing coordination, and performance metrics to ensure efficient and compliant retail operations.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in the area of specialization or closely related field. Four years of related administrative and technical experience. Additional job related education may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrate experience managing retail campaigns, merchandising strategy, customer initiatives, and vendor partnerships.
• Experience in a collegiate, licensed merchandise, or brand-driven retail environment.
• Experience collaborating within a marketing or brand division or creative organization.
• Knowledge of university licensing, trademark management, and vendor compliance processes.
• Experience managing retail budgets and revenue forecasting.
• Experience in online retail sales, including e-commerce platforms, digital merchandising strategies, and fulfillment coordination.
• Experience with custom-product development, including concept ideation, vendor collaboration and market testing of new merchandise lines.
• Master's degree in retail management, marketing, or related field.