Manager, Game Activations

Position Overview

The Manager, Game Activations plays a key role in bringing the San Jose Sharks brand to life through engaging game day experiences, themed events, and year-round brand activations. This position is responsible for coordinating the planning and execution of activations across all Sharks home games, ensuring alignment with the organization's brand identity, marketing strategies, and fan engagement goals.

Working closely with Marketing, Game Presentation, Events, Corporate Partnerships, and other cross-functional teams, this role serves as a central point of coordination to manage project timelines, event logistics, stakeholder communications, and deliverables. The Manager, Game Activations also supports the execution of special events and community-facing activations, helping create memorable experiences that strengthen fan connections and elevate the Sharks brand.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the execution of branded events throughout the calendar year, coordinating timelines, deliverables, and cross-functional teams to bring concepts to life while supporting fan engagement and alignment with the Sharks’ core values and brand identity.

• Stay ahead of trends in sports marketing, live entertainment, and fan engagement to bring forward fresh, innovative ideas.

• Serve as the project lead for all game nights, including theme nights, intellectual property (IP) nights and cultural nights, translating strategic direction from Marketing and cultural programming leads into coordinated execution.

• Own theme-night execution from initial planning through post-event recaps, including event communications, activations in and around the arena, content coordination, and project timelines.

• Activate theme suites during select home games, partnering closely with the Premium Team to coordinate execution and deliver a memorable guest experience.

• Deliver entertaining experiences that meet or exceed fan expectations, using fan satisfaction scores to inform KPIs and measure success.

• Drive fan data capture and lead generation at activations in partnership with Ticket Sales and Service and Audience Insights.

• Collaborate with Events, Marketing, Game Presentation, Community Relations, Ticket Sales and Service, PR and Corporate Partnerships to ensure cohesive execution and brand consistency across all touchpoints.

• Act as the central point of coordination, establishing clear responsibilities, communicating updates, and keeping stakeholders aligned on deliverables and deadlines.

• Support in-arena brand activations, giveaways, and presentations during home games, enhancing the live fan experience and contributing to a high-energy atmosphere.

• Partner with Game Presentation early in the planning process to connect theme-night concepts and external brand ideas with the in-bowl show, providing clear briefs, activation details, and content needs.

• Support game-day giveaway distribution, including logistics, staffing, timing, and cross-department communication to ensure a seamless fan experience.

• Oversee event logistics for Brand and Partner Events, including timelines, staffing, and production details, consistent look, feel and tone, ensuring events are executed on time. (Ex: Sharks Around the Bay, Watch Parties, Opening Weekend, Playoff Street Rallies)

• Proactively identify project barriers, dependencies, and resource needs, working with stakeholders to resolve issues and keep execution on track.

• Track KPIs and compile post-event recaps, analyzing performance and recommending improvements for future activations.

• Coordinate mascot appearances at brand events with the Specialist, Brand Events.

• Manage relationships with sponsors, vendors, agencies, and other external stakeholders to deliver high-quality, on-brand experiences.

• Coordinate partner requirements, approvals, and deliverables with the appropriate internal teams for assigned Gameday events.

• Fulfill partner deliverables, providing proof of performance after each event.

• Other Game Day duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related field required or equivalent experience

• 8+ years of related experience

• Strong project management skills, including managing timelines, budgets, staffing plans, vendors, and competing priorities.

• Creative thinking and knowledge of sports marketing, live events, and fan engagement trends.

• Strong communication, collaboration, and relationship management skills.

• Ability to maintain a high level of professionalism at all times.

• Ability to lead cross-functional projects, establish clear responsibilities, and keep stakeholders aligned.

• Knowledge of brand standards, sponsorship deliverables, IP approvals, and culturally responsive programming.

• Ability to translate strategic direction into engaging, cohesive fan experiences.

• Ability to analyze fan feedback, lead generation, and event KPIs to improve future activations.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit, stand and utilize a computer for extended periods of time

• Communicate via phone and email with a variety of individuals

• Ability to bend at the waist, reach overhead and lift up to 15 lbs with or without accommodation

• Physically navigate stairs and catwalks at SSE facilities during normal work hours and events with or without accommodation

• Ability to work occasional extended hours including nights, weekends, holidays (all with advance notice)

• May be required to travel to other company locations

• May be required to attend conference, events, and training sessions within Bay Area or in- or out-of-state locations.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation (base salary and variable incentive plan)

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Flexible Spending Accounts (all LGBTQ+ friendly)

• Pretax Transportation Benefit

• 401K (pre-tax and Roth options)

• Generous Paid Time Off

• Minimum of 10 Paid Holidays and Wellness Days per year

• Complimentary or discounted sports and event tickets

• Other League & partner discounts

• Central office location in downtown San Jose at the heart of Silicon Valley; convenient access to Caltrain, VTA, major freeways and free parking

• An inclusive culture which values diversity of background and a passion to improve our SSE’s commitment to change with impact on our community and industry

• Potential for flexible scheduling and telework opportunities

• Access to on-site EV charging stations on non-event days

This position is not eligible for U.S. work authorization sponsorship.

Sharks Sports & Entertainment (Sharks) is the parent company of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League, and oversees all areas of operation and management of the city-owned SAP Center at San Jose the premier sports and entertainment venue in Santa Clara County. Additionally, San Jose Sharks oversees management and operation for three public Ice facilities located throughout the Bay Area; Sharks Ice at San Jose which includes the new, state-of-the-art Tech CU Arena, Sharks Ice at Fremont, and the Oakland Ice Center. Headquartered in San Jose, California, the Sharks employ 300+ full-time employees and 1,250+ total during events. Collectively, this group of hard-working professionals is known as Team Teal.