---
title: 'Senior Manager, Business Development & Brand Partnerships at Whalar Group'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-business-development-brand-partnerships-whalar-group-brooklyn-rk6t1qzr5353'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-16'
---

# Senior Manager, Business Development & Brand Partnerships at Whalar Group

- **Company:** Whalar Group
- **Location:** Brooklyn, NY
- **Posted:** 2026-10-06
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-16
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/whalarinc/jobs/6211212004

## Job description

Job Title: Senior Manager, Business Development & Brand Partnerships

Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Reports to: Vice President, Brand Partnerships and Business Development at The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse is a first-of-its-kind campus for creators and their teams, with locations in Venice, CA, and Brooklyn, NY.

We are a studio system and creative playground designed for creators to Learn, Make, and Belong—creating a more frictionless path from idea to production to publication.

Our mission is to assemble and inspire the Creator Generation, helping creators build sustainable careers while shaping what's next for the Creator Industry.

Learn more: [www.thelighthouse.com](http://www.thelighthouse.com/).

About the role:

The Lighthouse is looking for an Associate Director, Brand Partnerships to help turn our Creator campuses in Brooklyn and Venice into a marketing platform brands want to buy, not just a venue they rent.

You'll own sales of our turnkey brand activations in the $50,000 to $100,000 range against your own revenue target, and spend around 40% of your time as right hand to our VP, Business Development & Brand Partnerships on larger deals, pitch materials, client communication and post-sale kickoff.

This role is built for someone from media buying, publishing or account management who's ready to move into sales, with hands-on mentorship and a clear path to a full, independent sales role.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

- Sell and close The Lighthouse's turnkey, off-the-shelf brand activations, mostly one-off events at our Brooklyn and Venice campuses in the $50,000 to $100,000 range, protecting speed and margin.
- Join inbound client calls with the VP, help grow opportunities into larger partnerships, and take ownership of the deals that land below that threshold, keeping your pipeline accurate and up to date.
- Act as the VP's right hand on larger deals, polishing pitch decks, gathering information and getting back to clients quickly when the VP is in back-to-back meetings.
- Share real market feedback to shape our program tiers: what lands, what's priced wrong, and what brands keep asking for
- Support the VP in running and scaling our Creator engine, including Creator casting, briefing, contracting, and payment, and applying our impression and eCPM (effective cost per thousand impressions) methodology to new deals
- Partner with our Creator Intelligence team to run occasional focus groups with Lighthouse members and present what you learn back to brands.
- Build pitch decks and media plans quickly with AI tools, pulling rates from our rate card to produce clear plans by placement, format and channel.
- Lead post-sale kickoff on the deals you and the VP close, making sure everything sold is properly scoped, briefed and handed over to the teams activating it.
- Serve as the point of contact for clients on the deals you own, and support the VP on larger deals, from pre-production and on-site execution through the post-campaign wrap report
- Work with our programming, content, activation and campus teams, including our location GMs, to source themes, concepts and resources for client pitches so every client experiences one Lighthouse.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

- 2–3 years in agency media buying, publishing, account management or integrated marketing, or at a Creator network or influencer platform, and a clear drive to move into sales.
- Experience building media plans or presenting them to clients, including working with rate cards, guaranteed impressions and eCPMs.
- A deep, practical understanding of social media and Creator economics; you're active on Instagram or TikTok yourself and know what Creators want from a brand deal.
- Confidence pitching in client meetings, writing your own pitch materials, and running a focus group and presenting findings.
- Proficiency with AI tools for building decks, media plans and client materials quickly.
- Strong project management skills, so you can hold scope, timelines and handovers across several teams and keep deals on track after they're sold.
- Excitement about building a career in sales, a collaborative approach to working shared deals with your manager, and a desire for hands-on coaching as you grow.

The salary range for this role is $120,000 - $130,000 and serves as a general guideline reflecting the potential compensation for the role. The final salary offer will be determined based on a comprehensive evaluation of factors such as the candidate's experience, expertise, alignment with the position's requirements, and, ultimately budget approvals. This position will also earn commission on the deals you close.

The Perks:

The Lighthouse provides flexible benefits and collaborative work environments and experiences so employees can work productively in a setting that best and uniquely suits their needs:

- Medical, Dental, Vision
- PTO + Sick Time + Paid Holidays
- HSA, FSA, and Commuter + Parking Benefits
- Company Paid Life & Disability Insurance
- Voluntary Life Insurance Policy
- Voluntary Hospital and Critical Illness Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- 401k with Employer Matching. No Vesting Period.
- Monthly Work from Home Stipend
- Yearly Professional Development Stipend

Our values:

At The Lighthouse, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) isn't just a statement, it's our collective strength. Our people are our superpower. A diverse team and inclusive leadership have shaped Whalar since our inception in 2016, fueling a constant evolution of growth. We champion a culture of respect and empathy, fostering a sense of belonging that transcends demographics. We hire individuals of all backgrounds and empower them to thrive, challenge stereotypes, and actively break societal barriers.

The Lighthouse provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Equal opportunity extends to all aspects of the employment relationship, including hiring, promotions, training, working conditions, compensation, and benefits.

## About Whalar Group

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Whalar Group is a creator economy ecosystem comprising six companies — including a leading creator agency, talent management, technology, a gaming studio, a venture studio, and a physical creator campus — all built to liberate the creative voice and empower creators.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Bootstrapped)
- **Headquarters**: London, UK (with offices in Berlin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Málaga, New York, and Tallinn)
- **Founded**: 2016
- **Founders**: Neil Waller and James Street

## Core Business
- Primary industries: Creator economy, influencer marketing, talent management, advertising technology, gaming, venture building, education
- Target customers: B2B (brands, platforms, CMOs) and B2C (creators, talent)
- Mission: To liberate the creative voice and rid the world of meaningless marketing by creating a one-of-a-kind creator ecosystem

## Products & Services
- **Whalar**: A global, award-winning, full-service creator and social agency that unlocks the potential of creators, brands, and platforms.
- **Sixteenth**: A leading global 360° creator talent management company (“the home of good influence”) that builds careers and businesses of top creators through strategic partnerships.
- **Foam**: A digital creator operating system that validates success in a measurable way, bridging gaps between creators, managers, and brands.
- **The Lighthouse**: A first-of-its-kind physical creator campus where creators and their teams can learn, make, and belong.
- **Umi Games**: A gaming studio that connects brands to creators and builds immersive experiences within platforms like Fortnite.
- **Moby Ventures**: A venture studio that brings creators’ ideas for brands and products to life.
- **Business of Creativity**: An education and consultancy hub dedicated to helping individuals and companies unlock their creative potential to drive growth.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private company)
- **Key Metric**: ~300 employees globally (as of 2025) across six subsidiaries
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not disclosed; works with top global creators and renowned brands (names not specified in search results)
- **Growth Signals**: Expanded from a single influencer marketing agency to a group of six companies; launched a talent management arm (Sixteenth), a physical campus (The Lighthouse), a gaming studio (Umi Games), a venture studio (Moby Ventures), and a technology platform (Foam); won major industry accolades; operates across the US, UK, Germany, Spain, and Estonia.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Unique ecosystem**: No other company offers the same end-to-end support for creators — from agency and talent management to technology, gaming, physical spaces, and venture building.
- **Deep creator trust and proximity**: Whalar Group positions itself as the entity that “gets creators” better than anyone, with unmatched understanding and relationships.
- **Independence**: Remains fiercely independent, allowing long-term bets and creative freedom.
- **Diversified revenue streams**: Multiple business lines (agency fees, talent commissions, software subscriptions, gaming partnerships, venture equity, education) reduce risk.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale the ecosystem**: Continue integrating the six companies to provide a seamless creator journey.
- **Expand the physical campus**: The Lighthouse is a flagship initiative to deepen creator relationships and foster community.
- **Technology investment**: Foam is positioned as the operating system for the creator economy, likely a key growth driver.
- **Global footprint**: Grow presence in existing hubs (US, UK, Europe) and potentially enter new markets.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Emphasizes diversity, inclusion, and employee well-being. Six employee resource groups support people of different races, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, and more.
- **Work model**: Hybrid/remote-friendly — employees have home office reimbursement and monthly phone/internet stipends. Offices in Berlin, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Málaga, New York, and Tallinn.
- **Perks**: 25 days paid vacation + office closure between Christmas and New Year’s; generous parental leave; 401(k) with 4% matching (US) and pension (UK); professional development stipend; one week of paid volunteer time; home office setup reimbursement.
- **Impact**: Work with top creators and global brands, directly shaping the future of the creator economy.
- **Growth opportunities**: The company is expanding rapidly across multiple verticals, offering career mobility and the chance to work on innovative projects (e.g., gaming, physical campus, venture studio).

## Sources
1. [whalargroup.com](https://whalargroup.com/) – Company overview and ecosystem
2. [whalargroup.com/careers](https://whalargroup.com/careers/) – Careers page with perks and culture
3. [whalargroup.com/our-story](https://whalargroup.com/our-story/) – Founders, history, employee count, locations
4. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/whalarinc](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/whalarinc) – Current job openings
5. [whalar.com/about](https://www.whalar.com/about) – Additional details on Whalar agency and group structure

## Other roles at Whalar Group

- [Measurement Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/measurement-analyst-whalar-group-new-york-jmyk2rd1dx4h) — New York, NY
- [Paid Social Media Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/paid-social-media-manager-whalar-group-new-york-g6a0824e2d75) — New York, NY
- [Executive Assistant, New Business](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-assistant-new-business-whalar-group-new-york-0jz4ahz5805f) — New York, NY
- [Executive, Client Services](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-client-services-whalar-group-new-york-akne56wgf650) — New York, NY
- [Development Casting Producer](https://feeny.ai/job/development-casting-producer-whalar-group-los-angeles-4c63fa2cesd7) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Senior Director, Unscripted](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-director-unscripted-whalar-group-los-angeles-zsk8w0k0bxxg) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Café Support Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/cafe-support-lead-whalar-group-venice-x507vggabmrd) — Venice, CA
- [Talent Manager / Sr. Talent Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/talent-manager-sr-talent-manager-whalar-group-london-s0zhsczqyk7g) — London, United Kingdom
- [Client Business Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/client-business-lead-whalar-group-new-york-bjxma4gf2wdg) — New York, NY
- [Associate Director, Client Services](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-director-client-services-whalar-group-new-york-5bh1kqw20gy4) — New York, NY