Associate Vice President of Partnerships & Operations

The AVP of Partnerships & Operations leads relationships and operations for CEI's enterprise-wide center of excellence for branding, marketing, creative, and media that views the Cox vision and mission through the lens of creativity. The role leads multiple professional teams including Partnerships (new engagements, partnership management, brand strategy); Creative Operations (project management and resourcing); Business Operations; and Media; and closely collaborates with the Executive Creative Director and head of Live Event Production. There is an element of both in-house and external client partnering in this unique organization.
The ideal candidate is an exceptional, strategic leader with a proven track record managing complex operations within a creative environment. This leader drives impact and business results by building relationships and enhancing ways of working across the broader department and Cox enterprises. Additional responsibilities include:

• Provide strategic direction and leadership to leaders of the Partnerships, Creative Operations, Business Operations, and Media teams
• Mentor and develop leaders to ensure the growth and success of their teams
• Oversee Creative Operations ensuring projects are planned, resourced, and executed in ways that balance impact, efficiency, budgets, and employee experience goals
• Oversee Partnership development and management ensuring a strategic and stable roster of partnerships through exceptional achievement of partner goals and relationship development
• Oversee Business Operations including, monitoring KPIs and applying data insights in ways that enhance business outcomes and employee experience; and aligning staff and resourcing plans to the business plan
• Grow media capabilities and oversee Media Operations ensuring projects achieve partner KPI results
• Drive financial performance by managing the financial strategy including annual budgeting and informing the VP of insights to shape the LRP
• Identify opportunities for operational improvements, implement best practices and methodologies to improve project outcomes and performance, and drive initiatives to enhance efficiency and effectiveness
• Monitor industry trends and competitive landscape to inform strategic decision-making
• Facilitate effective communication and collaboration between the teams and other departments to support enterprise-wide initiatives
• Develop and implement long-term talent strategies to support professional development of employees and build talent pipelines within the organization

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline and 14 years' experience in operations management, preferably within a creative or advertising function. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 12 years' experience; a Ph.D. and 9 years' experience in a related field; or 26 years' experience in a related field
• 7+ years' experience in a management or leadership role
• Excellent leadership and partnering skills required (partnering and leading peers and colleagues with no formal authority, influence without authority).
• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking required; ability to link client engagement, services, and operations with business outcomes
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral, and the ability to adapt to different levels within the organization
• Proven to have a deep understanding of fundamental Project/Account Management and creative resourcing principals and success managing a team of senior professionals of varying disciplines
• Proven track record of successfully leading and managing multiple departments
• Strong financial acumen and experience with budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis
• Strong project management skills with a deep understanding of project management methodologies
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with clients, team members, and stakeholders
• Ability to adapt to changing assignments, multiple and conflicting priorities
• Strategic thinker with ability to develop and implement actionable plans to drive business results
• Innovative thinker promoting exceptional customer services
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make strategic decisions in a fast-paced environment

USD 189,100.00 - 315,100.00
Compensation:
Compensation includes a base salary of $189,100.00 - $315,100.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.
Benefits:
The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, parental leave, and COVID-19 vaccination leave.
Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship.
About Cox
Cox empowers employees to build a better future and has been doing so for over 120 years. With exciting investments and innovations across transportation, communications, cleantech and healthcare, our family of businesses - which includes Cox Automotive and Cox Communications - is forging a better future for us all. Ready to make your mark? Join us today!
Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page .
Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer - All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual's age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Statement to ALL Third-Party Agencies and Similar Organizations: Cox accepts resumes only from agencies with which we formally engage their services. Please do not forward resumes to our applicant tracking system, Cox employees, Cox hiring manager, or send to any Cox facility. Cox is not responsible for any fees or charges associated with unsolicited resumes.