Director Collaborations & Community

Claire's is an iconic, beloved retail brand, best known as a go-to trend spot for kids, tween and teen girls and America's top piercing destination, piercing over 130 million ears over the past forty years. With its 900 retail locations across the US & Canada and a fresh new brand strategy, we are ready to enter a new era and are on a mission to build an inspiring playground for modern girlhood. With a clear remit to evolve the brand to meet the needs of Gen Alpha, we are transforming the brand to continue to be the beloved home of girlhood for generations to come. Join us in helping us realize this ambition and continue to make space and champion girlhood. Role Overview:Claire's is building a next-generation brand fueled by culture, community, partnerships, and experiences. This role is designed for an extremely online and commercially minded builder who knows how to identify culturally relevant opportunities, craft compelling partnership concepts, and bring them to life through best-in-class execution. We are seeking a Director, Collaborations & Community, reporting into the VP of Brand to lead the development and execution of Claire's collaboration ecosystem from ideation and partner outreach through deal structuring, launch, and community activation.This is a senior individual contributor role responsible for building a pipeline of:Brand collaborationsTalent partnershipsCreator collaborationsCommunity activationsCultural marketing momentsThis role sits at the intersection of:Brand partnershipsCommunity marketingPR & communicationsInfluencer & creator ecosystemsExperiential & retail activationsWhat You'll Own:Collaboration Strategy & Partnership PipelineBuild and manage Claire's ongoing pipeline of:Brand collaborationsTalent and creator partnerships in partnership with our AORCultural partnershipsCommunity-led activationsIdentify whitespace opportunities and emerging cultural moments relevant to Claire's consumerOperationalize product collaboration concepts that drive:Brand heatConsumer engagementSocial conversationTraffic and conversionCommunity participationBring a strong point of view on:Talent selectionBrand fitCultural relevancePartnership rationaleCommunity resonanceTranslate cultural insights and trends into actionable partnership opportunities and programs Partnership Development, Negotiation & Deal ExecutionLead partnerships from:IdeationOutreach and pitchingDeal structuringNegotiation supportInternal alignmentLaunch executionDevelop compelling partnership proposals and pitch materialsStructure partnerships that span:Product collaborationsMarketing campaignsRetail activationsInfluencer and creator programsExperiential momentsPartner closely with Business Development, Legal, Finance, Design, Merchandising, Brand Marketing, and Creative teams to operationalize partnerships across the businessEnsure partnerships are aligned with:Brand prioritiesCommercial goalsProduct timelinesMarketing plansBuild and maintain relationships across:BrandsTalent agencies and managersPR partnersCreators and influencersMedia and cultural partnersThis role requires both sophisticated deal-making capabilities and the ability to translate ideas to product partnerships that drive scalable, cross-functional business initiatives. Community ActivationArchitect community-first activations that bring collaborations to life beyond productCreate culturally relevant moments that drive:ParticipationUGCEarned mediaCommunity engagementSocial amplificationLead development and execution of:Pop-upsCommunity eventsCreator gatheringsRetail activationsLaunch eventsExperiential conceptsEnsure activations feel:Social-firstShareableBrand-rightOperationally executableBuild programs that deepen brand affinity while driving measurable business impact Go-To-Market Leadership & Cross-Functional CoordinationPartner closely with Integrated Marketing and cross-functional teams to ensure collaborations are fully integrated into the broader GTM calendarDrive execution across:SocialPRInfluencerRetail marketingEventsCreativeE-commerceEnsure every collaboration has:Clear storytellingLaunch strategyActivation planKPIs and success metricsAct as the connective tissue between external partnership momentum and internal execution Influence cross-functional teams to align resources and deliver against partnership commitments PR, Events & Experiential OversightOversee Claire's PR agency relationship and help shape communications strategy around collaborations and key brand momentsDrive earned media, placements, and storytelling opportunitiesEnsure Claire's shows up consistently and authentically across all external touchpoints Lead planning and execution of:Brand eventsInfluencer experiencesRetail launch eventsCommunity activationsPress momentsOversee all in-store activation planning and execution tied to collaborations and campaignsWho You Are:Culturally connected with strong instincts for partnerships and collaboration opportunitiesProven experience developing and executing: Product collaborations, talent collaborations, community activations, experiential programs, & PR and influencer initiatives.Strong understanding of: Youth culture / girl culture, creator ecosystems, social behavior, community-driven marketing.Exceptional relationship builder with experience navigating: Talent agencies, brand partners, PR firms, creators and media contactsStrong commercial instincts with experience evaluating partnership economics and structuring mutually beneficial deals Highly organized with strong project management and operational rigorComfortable balancing: Commercial realities and operational execution.Strong communicator and storyteller with the ability to craft compelling narratives, concepts, and pitchesThrives in fast-paced, high-growth, highly collaborative environmentsEntrepreneurial, proactive, and highly resourceful