ACF, Inc Chicago Lead, City Brand & Retail Marketing - Nike Basketball Long Beach, CA · Full time Company website

Apply for Chicago Lead, City Brand & Retail Marketing - Nike Basketball

We help brands bring the power of sport to every community, everywhere. From Strategy & Ideation to Live Events & Retail Experience, we build from the ground up. We don’t just study the culture, we help shape it from within. Together, we are A Creative Force. We are the Sport Authenticator Agency.

What You’ll Do

• Champion the Player & Community Truth: You serve as a primary source for player and community insights. You uncover the “why” behind local behaviors and translate those truths into strategies that move the sport forward. 
• Master the Marketplace: You inform and shape how the sport and Nike Brand shows up in the Atlanta marketplace, ensuring the energy of the community is reflected in key retail doors so product and storytelling feel like an authentic extension of local culture. You explore new opportunities and continuously calibrate the marketplace to unlock what is next.
• Elevate Youth and High School Connections: You stay closely connected to the next generation of players. You know the coaches and athletes pushing the sport forward and identify ways to elevate and inspire them.
• Elevate Women: You recognize the momentum and opportunity in the women’s game and actively look for ways to support and uplift women athletes across youth, amateur, and professional levels.
• Collaborate: You move ideas from concept to execution by building strong partnerships across visual merchandising, brand, retail, and internal teams.
• Future-proof insights : You validate ideas against the lived reality of the city and the marketplace before they go to market.

Own the Ground Game

• People: You stay connected to the people who move Chicago basketball culture, including teams, players, street leagues, grassroots organizations, the front office, and fans. You vet partnerships to ensure we work with those who carry real cultural gravity and have a positive impact on the community.
• Places: You know where the game actually happens, from the arena to the blacktop. You identify places where basketball lives and where culture is being built, ensuring our presence feels natural and within them.  
• Moments: You have a deep understanding of the key moments across WNBA & NBA, high school ball, grassroots play, and everything in between. You also look beyond the official calendar to identify local pick up and neighborhood play that carry weight in Chicago, creating experiences that bring people into the game and closer to the culture. 
• Community Pulse: You know the photographers, stylists, and creators who help tell the story of basketball in Chicago. You stay close to the voices who shape the conversation and understand what matters to the community. 

Who You Are

• You have a deep love for the game and actively participate in the community.
• You know the local ecosystem: the courts, leagues, players, the front office voices, and cultural tastemakers surrounding the game
• You understand Chicago’s neighborhoods and the different cultures that define them 
• You move naturally across sport, culture, and community
• You act as an authenticity filter by sharpening ideas to ensure they resonate with players, coaches, and the broader basketball community. 

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in sport or lifestyle brands across brand management, marketing, or retail
• Experience in event planning, production, and execution 
• Deep understanding of the Chicago market
• Proven ability to translate community insights into clear, impactful plans
• Experience collaborating with retail or sales teams
• Willingness to work the hours the sport requires, including evenings and weekends