Creative Manager Jobs in Raleigh, NC (NOW HIRING)

We are seeking a Global Experience Marketing Manager, Proprietary Experiences with 10+ years of experience in creative brand experience design, planning, and the full-scale production and execution of brand activations, conferences, and hospitality-based initiatives. This strategic marketer is passionate about creating immersive brand experiences that foster meaningful connections, drive engagement, and deliver business results. This role demands a unique blend of creativity, strategic thinking, with operational rigor, financial discipline, and the ability to multitask in a fast-moving environment.

In this role, you will support the development and execute NetApp's brand experience strategy, working under the direction of the Director, Global Experience Marketing. You will lead the experience strategy and execution for proprietary events such as INSIGHT, CONVERGE, ALS, as well as major third-party tradeshows, EBCs, Partner Events, Field Marketing initiatives, Global Sponsorships, internal employee events, and more, ensuring a consistent and connected global brand presence. Special elements such as keynote speakers, entertainment, and white-glove hospitality will also fall under your purview.

As a key contributor to NetApp's overarching brand experience strategy, you will shape the creative vision, strategy, and goals of experience marketing programs across the organization. You will partner with cross-functional teams and agency partners to deliver high-impact programs that elevate customer and employee experiences while driving business outcomes.

You will be responsible for amplifying the NetApp brand by crafting meaningful and engaging experiences tailored to diverse audiences. With a strategic focus on acquiring new customers, deepening relationships with existing ones, and building strong connections with C level executives, you will design innovative, customer-centric interactions that reflect NetApp's core values and showcase its expertise in data management and cloud solutions. Through storytelling, digital campaigns, events, and strategic partnerships, your work will inspire confidence, drive growth, and highlight the transformative power of NetApp's solutions. 

You will own and oversee every stage of the experience lifecycle, including discovery, design, development, delivery, post-event reporting, and budget reconciliation. Managing end-to-end project timelines, financials, creative production, fabrication, and vendor execution will also be key responsibilities. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy collaborating with cross-functional teams, and are excited about building transformative experiences that resonate with decision-makers, this role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on NetApp's global brand presence. 

Experiential Strategy Collaboration

• Serve as a lead contributor to NetApp's overall brand experience strategy development and design across all programs and initiatives company-wide including NetApp proprietary events (INSIGHT, CONVERGE, ALS), third-party tradeshows, EBCs, Partner Events, Field Marketing initiatives, Global Sponsorships, internal employee events and more. 
• Act as a key decision-maker on experience strategy - identifying how audiences engage with NetApp across touchpoints to drive deeper interest and engagement. 
• Establish brand experience goals, objectives, and priorities with business, marketing, and agency partners. 
• Ensure brand experience programs are integrated into broader marketing campaigns and aligned to business KPIs and pipeline goals. 

Experience Design & Execution 

• Develop, design, and execute innovative brand experience activations that drive brand awareness, lead generation, pipeline growth, and thought leadership positioning.
• Drive brand experience opportunities that empower sales teams to engage prospects and partners meaningfully.
• Lead end-to-end planning and production of large- and small-scale B2B experiences including venue sourcing, technical production, creative design, agency management, speaker programming, agendas, hospitality, and on-site activations. 
• Drive creative ideation and execution with internal and external partners, continuously raising the bar for engagement and impact. 
• Ensure production excellence at every step while setting high benchmarks for quality and innovation. 

Operational & Financial Leadership 

• Own project plans including milestones, timelines, resource allocation, and associated deliverables. 
• Manage $1M+ budgets, ensuring financial accuracy, accountability, and ROI tracking. 
• Negotiate costs with agencies and production vendors; oversee contracts, POs, invoices, and legal/finance coordination. 
• Maintain accuracy and transparency of budgets, reporting on spend and performance. 
• Ensure compliance with company risk and governance guidelines. 

Stakeholder & Vendor Management 

• Lead cross-functional collaboration across Sales, Product, Marketing, Customer Support, and Executive Leadership. 
• Communicate brand experience strategy and program details clearly to internal stakeholders. 
• Manage vendor relationships including selection, contracting, load-in, on-site execution, and performance standards. 
• Regularly update marketing leadership on trends, metrics, performance insights, and strategic direction. 

• 10+ years of brand experiential creative design and marketing experience. 
• Demonstrated experience leading experiential strategy across large-scale proprietary events, third-party tradeshows, partner marketing and specialty marketing areas. 
• Proven ability to design experiences aligned to the customer journey, sales engagement, and pipeline targets. 
• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and ability to distill complex information into impactful experiences. 
• Strong executive presence with experience supporting C-level stakeholders and executive audiences. 
• Highly proactive, innovative, organized, and detail-oriented leader capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously. 
• Experience managing cross-functional teams, agency partners, and developing others. 
• Data-driven mindset with the ability to measure impact, optimize programs, and demonstrate ROI. 
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders. 
• Strong financial management skills and experience managing large budgets.
• Ability to thrive in dynamic, ambiguous, and high-pressure environments. 
• Creative, entrepreneurial, and always seeking new ideas to elevate experiential impact. 
• Strong problem-solving skills and calm under pressure during live event execution.