Manager of Entertainment & Partnerships

Role Overview:
The Manager, Entertainment & Partnerships will play a key role in expanding the MAGNA-TILES® brand beyond the physical product through entertainment and select strategic partnerships. The primary focus of this role will be the day-to-day ownership and development of MAGNA-TALES, our original animated series that debuted this October, working with internal teams and external partners to bring the characters, stories, and MAGNA-TILES products to life.

This individual will serve as the primary point of contact for our animation studio, YouTube partners, and other entertainment partners while managing development timelines, reviewing content, coordinating key approvals, and tracking performance. The role will work closely with Product Development and Marketing to ensure MAGNA-TALES supports the product pipeline while building the main characters, Maggie and Tyler, into recognizable characters and long-term intellectual property for the brand.

In addition, this role will provide day-to-day ownership and coordination for select brand and experiential partnerships that extend MAGNA-TILES beyond traditional retail. As our entertainment initiatives grow, we expect this role to increasingly focus on the development of MAGNA-TILES’ owned content and entertainment properties.

This role will sit within the Marketing team and report to the VP of Marketing, while working closely with external partners, Product Development, Sales, and other cross-functional teams across the organization.

The position is open to both Chicago-area and remote candidates. Given the specialized nature of the entertainment industry, MAGNA-TILES is committed to considering the strongest candidate regardless of location. Remote team members should expect periodic travel to MAGNA-TILES headquarters in the Chicago area for key planning sessions, creative milestones, and cross-functional meetings, as well as travel to relevant industry events and partner meetings as needed.

Key Responsibilities:
Entertainment & MAGNA-TALES

• Serve as the day-to-day and end-to-end owner of MAGNA-TALES, driving development and execution across each season from initial planning through launch.
• Act as the primary point of contact for external entertainment partners, including animation studios, writers, YouTube management partners, and future distribution or streaming partners.
• Develop and manage production timelines, milestones, deliverables, and approval processes to ensure each season remains on schedule and on budget.
• Serve as the first line of review for scripts, storyboards, animation, and other creative deliverables, providing clear and actionable feedback to external partners while escalating key creative decisions at established approval milestones.
• Partner closely with Product Development to align episode content and featured products with the MAGNA-TILES product pipeline and broader launch calendar.
• Coordinate cross-functional reviews with Marketing, Product Development, Sales, and leadership to ensure alignment at key stages of development.
• Develop the initial seasonal content and release calendar and ensure Marketing and Sales have visibility into upcoming episodes, featured products, and key launch moments.
• Manage external MAGNA-TALES partners effectively, ensuring accountability for the execution of channel strategies, content extensions, optimizations, and performance objectives.
• Track, analyze, and report key performance indicators, including viewership, repeat viewing, watch duration, and other relevant measures, using performance insights to help inform future content and distribution strategies.
• Develop materials and supporting data to help position MAGNA-TALES for broader distribution, including streaming and other entertainment platforms.
• Work with Marketing and Sales to articulate how MAGNA-TALES supports product launches and provide the information needed to incorporate the series into retailer presentations and commercialization plans.
• As the series grows, help identify opportunities to expand MAGNA-TALES, Maggie, Tyler, and the broader MAGNA-TILES universe into a meaningful, long-term entertainment property.

Strategic Partnerships

• Provide day-to-day management and coordination for select MAGNA-TILES brand and experiential partnerships, including exhibits, museums, and other opportunities that extend the brand beyond traditional retail.
• Serve as a point of contact for external partners and coordinate with internal teams to ensure programs are executed effectively and remain aligned with the MAGNA-TILES brand.
• Manage partnership-related timelines, deliverables, approvals, and communication, helping reduce the day-to-day execution burden on the broader Marketing team.
• As capacity allows, support the evaluation and execution of new partnership opportunities that align with broader brand and business objectives.

What You’ll Bring To The Table:

• 4+ years of relevant experience in brand management, content, entertainment, franchise management, agency management, partnerships, or a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects involving multiple internal stakeholders and external partners or agencies.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with a track record of managing timelines, approvals, deliverables, and competing priorities.
• Keen eye for creative with experience reviewing content deliverables and providing clear, thoughtful, and actionable feedback.
• Strong sense of ownership and willingness to engage deeply with the content, i.e., reviewing multiple rounds of scripts upfront, providing timely, actionable feedback on successive rounds of animation, and ultimately helping shape detailed content deployment plans.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to work directly with external partners, coordinate cross-functional teams and present to company leadership.
• Comfortable working with performance data and KPIs to evaluate results, identify insights, and communicate performance to leadership.
• Ability to operate independently within established strategic direction, exercise sound judgment, and recognize when decisions require broader leadership alignment.
• Willingness to participate in weekly meetings with stakeholders across the globe, outside of core working hours.
• Genuine enthusiasm for the MAGNA-TILES brand, children’s entertainment, and creating content and experiences that resonate with preschool-aged children.
• A commitment to upholding our core values: Think Like a Child, The Team, The Team, The Team, Complete Commitments to Others, Better Never Stops

It Would Be Great To Have:

• Experience in toys, children’s or family entertainment, animation, consumer products, or related industries is strongly preferred but not required.
• Experience working with YouTube, streaming platforms, or entertainment distribution is a plus.