Community & Partnerships Manager

ABOUT R.A.D®

R.A.D® is a performance footwear company rooted in training, with an aesthetic influenced by the lifestyle subcultures of skateboarding and surfing. Launched in 2022 and making waves in the training market against some of the biggest footwear companies on the planet, we are an underdog - committed to breaking the outdated stereotypes that portray sport and training as macho, intimidating, or uninviting. Sport is woven into all aspects of society and has long been a catalyst for positive change.

We believe the joy of sport is enhanced by a holistic approach to the lifestyle surrounding it, with a focus on three key areas: training, competition, and community.

THE ROLE

We're looking for a Community & Digital Partnership Manager to lead R.A.D®'s presence across Texas - starting in Austin, Dallas, and Houston with room to grow into other Texas hubs as we scale. This is a hybrid role: half grassroots community builder, half partnerships lead, all in one person.

You'll be the face of R.A.D® on the ground - in the gyms, at the events, in the group chats that matter - while also owning the relationships with the digital creators and partners who help tell our story to a wider audience. It's a role for someone who's just as comfortable coaching a WOD as they are negotiating a contract.

Texas has one of the fastest-growing functional fitness, CrossFit, and Hyrox scenes in the country, and this role exists because we want to build there properly - not parachute in with a campaign, but show up, stay, and earn our place in the community.

WHO YOU ARE

You're not a marketer pushing a brand. You're a genuine community builder who also understands how to run a partnership like a business.

You're deeply embedded in the Texas training community, or you're ready to be - you know (or will quickly know) the coaches, the gyms, the events, and the culture. You build relationships through showing up, not through campaigns, and you understand that credibility in this space is earned slowly and lost quickly.

At the same time, you're commercially minded. You can spot a partner who's authentic and credible within their training methodology, negotiate a fair deal, and track whether it's actually working. You're as comfortable having a coffee with a coach as you are pulling together a performance report for the leadership team.

You're organized and self-directed. Operating remotely and largely independently, you manage your own time, prioritize with purpose, and stay closely aligned and in sync with the wider Community team and the organization as a whole.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Texas Strategy
• Work alongside the Director of Community & Partnerships to build and execute the Texas community and partnerships strategy, with an initial focus on Austin, Dallas and Houston.
• Building Meaningful Relationships
• Build relationships with coaches and the wider training community in a grassroots, authentic manner.
• Identify and develop partnerships with relevant players in the gym training space - creators, athletes, and community leaders - who drive credibility for the R.A.D® brand.
• Train, participate, and spectate at local events and community meals with key members.
• Visit an agreed volume of gyms and training spaces per week across the CrossFit, functional training, and Hyrox space, determined by a pre-agreed tiering system.
• R.A.D® Coaching Team
• Build out the R.A.D® Coaching Team in Texas, focused on recruiting high-level, respected coaches.
• Manage relationships with all coaching team members, checking in with each at least once a month - workout, coffee, or conversation.
• Look for opportunities to support coaching team members on a personal level, beyond the brand relationship.
• Partner with the coaching team on event collaboration and activations.
• Partnerships Management
• Lead contract negotiation and management for digital creators and partners, ensuring budget is optimized and used in the right places.
• Analyze the performance of each partner through a data-first approach, to ensure strong ROI.
• Report cross-category performance data to the Director of Community & Partnerships and the wider business.
• Develop engagement strategies to strengthen relationships with partners over time, not just at the point of signing.
• Product Seeding
• Aligned to the broader seeding strategy, ensure key community members and partners are provided with relevant R.A.D® product at the right moments.
• Events
• Provide support for larger R.A.D® events as required, including activating R.A.D® Training Team members and athletes within community events.
• Collaboration
• Work closely with the marketing team to ensure community and partnerships activity aligns with - and complements - the central brand strategy.
• Manage workload and priorities across multiple product categories and performance disciplines.

Requirements

• Existing roots in the Texas gym training community - CrossFit, functional fitness, Hyrox, or adjacent spaces - or a fast ability to build them.
• 3+ years of experience across community management, partnerships, influencer marketing, or grassroots marketing, ideally in the fitness space.
• A genuine passion for sport, training, and the culture surrounding it - you regularly train and participate yourself.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with the ability to connect authentically across coaches, athletes, and community leaders.
• Commercial awareness - comfortable negotiating contracts and managing budget with a partner's ROI in mind.
• An analytical eye for trends when evaluating partner performance, with a working knowledge of social media monitoring tools (e.g. Hootsuite, CreatorIQ) and proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Google Analytics.
• Self-motivated and highly organized, with the ability to manage your own schedule and priorities remotely.
• A clear communicator, comfortable reporting back to the wider team and representing the brand externally.
• An understanding of what makes a community feel real, and what makes it feel like marketing.