Partnership Marketing Manager

City Football Group; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global sports organization based in Abu Dhabi is looking for a Partnership Marketing Manager to manage commercial partnerships across the Middle East. The role involves planning and activating partnerships, collaborating with various teams, and creating impactful reports. Candidates should possess an undergraduate degree, strong client service skills, and a deep understanding of the region's culture. A flexible attitude and the ability to manage multiple stakeholders are essential. The position offers several benefits, including private healthcare and annual leave.

Benefits

26 days annual leave

Private healthcare

Annual discretionary bonus

Partnership and lifestyle discounts

Qualifications

• Familiar with sport sponsorship contracts and rights packages.
• Strong digital literacy and management skills.
• Experience with marketing and sponsorship across various aspects.

Responsibilities

• Lead on partnership strategies and activation plans.
• Build rich appreciation of partner objectives and challenges.
• Create end of season reports for partners.

Skills

Sport sponsorship contracts

Digital management

Strong team ethic

Commercial acumen

Flexibility

Education

Undergraduate degree or equivalent

Job description

Closing Date of Applications – 11th January 2026

Our Story

Established in 2013, City Football Group is the world’s leading private owner and operator of football clubs, with total or partial ownership of twelve clubs across the world. City Football Group also invests in other football related businesses and serves as a global commercial platform for our partners, whilst fulfilling our purpose of empowering better lives through football on a local and global scale, consistent with what “City” football has meant to people for over a century.

Our Winning Team

Our purpose is to empower better lives through football. We are proud of the role City Football Group clubs play in their localities, delivering positive economic, social and environmental impact through our operations and through programmes and activities that bring about meaningful, lasting change.

Based in Abu Dhabi and working closely with the Senior Partnership Marketing Manager – MENA, the Partnership Marketing Manager will be responsible for managing a portfolio of CFG’s global & regional commercial partners, with a focus on the Middle East. Responsibility and remit for these partnerships will be end to end, including all associated partnership planning and activation programmes.

The Partnership Marketing Manager will be required to work closely and effectively with the Partnership Marketing and Operations teams, as well as other club departments, to deliver outstanding quality of service. As a core member of the Partnership Marketing Team (EMEA) this role will be expected to contribute across all core pillars of the department.

Please be aware, this is a fixed-term contract and will end on 31st December 2026.

This is Your City

As part of our team, you will be entitled to 26 days annual leave plus an additional day off for your birthday, private healthcare and a Simply Health cash plan, an annual discretionary bonus, plus a range of partnership and lifestyle discounts.

Your Impact

• Leads on the consistent framework that enables Partners to develop compelling, competitive partnership strategies and activation plans. Fuels this process with insight and expertise and involves other Club departments as appropriate.
• Immerses in the world of the partner, building a rich appreciation of their environment and a detailed understanding of objectives, opportunities and challenges. Explores areas where the respective outlooks (Club and Partner) share a commonality. Assesses opportunities to collaborate and maximise the return for both businesses.
• Works in tandem with the Partnerships Operations team to ensure all Partnership rights are delivered with maximum effectiveness and efficiency. Continually looks for opportunities to refine and maximise ways of working.
• Supports the Club’s regional objectives for the MENA region working closely with other departments including marketing and FRM.
• Adopts an ‘objectives and measurement-focused’ mindset, enabling the department to build a full and true picture around the impact of the Partnerships. Engages Partners and works with them to co-create rich stories that demonstrate the power of association, with clear thread throughout (linking objectives to tangible results).
• Takes the lead role in creating full end of season reports for Partners and explores innovative ways to present/tell the stories both internally and externally. Explores opportunities for awards submissions and other recognition/accreditation.
• When workloads allow, the Partnership Marketing Manager will be expected to work collaboratively with Partnership Sales Manager and the Partnership Planning team to help shape compelling proposals. Attends meetings and pitches as required, to offer insight and expertise in relevant fields such as Digital and Media
• Supports the Senior Partnership Marketing Manager in developing renewal strategies each season, providing Partner and category insight wherever relevant.

What we are looking for

Essential

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent
• Familiar with sport sponsorship contracts and rights packages
• Skilled in partner/client service
• Knowledge of the Middle East landscape & culture
• Strong digital literacy
• Skilled digital management/consultancy
• Strong team ethic and collaborative nature – confident managing multiple stakeholders
• Flexible working attitude and approachable to respond to immediate business needs
• Solid commercial experience and acumen, with an inherent interest in this area
• Availability to travel for business needs
• Experienced/capable across all aspects of marketing and sponsorship, including: Strategy & Planning Activation & Rights Delivery Integrated communications Results Analysis & recommendations Negotiations & renewals

Desirable

• Competence in additional language (Arabic)
• Exposed to a rights-holder/club environment
• Exposed to overseas markets/business cultures
• Exposed to brands in the Middle East
• Post-graduate digital qualifications/courses
• Further marketing/sports-related credentials (Masters/Diploma).

*We regularly review applications and reserve the right to close an advert early if we identify suitable candidates. To avoid disappointment, please submit your application as soon as possible.