Partnership & Strategic Sales Manager

Sydney Football Club; Sydney; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Sydney FC, based in Sydney, seeks an experienced Partnership and Strategic Sales Manager to lead relationships with corporate partners, drive premium hospitality sales, and support business development across Allianz Stadium venues. Reporting to the Senior Commercial Manager, you will own partner plans, deliver value, and help grow The Collective by Sydney FC.

This role requires a minimum of five years in account management and a passion for football, with willingness to travel to venues as

Qualifications

• Minimum five years' experience in account management.
• Experience in hospitality sales.
• Background in professional sport is highly desirable.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage a portfolio of corporate partners and deliver on engagement.
• Drive premium matchday hospitality sales and revenue growth.
• Provide matchday support and support business development initiatives.
• Grow The Collective membership and ensure a world-class member experience.
• Prepare compelling pitches and proposals for new partnerships.
• Coordinate partner activations and deliver benefits across venues.

Skills

Account management

Hospitality sales

Partnership management

Relationship building

Revenue growth

CRM systems

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Sydney FC is one of Australian football's most successful and recognised clubs, competing in the ALeague Men and Liberty A-League Women. Our A-league Men's home fixtures are played at the iconic Allianz Stadium, with our A-League Women's team playing at agreed venues across NSW.

We're looking for an experienced Partnership and Strategic Sales Manager to join our commercial team, based primarily at Sky Park. This is a client-facing role suited to someone with at least five years' experience in account management, alongside experience in a hospitality sales related role. Candidates with a background working in professional sport for a club are highly encouraged to apply.

Reporting to the Senior Commercial Manager, you will take ownership of four core areas of the commercial business: managing, delivering and growing relationships with Sydney FC's key corporate partners, driving sales across our premium matchday corporate hospitality offering, providing matchday support alongside broader business development sales activity, and assisting in the continued growth of our newly revamped business club, “The Collective by Sydney FC”. This is a fantastic opportunity for a commercially minded relationship manager to take real ownership across the full partnership and hospitality lifecycle at one of Australia's biggest football clubs.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Key Partner Account Management

• Own and manage a portfolio of Sydney FC's key corporate partners, acting as their primary day-to-day relationship contact
• Develop and execute account plans for major partners, ensuring all contractual rights and deliverables are fulfilled and exceeded
• Build strong, trusted relationships with partner marketing, brand, and senior stakeholders
• Identify and convert renewal, upsell, and growth opportunities across the existing partner portfolio
• Prepare and present partner performance reviews, activation recaps, and renewal proposals
• Coordinate internally to ensure partner benefits and activations are delivered to a world-class standard

2. Corporate Hospitality Sales

• Drive sales across all Sydney FC matchday corporate hospitality packages and premium experiences, including A-League Men fixtures at Allianz Stadium, A-League Women fixtures at agreed venues, and marquee occasions such as the Sydney Derby
• Manage the end-to-end sales process, from prospecting through to close, delivering an excellent client experience in line with Sydney FC's premium hospitality standards
• Proactively identify, target, and convert new business opportunities across B2B and B2C markets
• Build and maintain a strong, qualified hospitality sales pipeline and accurate CRM records
• Work towards and achieve individual and team hospitality revenue targets across the season

3. Matchday Support & Business Development Sales

• Provide matchday support across hospitality delivery, partner servicing, and client experience at Allianz Stadium and other venues as required
• Act as a key point of escalation for partner and client needs on matchday, ensuring a seamless and premium experience
• Support the Senior Commercial Manager in identifying and developing new commercial partnership opportunities for the club
• Assist in preparing high-quality presentations and proposals for new business and brand pitches
• Carry out research and gather relevant stats, audience insights, and market data to strengthen brand pitches and proposals
• Support the onboarding of new commercial partners as they come on board

4. The Collective by Sydney FC

• Take strategic ownership of the growth, engagement, and commercial performance of The Collective, Sydney FC's newly revamped business club
• Act as the main point of contact for Collective members, ensuring a first-class member experience
• Work closely with the club's program delivery team to ensure all Collective events, benefits, and partner rights are delivered to a world-class standard, reflective of the Sydney FC brand
• Identify opportunities to grow Collective membership, enhance the proposition, and improve member retention and satisfaction
• Plan and coordinate the calendar of Collective events across the season, ensuring seamless delivery and strong engagement from members and partners
• A minimum of 5 years' experience in an account management role, managing complex client or partner relationships with a genuine passion for football/sport
• Demonstrated experience in a hospitality sales related role, with a track record of hitting or exceeding revenue targets
• Confident, senior relationship-builder, comfortable engaging clients, partners, and members at all levels including senior stakeholders
• Strong negotiation, presentation, and written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple portfolios and competing deadlines
• Comfortable using CRM and sales systems to manage pipeline, contacts, and reporting
• Willingness to work matchdays and event days as required, including evenings and weekends, and to travel to venues beyond Sky Park and Allianz Stadium as needed
• Must hold a current, valid driver’s license
• Previous experience working in professional sport for a club is highly desirable
• An existing network of corporate contacts within the Sydney business community

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