Client Manager, Sponsorship & Consultancy

Dentsu; London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A global sports and entertainment agency is seeking an experienced Client Manager to lead football partnerships. The role requires strong project management and client servicing skills, alongside at least 5 years in marketing and 3 years in sports sponsorship. Join a dynamic team to connect brands with fans and manage exciting projects in the sports sector. Competitive salary and benefits, including a hybrid working model, are offered.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Hybrid working

Health insurance

Extra days off for wellbeing and birthdays

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years' experience in marketing either agency side, client side or with a rights holder.
• Minimum of 3 years' experience working on sports sponsorships and activation programmes.
• Demonstrable experience in project management and client servicing excellence.

Responsibilities

• Manage day to day client relationships.
• Own client connections and relationships.
• Effectively manage retained client work and project work.

Skills

Project management skills

Knowledge of sponsorships

Client servicing

Leadership

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Job Description:

Why this job is for you...

We believe passionately in helping brands connect with people by harnessing the power of sports and entertainment through shared experiences.

We know that the way fans engage with their passions is an evolutionary process.

It changes fast - and brands in sports and entertainment can be left behind if they are not evolving.

At MKTG Sports + Entertainment we leverage deep fan insights, combine that with the strategic and creative input of our talented team members to create impact between properties, personalities, fans, and brands.

In short, we help brands move at the speed of fans.

We believe passionately in helping brands connect with people by harnessing the power of sports and entertainment through shared experiences. We know that the way fans engage with their passions is an evolutionary process.

It changes fast - and brands in sports and entertainment can be left behind if they are not evolving.

At MKTG Sports + Entertainment we leverage deep fan insights, combine that with the strategic and creative input of our talented team members to create impact between properties, personalities, fans, and brands.

In short, we help brands move at the speed of fans.

We are looking for an experienced Client Manager to join the MKTG team to work on an exciting football partnership. The role will require previous sport sponsorship experience, leadership of the MKTG team on aspects of various projects and lead on multiple football-focussed campaigns.

Candidate will require excellent project and activation management and senior client stakeholder management.

The role will report into a Client Director & Business Director and the Client Manager will need to be able to lead a team as well as juggle multiple clients and agency peers.

Why MKTG Sports + Entertainment is the right place to do it.

We're a global sports and entertainment agency, part of the dentsu network, that believes those who do it best don't buy attention. They earn it through:

• a deep understanding of consumer subcultures and communities
• creating culturally relevant marketing platforms that consumers want to spend time with
• building ideas born for brands but designed for fans.

We're built to deliver these three things across our departments - Sponsorship & Consulting, Insights & Analytics, Hospitality & Events and Content &Communications - to produce real business and brand value.

By taking on this role at MKTG, you'll become part of the global client team and develop wider experience on how the account is run globally across MKTG and DSI.

What we're looking for

We are on the hunt for an industry leading Client Manager of sponsorships and partnerships, to work on delivering and implementing some of the most exciting collaborations in sport and entertainment and specifically football.

This role will be responsible for leading and managing the client relationships, activation plans, projects and client servicing within the football industry.

We are looking for a Client Manager with strong knowledge of sponsorships and partnerships within the football industry, with particular enthusiasm for project management.

What you will be doing each day

As a Client Manager in sponsorship + consultancy, your role is to provide support and assistance in managing the client's business and to keep day to day activities running smoothly. You will support the wider team in delivery on accounts, managing the capabilities and team to ensure on-time delivery and excellence in execution. This is a key role in driving collaboration internally and externally with the client and partners.

Responsibilities:

Client Servicing/Account Management:

• Manage day to day client relationships.
• Own client connections and relationships
• Understand your client's business and the wider industry competitor set.
• Know what makes your clients tick, how to make them stand out and support them in achieving marketing goals.
• Lead by example on client service excellence.
• Adhere to excellent time management.
• Have ownership and accountability for client/account fees and activation budgets.
• Understand and be able to report on the commercials of your client responsibilities.

Project Management:

• Effectively and efficiently manage retained client work and project work. This includes but not limited to, end-to-end project management, management of partnership rights and utilisation, merchandise, campaign planning, managing activations across key moments of the season, on ground activations and much more to ensure deliverables are met.
• Work with leadership team to ensure the project delivers above client expectations.
• Be accountable for (the client team) setting timelines, expectations, and meeting deadlines.
• Support the Directors with the management of resource and workloads across the team on designated projects.

Administration:

• Ensure that timesheets for self and direct reports are completed on time and accurately.
• Oversee and be the key point of contact for finance related activities on the account.

Culture & Values:

• Lead key culture initiatives and demonstrate the importance of our culture & values to the junior team.

Business Growth:

• Support new biz function by participating in new client proposals and pitch processes.
• Look to build opportunities from current client and new clients from across the business.
• Put together proposals and costings for small to mid-size projects with support from Directors.

Marketing:

• Lead the way in directing marketing initiatives.
• Encourage your wider team to input to marketing the agency.
• Suggest ideas on how we can better market the agency.
• Participate in regular thought leadership in written, presentation and verbal format.
• Represent the agency at webinars and conferences and seek opportunities to do so.

Self-Development:

• Be knowledgeable about the industry and strive for expertise.
• Ensure you understand and can confidently present sponsorship processes.
• Be curious and focus on personal development through team management and leadership training.
• Support junior members of the agency with developing their understanding of the industry and latest news.

People Management:

• Act as a mentor and coach to your direct reports to help them develop in their role and career, promoting an inclusive environment where everyone's voice can be heard.
• Provide regular on the go feedback and regular structured 121's which focuses on performance.
• Discuss and agree clear performance objectives and L&D opportunities, which supports both the business and your direct reports personal ambitions, identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses.
• Seek support from Directors/VPs/HR when required.

What you will have done so far:

You are excited by the prospect of working on award winning sport sponsorship projects and are passionate about delivering brilliant solutions for clients.

You have the technical knowledge of sponsorships and partnership marketing, as well as attention to detail and drive to manage and develop existing activation programmes.

You take pride in your work, thrive in managing projects and are comfortable with strategic thinking needed to develop campaigns, activations and integrated marketing solutions.

You also thrive under pressure, enjoy working on sports/events and like to be part of a close-knit team.

To be able to deliver this we need you to have:

• Minimum of 5 years' experience in marketing either agency side, client side or with a rights holder.
• Minimum of 3 years' experience working on sport sponsorships and activation programmes
• Demonstrable experience in project management and client servicing excellence
• A good understanding of the wider marketing landscape
• Superstar project management skills
• A strategic and logical thinker who can provide council to our clients and suppliers in delivering best in class solutions
• Acumen to look at business performance for our clients and how this can be measured to make sponsorship assets more accountable
• A team mentality, building high performing teams both through line management and brilliant project work.

What We Offer:

• The opportunity to work on diverse and challenging projects for top brands across sports and entertainment.
• A collaborative and supportive work environment that fosters creativity and professional growth.
• Competitive salary and benefits package including hybrid working, health insurance and extra days off for your wellbeing and your birthday.
• The chance to be part of an award-winning team that helps brands move at the speed of fans.

We love smart, curious people from eclectic backgrounds who are genuinely interested in the latest trends that drive culture. Whilst we don't need a sports fanatic, understanding fan behaviour and mentality is important.

Our Values:

About dentsu sports international:

MKTG Sports & Entertainment is a global integrated agency that help brands and rights holders move at the speed of fans. For over 20 years, we've ignited fandom and innovated activation in the world of sports and entertainment. We have strategised, created and driven partnerships for some of the world's biggest brands and power brands in the making. With one aligned goal - make something worth noticing, engaging, liking, sharing and remembering.

We are part of Dentsu Sports International, a global sports network comprised of MKTG Sports & Entertainment and Dentsu Sports, a leading sports rights holder including federations, leagues, events, teams, and venues.

Inclusion and Diversity

We're proud to be different and that starts with our people. We believe in equal opportunities for everyone. We won't define people by their race, gender, sexual-orientation, age or disability. Individuality is what makes us great, we want everyone to bring their full self to work and create something amazing. That's what we care about. So, whether you're joining us, or looking to move to a different part of the business, we work hard to make sure we create equal opportunities for everyone.

We are happy to discuss flexible and agile approaches to working for all our roles - we can't promise we will be able to offer you everything you want or need but we do promise to discuss it with you openly and honestly. If you have any reasonable adjustment needs arising from a disability or medical condition to fully participate in the recruitment process, please discuss this with our recruitment teams.

#LI-Hybrid #LI-Dentsu #LI-MKTG

Location:
London

Brand:
Mktg Sports

Time Type:
Full time

Contract Type:
Permanent