Partnership Marketing Manager

Sunderland AFC; Sunderland; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A professional football club in the UK is looking for a Partnership Marketing Manager to enhance partner experiences and manage relationships. The candidate should have substantial experience in partnership marketing and account management, coupled with strong analytical skills for producing ROI-focused reports. This role demands excellent communication skills and a proactive approach. A Basic DBS is required.

Qualifications

• 3-5+ years of experience in partnership marketing or account management.
• Proven track record of managing cross-functional teams.
• Experience delivering high-quality activations and renewals.

Responsibilities

• Manage the partnership service function from onboarding through renewal.
• Develop and implement a partnership welcome strategy.
• Provide regular ROI and performance reports to partners.

Skills

Experience in partnership marketing

Sponsorship activation

Account management

Strong data analysis skills

Excellent communication

Stakeholder management

Job description

About the Commercial Team:

The Commercial Team at Sunderland AFC is dedicated to driving the club’s growth beyond the pitch. We are a passionate group focused on forging meaningful partnerships, enhancing fan experiences, and maximizing commercial opportunities through sponsorship, marketing, and merchandise.

With a diverse set of skills and backgrounds, our team collaborates closely with local businesses and global brands to create innovative solutions benefit both the club and our community. Our mission is to build a sustainable future for Sunderland AFC while ensuring our fans feel valued every step of the way.

The Opportunity:

We are seeking a Partnership Marketing Manager to join our team and ensure we deliver best‑in‑class service to all partners. You will act as the SAFC expert in Partnership Marketing, working closely with partners to create engaging activations that maximise asset value and ROI while upholding exceptional relationship management and governance.

You will manage the partnership service function, guiding onboarding through renewal for Principal Partners and you will own the end‑to‑end partner experience.

In this role, you will develop and implement a comprehensive partnership welcome and introduction strategy, provide regular ROI and performance reports to partners, and drive growth through upsell opportunities and expanded rights packages.

What We Ask For:

A successful candidate will bring 3-5+ years of experience in partnership marketing, sponsorship activation, or account management, with a proven track record of managing cross‑functional teams and external partners.

You should have strong data analysis skills and be comfortable producing ROI‑focused reports and dashboards. Excellent communication and stakeholder management are essential, including experience interacting with executive‑level partners.

You should have demonstrated success in delivering on‑time, high‑quality activations and renewals, and a customer‑first, proactive approach to problem‑solving. Knowledge of safeguarding policies and event/venue compliance is important.

We’re looking for someone who is collaborative, data‑driven, and capable of turning insights into actionable strategies that enhance partner value. If you can translate these strengths into measurable outcomes, including improved partner satisfaction, higher renewal rates, increased partner revenue through upsell, and broader digital engagement, you will thrive in this role.

A Basic DBS from Sunderland AFC is required.