Partnerships Sales Executive

Bristol Bears; Bristol; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A professional sports club located in the UK is seeking an outbound sales professional to identify and secure new partnership opportunities. The role involves managing sponsorships for players and events, driving sales revenue through marketing, and building long-term relationships with clients. Ideal candidates will have strong negotiation and communication skills, with experience or understanding of the sports industry being a plus. This is a full-time position, offering competitive remuneration and benefits.

Benefits

Discretionary bonus structure

Health and safety compliance

Equal opportunities policy

Qualifications

• Ability to present confidently to decision makers.
• Meticulous attention to detail and methodical approach.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Identify and secure new partnership opportunities.
• Drive sales revenue targets through marketing initiatives.
• Manage player, event, and match day sponsorships.

Skills

Negotiation

Organizational skills

Communication

Relationship building

Job description

Organisation: Bristol Bears

Salary: £26,000 – £28,000 per annum depending on experience plus discretionary bonus structure.

Location: Bristol Bears High Performance Centre, Abbots Leigh, Bristol, BS8 3TF. May include duties at off‑site locations.

Contract type: Permanent (Full time)

Closing date: 19 January 2026

Department

OPERATIONS

Reports To

Partnerships Sales Manager

About the Club

Bristol Bears Rugby is part of Stephen Lansdown’s sporting group which includes Bristol Sport, Bristol City Football, Bristol Flyers Basketball and their respective community charities. Our ambition is to inspire the community through rugby success. Supporters regularly attend Ashton Gate Stadium to watch the team in Premiership and European Cup competitions, as well as the Women’s team competing at the highest level of domestic competition.

Role Summary

We’re looking for a dedicated outbound sales professional with a genuine passion for sport and commercial success. The primary objective is to identify, nurture, and secure new partnership opportunities, focusing on player, event, and matchday sponsorships. The role will drive sales revenue targets through proactive marketing initiatives and build a strong new‑business pipeline across the region.

Key Responsibilities

Player Sponsorship

• Review and update the player sponsorship package, creating new sales collateral
• Renew or sell all Men & Women’s players for the 26/27 campaign
• Oversee all contractual, financial and activation elements of this revenue stream
• Account management (in‑house & with each sponsor)
• Maintain an up‑to‑date pipeline record and provide weekly sales reports to the CEO
• Achieve sales targets set by the CEO
• Collaborate closely with the partnership activation team and Partnerships Sales Manager

Match‑Day Sponsorship

• Review and revise the match‑day sponsorship package, and create new sales materials
• Sell match‑day sponsorship packages for each home match at Ashton Gate, including Big Day Out
• Sell additional assets and packages for Big Day Out and other marquee games (e.g., LED and big‑screen partnerships)
• Contact prospective clients via LinkedIn, telephone, email, presentations, or in‑person meetings

HPC Events and Activations

• Creatively sell HPC event opportunities to existing clients and new businesses
• Proactively identify new business event opportunities to drive revenue for men and women’s teams
• Develop long‑term relationships with partners and identify potential growth accounts

Key Relationships

• Chief Executive Officer
• Partnerships Team
• Bears Operations Team
• High Performance Centre Events Manager
• Ashton Gate Sales Teams

Essential Skills

• Ability to negotiate commercial terms and present confidently to decision makers
• Highly organised, with meticulous attention to detail and a methodical approach to workload
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Confident relationship builder with a commercial mindset

Desirable Skills

• Previous knowledge and experience of the sports industry
• Proven direct client relationship management experience
• Experience in new business acquisition activity
• Understanding of partnership activation and brand objectives
• Existing local or regional business network

Health & Safety

• Ensure all health and safety procedures are followed at all times and maintain relevant documentation
• Report all incidents and accidents as required

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to the principle of equal opportunity and its policies for recruitment, selection, training, development and promotion are designed to ensure that no employee or potential employee receives less favourable treatment on the basis of race, colour, nationality, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, ethnic and national origin, disability or gender reassignment.

Safeguarding

Bristol Rugby Club Limited is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All employees are expected to share this commitment. A Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check will be required for this role.

Additional Information

Full‑time position, 37.5 hours per week.