Sponsorship Manager

AO RETAIL LIMITED; Bolton; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading electrical retailer in Bolton is seeking an experienced Sponsorship Manager to drive strategic partnerships and manage high-value sponsorship agreements. This role involves negotiating contracts, implementing activation plans, and ensuring successful sponsorship outcomes. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in sponsorship management, strong reporting skills, and a creative mindset. This position is full-time and based onsite, offering competitive benefits including holidays, a pension scheme, and wellness support.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

5% pension contribution matched

VIP access to AO Arena events

Discounted gym membership

Enhanced family leave

Paid charity days

Free on-site parking

Complimentary breakfast and coffee

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in a dedicated sponsorship role, managing high-value and multi-channel programmes.
• Proven depth of experience in sponsorship management with the ability to demonstrate brand passion and commercial awareness.
• Strong track record of reporting sponsorship strategy and results to leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the negotiation and oversight of sponsorship agreements with partners.
• Develop and implement annual activation plans and coordinate activities.
• Drive commercial and brand value from sponsorships with measurable results.
• Oversee sponsor activation and fulfilment, ensuring delivery on budget.
• Track sponsorship performance, measuring impact and reporting outcomes.

Skills

Sponsorship management

Contract negotiation

Campaign reporting

Creative planning

Job description

About the Role

We're turning up the volume on sponsorship at AO! Why? Because we want to be front‑of‑mind for customers old and new - and we know the power of unforgettable partnerships. This is a group‑level role reporting into Dan, our Head of Delivery, and it's your chance to own the sponsorship game. You'll be the driving force behind shaping and growing our portfolio - from negotiating killer deals to building strategic partnerships that make AO shine. Our sponsorship mix is anything but boring: think big‑name events, grassroots programmes, sports teams, and community initiatives. It's all about creating experiences that stick and making a positive impact nationally and locally. As Sponsorship Manager, you'll be the go‑to expert, the connector, the strategist - working hand‑in‑hand with teams across AO to make sure every sponsorship delivers maximum bang for our buck. Our people are our superpower, and we're unstoppable when we're together! We want your ideas to flow, and what better way to make that happen than being based onsite, 5 days a week, where our culture fuels creativity, collaboration and growth. If a £1 bet in the pub between two friends can become the UK’s most trusted electrical retailer, imagine what else can be achieved when we’re together! We’re known for helping our customers brilliantly - and it's no different for AOers. We care about more than what's on your CV, because together we can do extraordinary things.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the negotiation and oversight of sponsorship agreements and deliverables with existing partners.
• Develop and implement annual activation plans, coordinating a pipeline of activities year‑round, amplified through owned, paid, and earned channels.
• Collaborate with marketing, communications, and creative teams to use sponsorships as catalysts for storytelling.
• Drive real commercial and brand value from sponsorships, ensuring all partnerships work hard and deliver measurable results.
• Oversee sponsor activation and fulfilment, ensuring all activity is delivered on budget and with continuous process improvement.
• Take ownership of reporting – regularly communicate plans, activities, and success metrics to senior stakeholders, showing clearly how each sponsorship is being leveraged and the impact achieved.
• Track sponsorship performance, measuring impact and reporting on outcomes and ROI.
• Lead, develop, and support a team of direct reports, fostering their growth and driving career progression.
• Identify and develop long‑term national and local sponsorship opportunities as required.
• Maintain strong sponsor relationships, acting as the main point of contact and ensuring excellent stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Hands‑on experience in a dedicated sponsorship role, managing high‑value and multi‑channel programmes.
• Proven depth of experience in sponsorship management, including contract negotiation, activation planning, and results reporting, with the ability to demonstrate brand passion, commercial awareness, and business acumen.
• Experience delivering creative, multi‑platform campaigns across brand and sponsorship channels.
• Proactive, entrepreneurial, and persistent in seeking better ways of working.
• Strong track record of reporting sponsorship strategy, activity, and results to leadership and stakeholders.

Benefits

• Holidays – 25 days, plus bank holidays (increasing to 27 days after 2 years with us!)
• Pension – Contribute 5% of your annual salary and we’ll do the same.
• Be a VIP at the AO Arena – we have loads of opportunities to win free tickets and pre‑sale access!
• Health & wellbeing – discounted gym membership, an onsite spa and our Help @ Hand scheme giving you access to virtual GP's, mental health support and much more.
• Discounts – exclusive discounts across our product range.
• Family leave – Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Making a difference – 2 fully paid days a year to donate your time to any charity of your choice.
• On‑site perks – start your day with free onsite parking, grabbing a complimentary breakfast and a coffee at our subsidised Starbucks!