Partnership Marketing Specialist

Portland Trail Blazers; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 33,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary Range: starting at $28.00 per/​

Retirement Plan

Paid Maternal & Parental Leave

Wellness Perks

Tuition Reimbursement

Free Parking + Mass Transit Passes

Discounted & Complimentary Tickets

Job summary

Portland Trail Blazers is hiring a full-time Partnership Marketing Specialist to manage and activate partner relationships. You will be the main contact for assigned partners, driving activation, client management and cross-functional collaboration to bring partnerships to life.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, proactive, and excels in relationship building. Experience in corporate partnerships or sports marketing is a plus, with a passion for inclusivity and impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related field.
• Experience in partnerships, marketing, client relationship management, or events is preferred.
• Strong customer service and communication skills.
• Knowledge of sports industry or brand collaborations is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Foster strong relationships with partners, focusing on activation and project management.
• Manage 10–15 partners and support Rose City Partners collaboration.
• Onboard new partners and provide ongoing support with proactive communication.
• Represent partner interests across the organization to balance needs of partners, company, fans.
• Ensure partners understand terms and leverage assets in their deals.
• Learn partners’ products, services and industries to better support needs.
• Identify opportunities to grow partner spend and mitigate renewal risk.
• Collaborate with Partnership Development and Strategy teams on retention and upsell strategies quarterly.
• Coordinate activations and events, ensuring timely, on-brand delivery.
• Keep internal stakeholders and external partners informed of progress and next steps.

Skills

Relationship management

Client management

Project management

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing

Tools

Wrike

Asana

Monday.com

KORE

Job description

Become a part of the team behind the team .

As employees of the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Quarter, we do more than basketball. We are blazing trails toward winning championships on and off the court .

We are pioneers and innovators. We look for people who push boundaries, who dream, who are committed to inclusivity – who want to contribute to Rip City!

As our full-time Partnership Marketing Specialist , you play a vital role in managing and enhancing partnerships by focusing on relationship-building, activation, and project management. You will deliver exceptional service to our partners, ensuring a seamless experience throughout their partnership journey. You will serve as a key point of contact for your assigned partners, bringing their partnership s to life through thoughtful activation, client management and cross-functional collaboration.

Our ideal candidate is a highly organized, proactive and relationship- driven individual who enjoys working in a dynamic, team-focused environment. E xperience in corporate partnershi ps , client management , sports marketing, special events, or a related field is a plus , but not required. W e welcome candidates from diverse professional backgrounds who bring transferrable skills, a willingness to learn, and an enthusiasm for building relationships and making an impact .

DAY-TO-DAY:

• Foster strong relationships with partners, focusing on activation elements and supporting project management to enhance overall partnerships. The specialist will manage 10 -15 partners as well as support the Partnership Marketing Managers with Rose City Partners.
• Support with onboarding new partners and provide ongoing support, with a focus on proactive communication and problem-solving to address challenges before they arise.
• Represent partner interests across the organization, finding balanced solutions that benefit partners, the company, and key fans and stakeholders.
• Ensure partners fully understand the terms of their agreements and how to leverage all assets included in their deals.
• Gain in-depth knowledge of assigned partners’ products, services, and industr ies to better support their needs.
• Recognize opportunities to grow partner business spend and identify potential risks of non-renewal, addressing concerns proactively.
• Collaborate with P artnership D evelopment and Partnership S trategy team s to develop retention strategies and upsell initiatives on a quarterly basis.
• Coordinate partnership marketing activations and special events, ensuring deliverables are executed effectively and aligned with partner objectives.
• Manage multiple projects and activation timelines simultaneously, keeping internal stakeholders and external partners informed of progress and next steps.

WE’D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU IF YOU:

• Hold a b achelor’s d egree in marketing, communications, business administration, sports management, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Have demonstrated experience in partnerships , marketing, client relationship management, special events, client services, or related field
• Display great customer service skills , with experience presenting to diverse groups
• Possess strong interpersonal skills, including written and oral communication
• Possess knowledge of the sports industry or other brand collaboration partnerships
• Are co mmitted to supporting and participating in a diverse and inclusive environment.

WE’D BE THRILLED IF YOU ALSO HAVE:

• Experience managing client or partner relationships and coordinating projects, activations or events.
• Experience using KORE or other partnership asset inventory or sponsorship management software.
• Experience using project management platforms such as Wrike, Asana, Monday.com, or similar tools.

Offers of employment are conditional upon the successful results of an individual background check. We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories and review results on an individual basis.

The Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Quarter embraces diversity and inclusion. We celebrate individual expression and uniqueness on our campus . We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination. We are committed to hiring individuals that reflect the community we serve without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, disability, g enetic information, or other legally protected characteristics . We are an equal opportunity employer .

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

PERKS:

We invest in our employees inside and outside of work. Our benefits package for full-time teammates includes:

• Salary Range: starting at $28.00 per hour
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Maternal & Parental Leave
• Wellness Perks
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Free Parking + Discounted Mass Transit Passes
• Discounted & Complimentary Tickets

Disclaimer

All applications and resumes are personally reviewed by our recruitment team, and all final hiring decisions are made by humans.Our applicant tracking system may include artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools or features to support the hiring process; however, we do not use AI to screen or evaluate candidates.If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.