Manager, Global Partnerships Sales – Manchester United

About the job

Location: London Office

At Manchester United, we believe that excellence on the pitch starts with excellence off the pitch. Our team thrives in a high-performance environment, united by a shared passion for success. We aim to elevate the standard of performance through collaboration and continuous growth, creating a space where everyone can contribute their best to our common goals.

We work together at our iconic Manchester United offices, enabling connection and innovation as we look ahead to what we can achieve as a global football club. We are excited to bring in passionate individuals who share our vision and drive for success.

Our Culture & Values

Here at Manchester United, we place great emphasis on a culture of connection, respect, and teamwork. We expect our colleagues to be champions of growth—constantly evolving, pushing boundaries, and collaborating across all areas of the business to keep us at the top of our game.

Before applying, take a moment to reflect on our Manchester United values. If you’re driven by the pursuit of excellence, passionate about football, and eager to be part of something bigger, we’d love for you to join us.

The Role

  • Connect with potential partners at the C-suite level, evaluating their suitability for Manchester United and aligning their brand objectives with the club’s offerings. Although industry contacts is a bonus and ability to source your own prospects is expected, this role does not require lead generation. There is a sales support team responsible for sourcing leads. Cold calling/ emailing is a part of the role.
  • Bespoke Sales Strategy:Develop and implement a tailored sales strategy that aligns with the prospects’ overall brand objectives and strategic growth or marketing plans.
  • Relationship Building: Establish and nurture relationships with key decision-makers externally, demonstrating the unique benefits of partnership opportunities with Manchester United.
  • Pitch Creation: Create compelling, bespoke pitches and proposals that showcase the unique benefits and value proposition of partnering with Manchester United. This includes demonstrating exposure, audience reach, and marketing activations.
  • Data-Driven Selling: Use analytical, data-led proof points, leveraging internal and external resources to demonstrate the ROI and value of a partnership with Manchester United. This role requires the ability to do an emotional sell, backed up by data.
  • Contract Negotiation: Negotiate commercial contracts, together with the legal team, to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for both the club and the partner.
  • Collaborative Strategy: Cross collaborate with internal stakeholders, including technology, football management, venue, marketing, events, and operations teams, to understand the club’s needs and identify how prospect products can provide effective solutions whilst ensuring alignment with clubs needs and objectives.
  • Relationship Management: Maintain high-level relationships with prospects and existing partners, focusing on satisfaction, renewals, and upselling opportunities. This is not an account management role for existing partners; you will engage with partners strategically, using a light touch to drive renewals and identify upselling possibilities without managing day-to-day activations.
  • Market Insight: Stay informed about sports and prospect industry trends, market conditions, and competitors’ activities to identify new opportunities and maintain a competitive edge.
  • Networking:Participate in industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities to expand your network and engage with potential high-level prospects.

The Person:

  • Ability to engage, influence and manage senior level stakeholders both internally and externally.
  • Demonstrates expertise in managing complex, high-value deals from initial contact through proposal development and contract negotiation, particularly in challenging environments and for premium brands.A
  • nalytical mindset with capability to understand partner objectives and structure and present relevant sales data to deliver on these.
  • Exhibits strong strategic thinking by tailorning pitches and preparing highly detailed data and analytics to absolute accuracy levels and aligning then to internal and external objectives.
  • Leverages data effectively to support emotional sales pitches, using analytics to clearly demonstrate ROI
  • A strong track record of presenting to external stakeholders at a range of levels and cross border- you must be able to articulate complex narratives with complete clarity.
  • Prior experience working across a range of internal functions and with a strong understanding of all aspects of the marketing mix.
  • Shows a solid grasp of ability to negotiate commercial contract terms and legal considerations, particularly in the context of high-value agreements.
  • Candidates must be prepared to travel extensively (up to 60%), often on short notice, and be available to attend matches and events outside of regular working hours, including evenings and weekends.
  • Applicants must be able to demonstrate experience of working to tight deadlines in a high-performance environment.
  • A strong team player, you will be part of a small, high performance team and will need to demonstrate an exceptional attitude towards team work, whilst being able to self-motivate and approach the role with high levels of proactivity.

What We Offer

At Manchester United, we recognise that our people are at the heart of our success. That’s why we offer a range of rewards designed to support your professional and personal well-being:

  • Performance-based Annual Bonus to reward your dedication and hard work
  • Wellness Support with access to mental health resources, digital health checks, and & nutritionists through Aviva Digicare+ Workplace
  • Exclusive Discounts through our United Rewards platform, giving you access to exclusive deals from the club and partners
  • Gym Facilities in our onsite locations and opportunities for regular social events and team-building activities
  • Enhanced family Leave Benefits and an opportunity to purchase additional holiday days
  • Complimentary Lunch & Parking at our onsite office locations and supplementary offers for our London office.
  • Enhanced Career Development with access to professional learning platforms like LinkedIn Learning, and internal training programs
  • A Supportive Work Environment that values diversity, equity and inclusion, and individual growth

Our Commitment To You

At Manchester United, we believe that a diverse and inclusive environment makes us stronger. We are committed to building a team where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the core of our recruitment strategy, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Ready to Join Us?

If this sounds like the perfect role for you, please submit your application by Wednesday 22nd January.

Manchester United is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, and as part of this commitment, all candidates will undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check and reference checks.

If you need any adjustments to help you perform at your best during the recruitment process, please feel free to contact us, and we will be happy to discuss them with you.

It is unlawful to employ a person in a UK-based job who does not have permission to live and work in the UK. You should make yourself aware of how immigration laws apply to you before applying for any of our roles. Your personal data will be processed on MU’s behalf by Korn Ferry.

Apply here.

Sales Manager – Sale Sharks

Born in Manchester and proud of our roots, Sale Sharks is the only Premiership Rugby Union team in the North-West, playing top-flight rugby in the Gallagher Premiership and European Champions Cup, with an emerging Women’s team competing in the Allianz Premier 15s.  Our club philosophy is to be a better person, our Shark blood of Togetherness, Fearlessness, Pride, Passion and Humility running through the club make us who we are.  A family woven together by the Fabric of the North.

Based at our high-performance training centre, we are looking for a down-to-earth Sales Manager to join the Sharks family.  The ideal candidate comes from a sports brand/agency or professional club background, has an excellent record of sales success and relationship management. A good knowledge of rugby union (or a willingness to learn), an entrepreneurial attitude and optimistic outlook are essential.

Responsibilities (including but not limited to):

  • Work with the Sales and Marketing Director to build a 3-5 year strategic roadmap for the sales team outlining short and long terms goals and targets to maximise revenue opportunities
  • Plan and execute the sales strategy for the Club to drive long term business growth, working collaboratively with marketing and operations to ensure an integrated approach to business
  • Tracking and analysis of commercial performance to provide regular reports to Club stakeholders including LYs comparison, forecast v actuals tracking, rights delivery performance and value, seasonal hospitality, and match day hospitality
  • Understanding of the existing sports sponsorship landscape to identify new business opportunities that are a strong brand fit to Sale Sharks and align to the Clubs’ brand values and strategic direction
  • Build good relationships to establish sales prospects, drive new business and explore initiatives outside of traditional routes, build and manage those relationships directly and through the broader Sales team
  • Lead new contract and renewal negotiations, manage existing partnership relationships, oversee the rights activation for all contracts to maximise value for club and sponsor
  • Support the sales team to evolve the match day hospitality experience providing insights and recommendations, help increase Seasonal and Match-By-Match sales and YOY retention, support Player Sponsorship negotiations and new business prospecting
  • Promote the philosophy of Learn, Care, Develop through setting team goals, individual performance goals and reviews, identify training needs, coaching and development

Qualifications & Experience:

Essential

  • Minimum 10 years experience working at a sports brand or in a professional club environment
  • Demonstrable track record of sales success
  • Experience of leading and developing a high performing sales team
  • Excellent communication skills with a high attention to detail
  • Excellent numeracy and excel skills
  • Ability to build strong relationships
  • Experience working in a fast-paced environment
  • Experience in business development

Desirable

  • Knowledge of the sports sponsorship marketplace
  • Experience of managing a portfolio of sponsorships
  • Experience with contract negotiations

Department: Commercial

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week including all home fixtures

Salary: £DOE

Send your CV to:claire.butters@salesharks.com

Senior Partnership Sales Manager – NBA (EME)

About the job

The NBA are actively seeking a Senior Partnership Development Manager who will take a key role in the sponsorship sales process across EME at both a regional multi-market and national single market level.

The focus for the successful candidate will be on prospecting, pitching, negotiating and securing new marketing partners. The role is London based, with a hybrid working pattern, and likely to involve around three days in office each week and there will be regular European travel too.

The role would ideally suit someone from a Business Development, Partnership Sales background, ideally working in a major rightsholder / team / brand delivering forward thinking partnership deals.

Major Responsibilities

  • Develop and implement a sales strategy for the NBA Europe Game as part of the overall EME new business strategy and ownership of the new business revenue targets associated with the event.
  • Develop and implement a sales strategy for regional sales categories and ownership of the revenue targets associated with these.
  • Prospect, target and sell tailored NBA partnerships to multinational and national companies in relation to the above, utilizing data and research as well as an extensive external personal network.
  • Consult with both multinational and national companies to determine their sales and marketing objectives as well as the strategic direction of their business, markets and competitors and create integrated marketing partnerships/programmes that will meet these objectives.
  • Creatively develop new commercial opportunities and initiatives that can be successfully taken to market which will include IP, media, promotional, and event-based assets
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders and senior decision makers at potential partners and agencies in the region
  • Work collaboratively with other internal NBA functions, both in this region and globally, to help develop rights packages that can successfully be taken to market.
  • Work with the other members of the EME Business Development team on shaping the regional strategy and proactively contribute to sales efforts in other EME markets as required.

Required Skills/Knowledge

  • Successful track record in international sales (preferably within the sports sector)
  • Strong understanding of the sponsorship market and a network of relationships across all sectors of the sponsorship landscape
  • A track record of securing sponsorship contracts for rights holders
  • Ability to develop creative solutions which will meet the objectives of prospective marketing partners
  • Strategic thinker – able to shape, develop and execute the strategy for a diverse region
  • Strong persuasive and negotiation skills
  • A credible communicator, adept at operating at Board/Senior Executive level and with excellent presentation skills
  • Commercially minded and results driven – ability to meet and exceed sales targets
  • Ability to work well within a matrix organization
  • Fluency in English. Additional languages such as French / Spanish would be helpful but not essential.

The Executives in Sport Group are retained on behalf of the NBA to appoint a New Business Development Manager. All direct applications and CV’s will be forwarded to The Executives in Sport Group.