Senior Marketing Manager - FA Competitions

Set the bar for greatness. We are looking for an experienced Senior Marketing Manager to develop the marketing strategy and oversee the creative execution for the Adobe Women’s FA Cup. The role sits as part of the wider FA Competitions team, which also oversees the Men’s Emirates FA Cup, Community Shield, Youth Cup, Vase & Trophy.

The Adobe Women’s FA Cup has undergone a substantial change in recent years, following the introduction of a new commercial partner (Adobe), and has received significant investment to develop a revitalised brand and commercial offering. The competition is considered the pinnacle of the women’s domestic game and is a key pillar within The FA’s 24-28 business strategy, as we continue to build a world-class offering for women and girls.

This is a new role that will be key to driving the brand forward as we enter an ambitious stage of growth with the aim of challenging more established women’s sports brands and capturing the attention of new audiences. We are therefore looking for someone with a broad skillset and knowledge who brings a strategic mindset, creative energy and passion for elevating the cultural relevance of the brand within the women’s football community, whilst growing the wider fanbase.

The ideal candidate will be tapped into the qualities of women’s football, understand the nuances of our communities, coupled with an underlying interest in music, fashion, the arts and other lifestyle sub-cultures. In addition to being a strong strategic operator, stakeholder management is a pivotal part of this role; you will be working closely with a wide range of internal teams (content/social, commercial partnerships, broadcast, communications, events) as well as external partners, so having strong collaboration, communication and project management skills are vital.

The role will also oversee two direct reports, so prior experience with managing and developing people is essential. This role will also support the Brand Lead with the marketing strategy and output across the Men’s Emirates FA Cup and other FA Competitions. There will also be a level of cross-over with England & Grassroots Marketing teams and will sit as part of the wider Marketing, Communications and Corporate Affairs Division.

This role is perfectly suited for someone who wants to challenge themselves in a fast-paced and collaborative environment, who will be given a platform to showcase their skills and be given the freedom to take both the strategic and creative lead on campaigns.

What will you be doing?

• Develop and lead the end-to-end marketing strategy for the Adobe Women’s FA Cup across all rounds, culminating in the Final at Wembley Stadium.
• Creative ideation and execution of culturally relevant campaigns (hero moments) and season-long content threads for the Adobe Women’s FA Cup.
• Planning and implementing an effective ticket promotional campaign to sell out the Final at Wembley, including but not limited to DOOH, paid social and SEO.
• Work closely with the internal stakeholder group to build a year-round narrative that goes beyond matchdays, tapping into moments across fashion, music, the arts and community life.
• Use insights and data to inform decision-making, audience targeting and content planning.
• Delivery of all physical and digital stadium branding requirements for Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley; striving for best-in-class stadium activation fan experience that translates to digital and broadcast audiences.
• Manage external stakeholders and campaign activations with the likes of Adobe, competition broadcasters, third-party publishers and participating clubs to ensure alignment on objectives, campaign execution and integration in major events.
• Identify and manage opportunities for influencer and/or talent collaborations aligned with the brand values.
• Manage a range of agency and/or supplier relationships.
• Where required, act as Brand Guardian and ensure implementation of correct branding across internal and external executions, including working closely with global broadcasters, licensees and clubs.
• Regular reporting to FA leadership teams and representing the marketing team to external partners and committees.
• Oversight of the domestic marketing budget.
• Execute additional tasks as required to meet the FA’s changing priorities.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure that the highest standards of health, safety, and well-being can be maintained.

As part of the FA’s commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.

What are we looking for?

Essential for the role:

• At least 7 years+ relevant experience in a brand marketing or agency role, including significant experience in marketing, brand strategy or campaign development – ideally in sport, entertainment or culture-focused organisations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with experience leading cross-functional teams and external partners.
• Highly organised and comfortable working on multiple campaigns simultaneously in a small, agile team.
• Experience of working on/with commercial teams, e.g. partnerships, sales, broadcast, to deliver collaborative campaigns.
• Track record of line manager experience.
• Educated to University degree level or 2 additional years of experience.
• Deep understanding of women’s football and the women’s football community, both at elite and grassroots levels.
• A passion and interest in sports marketing.
• Understanding of social media content strategies and working closely with content teams to deliver campaign outputs.
• Creative thinker with an editorial eye for compelling storytelling and brand-building.

Beneficial to have:

• Experience in managing ongoing paid media campaigns or overseeing agencies to do so.
• Experience in delivering mass-scale event activations and/or event branding.
• Frequently attend or watch women’s football, or am an active member of the women’s football community.
• Existing relationships with a range of media publishers across the sports industry.
• Existing relationships with clubs or football agents/talent agencies.
• Strong cultural radar – plugged into trends across fashion, music, art, and youth/lifestyle subcultures.

What’s in it for you?

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, to achieve this we have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English Football. We are also delighted to offer a world-class, Elite Performance Centre, St. George’s Park in Staffordshire which is an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high-performing England teams and leaders. We pride ourselves in offering a competitive salary as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role.

We also have a range of exciting benefits, some of which can be found below:

• Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season, encouraging you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and well-being.
• Free, nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park.
• Free private medical cover.
• A contributory pension scheme.
• An additional ‘Thank You’ days leave, volunteering days as well as 25 days annual leave (based on a full-time, permanent contract).
• A hybrid working model which offers greater flexibility.

For more information on what it is like to work at The FA, please visit our FA Careers page. We are a diverse workplace, aspiring to represent football across the country. The Football Association actively promotes inclusion and diversity, encouraging you to be the best version of yourself at work. We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. If you have any particular requirements in respect of the recruitment or interview process, please mention this during your application.