Sponsorship and Partnerships Manager - Music

As the GB Brand Experience and Sponsorship team continues to evolve, we are at an exciting time of development and this is a strategically important role that harmonizes the love for brand-building through sponsorships & partnerships with the passion for music culture!

It is a unique opportunity to shape an extraordinary future for our iconic spirits and RTD portfolio using the power of music to connect our brands with consumers in some of life’s most meaningful and memorable moments. Our brands have long been built on bringing people together through shared moments of celebration and connection. Music plays a central role in those occasions, particularly in live, social and nightlife settings. This role puts music at the heart of how our spirits and RTD portfolio drives brand equity and growth.

By leading partnerships across venues, festivals and artists, the role will ensure our brands show up consistently and credibly within the live music ecosystem, delivering relevance for consumers while creating tangible value for partners and customers. Bringing our spirits and RTD brands together with music is more than a traditional sponsorship play. It is a strategic opportunity to drive progress across three key areas:

• Brand Building: Build and protect brand equity by leveraging music partnerships across venues, festivals and artists, ensuring our spirits and RTD portfolio remains culturally relevant and commercially strong.
• Commercial: Unlocking new opportunities to create joint value with our customers; on-trade, off-trade, D-com and in emerging channels.
• Society 2030: Leverage the cultural reach and credibility of music to make progress against our ESG and Responsibility agendas. Champion inclusion and representation, support positive drinking behaviours and accelerate the growth of low‑ and no‑alcohol choices via our partnerships and associated activations.

This role is a key member of the Sponsorship team and at the driving seat of music partnerships within GB and must work brilliantly with a wide range of internal and external partners and Business partners. In this role, you will work closely with the GB brand teams, your GB Sponsorship colleagues, local execution teams (Sales/Quality), senior business partners and external partners. You will also be a critical partner to global teams, ensuring local execution is world‑class while shaping and informing global guidelines.

To fulfil the requirements of this role, we are looking for a team captain – a leader who has a consistent track record in building brands and delivering commercial growth through sponsorships and partnerships. The successful candidate must be an exceptional project manager and seasoned pro at handling complex internal and external business partners relationships at all levels, including Exec/Board level. A keen eye for spotting opportunities to embed our brand in music culture is essential as well as being commercially savvy and adept at thriving in a fast moving dynamic environment.

Key outcomes & responsibilities

• Deliver world class partnerships across our music and entertainment portfolio (Festivals and Venues) – owning the relationship within Diageo GB with our partners. Embed clear relationship matrix and WOW internally and externally.
• Orchestrate brilliant execution of the partnership, harnessing internal and external resources, oversee squads and partner events, to ensure all aspects of the plan are executed brilliantly and to time in order to deliver the business case assumptions for these partnerships.
• Maximise the rights usage within the partnership to deliver against brand consumer and commercial KPIs. Ensure all rights/IP are used in accordance with the contractual agreement with our partners and Diageo’s DMC and relevant policies.
• Efficient and effective commercial management of entire music and entertainment portfolio – fully responsible for budget management, influence and support of brand budget holders for best in class delivery spending every £ in the correct way.
• Delivery of M&E framework that supports and guides future investment for our brands and aligns with wider business investment plans.

Core Responsibilities:

• Partner with brand teams on long and short-term strategy development and business planning process to maximize our music partnership portfolio.
• Develop best-in-class playbook on music partnership & activation based on strong external radar and key internal relationships.
• Lead stakeholder engagement – Inspire and orchestrate internal teams (cross-functional teams and agencies) on our music partnership portfolio and drive program understanding and planning. First point of contact for Live Nation, AEG, Superstruct and OVG to maximize the partnership and unlock assets and resources in support of breakthrough plans.
• Orchestration and project management of all key workstreams in support of the partnership – marketing development/planning, commercial execution, financial planning etc.
• Business case tracking and staying on top of issues and opportunities. Highlighting interventions needed to drive execution and deliver business objectives.
• Lead negotiations of partnership contracts alongside broader functions e.g. procurement, legal etc.

Functional capabilities for the role:

• Experienced at leading large-scale sponsorships/ partnerships, negotiating and facilitating best-in-class partnership deals and developing/activating world-class integrated marketing campaigns in physical and digital channels.
• Exceptional commercial & project management experience required to ensure all workstreams progress on time and that recommended TTL plans are successfully implemented.
• Strong proven experience of collaborating to create and manage the M&E of sponsorships and activation to ensure brand impact and strong ROI.
• Proven strategic judgement and analytical rigour, with the ability to translate strategy into action.
• Financial and business case understanding – working with finance partners and our partners to ensure we stay on KPI as well as drive commercial negotiations.

Leadership capabilities for the role:

• Building authentic relationships – exceptional with internal and external stakeholders of all levels. As comfortable with media/investors as with a local sales team or pub customer.
• Curiosity and an always on cultural radar particularly in the area of music – to identify opportunities and shape the future.
• Delivering performance: Move effectively between strategy and operational detail, knowing when and where to intervene and commitment to outstanding delivery of results.
• Managing across a matrixed organisation – creating outstanding teamwork and alignment; driving business alignment and senior level belief/support.
• Brilliant people manager and coach – providing clarity on R&R is key within and outside of direct team.

About You:

• Proven senior level track record with experience in marketing, specifically inclusive of culture and partnerships space. Music and entertainment experience preferred.
• Experience in managing integrated campaigns including ATL and BTL.
• Experience in working across multi market and functional projects.
• Influencing senior stakeholders and external partners in service of brand and business outcomes.
• Partnering with agencies to deliver best quality work.
• Experience in a mix of brand, agency and rights-holder organisations preferred.

Flexible Working Statement:

Flexibility is key to our success. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you’re supported to manage your wellbeing and balance your priorities from day one.

Diversity statement:

Our purpose is to celebrate diversity and inclusion in all forms.