Senior Account Manager – Global Sponsorship

Role Type: Permanent • Full-time • Mid-level Senior

Description:

Position: Senior Account Manager – Global Sponsorship

Role: Full time, employed

Location: Silverstone, UK – Hybrid working with global travel

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

About Ignition Collective: Ignition Collective is a forward-thinking agency that does brilliant things, together. We create exceptional marketing, sponsorship and experiential programmes for some of the world’s leading brands across motorsport, automotive and specialist sectors. We pride ourselves on combining strategic thinking with flawless execution, delivering work that inspires audiences and drives measurable business results.

As our partnerships continue to grow, we are looking for an experienced Senior Account Manager to lead the day-to-day delivery of one of our flagship accounts.

The Role: This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced sponsorship professional with a passion for motorsport marketing. Working closely with the Account Director, you will lead the day-to-day management of a global OEM partnership, acting as the trusted partner to the client and coordinating the successful delivery of partnership strategy, consultancy, activation, asset management and executive engagement programmes. The role requires a commercially minded individual who is equally comfortable developing strategic presentations for senior leadership as they are managing race weekend activations, coordinating with motorsports teams and ensuring every partnership asset delivers maximum value. International travel throughout the motorsport season will be required.

Key Responsibilities:

Client Leadership Account Management:

• Act as the day-to-day lead for a high-profile partnership programme
• Build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders, becoming an extension of their marketing team
• Support the Account Director with the strategic development and growth of the account
• Lead client meetings, status calls and planning sessions
• Develop annual activation plans aligned with client business objectives
• Manage multiple concurrent workstreams across global markets while ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget
• Produce detailed post-event reports, measurement frameworks and ROI analysis demonstrating the commercial impact of investments
• Prepare executive-level presentations, briefing documents and recommendations for senior client leadership
• Provide ongoing consultancy to maximise the value of the client’s investment
• Participate in regular client meetings and governance sessions, including occasional early morning, evening or weekend calls to accommodate international stakeholders
• Support strategic planning for future partnership opportunities and business initiatives

Motorsport Partnership Activation:

Lead the planning and execution of activation programmes including:

Asset Management:

• Own and maintain the annual sponsorship asset tracker
• Accurately track all sponsorship asset usage throughout the motorsport season
• Ensure sponsorship rights are fully utilised across marketing, communications and business activities
• Identify opportunities to maximise the value of unused assets
• Support the procurement of additional assets where required, including hospitality and race tickets
• Ensure all asset usage complies with client governance and policies

Team Rights Holder Management:

• Build strong working relationships with motorsport teams, rights holders, promoters and agency partners
• Coordinate regular planning meetings with rights holders
• Prepare meeting agendas, action logs and progress updates
• Track delivery against contractual commitments
• Ensure effective communication between all stakeholders

Partnership Asset Optimisation:

Responsibilities include:

• Monitoring seasonal asset utilisation
• Identifying new activation opportunities
• Maintaining accurate reporting for marketing managers
• Ensuring compliance with sponsorship usage policies
• Recommending innovative ways to increase return on investment
• Supporting the acquisition of incremental sponsorship assets where appropriate

Team Leadership:

• Support and mentor junior team members
• Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing
• Maintain high standards of delivery across the account team
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of agency processes and ways of working

Skills Experience:

We’re looking for someone who combines strategic thinking with exceptional organisational skills and a genuine passion for motorsport.

You’ll ideally have:

• Minimum 4+ years’ experience in sponsorship, motorsport marketing or agency account management
• Strong knowledge of motorsport sponsorship, rights management and partnership activation
• Experience working with automotive OEMs, motorsport teams or global sports properties
• Proven ability to manage high-profile international client accounts
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple complex workstreams
• Outstanding presentation and communication skills, including experience presenting to senior stakeholders
• Strong commercial awareness and budget management experience
• Excellent relationship management skills with the confidence to engage with senior executives, rights holders and agency partners
• Exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to remain calm under pressure within a fast-paced environment
• A proactive, collaborative and solutions-focused approach
• Willingness to travel internationally throughout the motorsport season and work flexible hours when required

What You Will Get from Us:

• The opportunity to make an impact and develop your career
• An innovative and friendly workplace
• A flexible office and working from home policy – minimum of 3 days in the office
• Pension scheme
• Workplace benefits
• 25 days holiday + public holidays + winter break
• Two wellness days per year
• Access to weekly performance, health and wellness sessions and workshops
• Quarterly team coaching sessions
• Your birthday off
• Ongoing professional training and development

Why Join Us?

At Ignition, you’ll be part of a collaborative agency working at the forefront of global motorsport sponsorship, leading one of our flagship accounts while developing your career within an ambitious and supportive team.

Company Overview: Born as a motorsport and automotive marketing agency in 2013, we honed our skills in the fast-paced, technical, competitive world of racing. This drove us to provide solutions to tight, immovable deadlines and deliver to a high standard on time. Teamwork was the only way to succeed, and creative problem-solving became second nature. All good stuff, right? So why should these qualities be limited to motorsport and automotive marketing? We realised our approach would add value to businesses from other industries. So we grew. Our creativity grew. Our team grew. Our ambitions grew. But not our egos. No. We’re decent people doing work we love. And doing it well. As an independent agency, we won’t hold you to ransom with heavy retainers. We believe in finding a way of working that suits everyone. And we think that’s why so many of our clients have been with us for years.