Partnerships Manager

We help brands make BOLD MOVES. Nowadays, brands want rapid, spectacular growth and they expect media to deliver it. Clients used to give us media briefs that said “deliver 80% awareness” or “give me an impactful Christmas campaign.” Now we hear “Take me from 4th to 1st in my category,” “Help me grow 10% in a market declining 10%,” “Make me the most loved brand in my industry.” These are huge asks of media that can’t be met through tweaking the media plan of two years ago. Decades of advertising research prove that without a big change, large brands stay large and small brands stay small. This is why Zenith helps brands make BOLD MOVES. Bold moves are big, brave changes to media strategy, delivering more impact for brands and more value for consumers. Bold moves are backed up with a solid forecast – they are a better path to growth. Bold moves build a partnership – we believe in this approach so much we link our growth to your success. Bold Moves bring bigger ROI. This approach works for our clients, our people, and consumers – it’s why we are recognised as the UK’s best media agency.

Our Commitment
At Zenith UK, we believe that fostering an inclusive culture where all talent can thrive makes our company stronger. It enables a greater idea exchange, which fosters innovation and creativity, and enriches our perspective. We are committed to Publicis Groupe’s wide variety of talent engagement and inclusion programming, and encourage our people to take an active role in continuing to drive positive change within our agency.

Overview
Reporting into a Senior Partnerships Manager or Partnerships Director, you’ll be responsible for creating and delivering high-impact branded content partnerships across a wide range of clients, sectors, and media channels. You’ll lead the end-to-end delivery of campaigns across sponsorship, product placement, and advertiser-funded programmes (AFPs), ensuring projects are delivered smoothly, on time, and against agreed KPIs. This is a highly collaborative role, working closely with clients, media partners, and internal teams to deliver innovative, commercially effective partnership solutions.

What you’ll be doing:

• Develop and deliver strategic branded content partnerships that respond directly to client briefs, including strategic frameworks, partner evaluation, and measurement.
• Project manage integrated partnership solutions across sponsorships, brand partnerships, AFPs, and product placement.
• Challenge media partners to deliver innovative and creative responses aligned to client business objectives and KPIs.
• Negotiate best value across all partnerships, ensuring compliance with agreed pricing guarantees and alignment with trading teams.
• Deliver insightful campaign reporting and performance analysis to inform future activity.
• Build and manage strong day-to-day relationships with clients, media partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Create cost plans and ensure campaigns are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget.
• Maintain financial accuracy, supporting billing and vendor payment processes.
• Understand and support the trafficking process for digital campaigns where required.
• Line manage and develop a Partnerships Executive (where applicable), providing regular feedback and support.
• Set clear roles, responsibilities, and milestones at the outset of projects to ensure successful delivery and development of junior team members.
• Proactively resolve issues and escalate when needed.

What we’re looking for:

• Proven experience creating and managing successful branded content partnerships.
• Strong knowledge of partnerships and sponsorships across multiple media channels.
• Excellent creative, project management, and negotiation skills.
• A structured and strategic approach to partnership development.
• Experience using research, measurement, and reporting tools to evaluate campaign performance.
• Ability to analyse results and produce clear, insightful reports and PCAs.
• Established relationships with media partners.
• Comfortable working at pace, managing multiple projects and tight deadlines.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Solid experience managing budgets and financial processes.
• Experience managing or mentoring individuals or teams.

Additional Information
Zenith UK has fantastic benefits on offer to all of our employees. In addition to the classics, Pension, Life Assurance, Private Medical and Income Protection Plans we also offer; WORK YOUR WORLD opportunity to work anywhere in the world, where there is a Publicis office, for up to 6 weeks a year. REFLECTION DAYS - Two additional days of paid leave to step away from your usual day-to-day work and create time to focus on your well-being and self-care. HELP@HAND BENEFITS 24/7 helpline to support you on a personal and professional level. Access to remote GPs, mental health support and CBT. Wellbeing content and lifestyle coaching. FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES We provide 26 weeks of full pay for the following family milestones: Maternity, Adoption, Surrogacy and Shared Parental Leave. FLEXIBLE WORKING, BANK HOLIDAY SWAP.