Senior Partnerships Manager Brand Marketing · Service Course, London

Rapha launched in 2004 to redefine cycling apparel. Today, progressive design and storytelling has built a global movement. We want to make cycling the most important sport in the world, by transforming the lives of millions, and we’re on a mission to create the world’s greatest club through the Rapha Cycling Club (RCC). The Senior Partnerships Manager is a leadership role engineered to contribute to this mission by defining and delivering a globally coherent partnership strategy that strengthens Rapha’s position in cycling and drives measurable brand heat and commercial growth.

THE ROLE

This is a senior, commercially accountable leadership role for someone who can build and manage partnerships that both grow the business and elevate the brand. You will own a portfolio that spans athlete representation, brand collaborations, and commercial partnerships, with full responsibility for channel leadership, contract negotiation and financial delivery. You'll be joining at a pivotal moment for Rapha, with real scope to shape how we approach partnerships strategically. This isn’t a relationship management role, it’s a business and brand building one.

KEY AREAS OF OWNERSHIP

• Athlete Management: End-to-end athlete relationships, from recruitment through to contract and activation.
• Brand Collaborations: Culturally resonant co‑creation with tech, fashion, art, design, and lifestyle partners.
• Commercial Growth: Profit & Loss ownership, deal structuring, and financial delivery across the portfolio.

WHAT YOU'LL DELIVER

• Athlete Partnerships: Lead the end‑to‑end athlete partnership programme – from identification and recruitment through contract execution, relationship management, and renewal. Build deep, long‑term ambassador relationships: understanding what athletes need, what they stand for, and how to unlock authentic content and advocacy. Negotiate athlete contracts, usage rights, exclusivity clauses, and performance incentives, working closely with legal and finance. Collaborate with Creative and Social teams to develop athlete content that serves both brand and commercial objectives. Establish clear KPIs for the athlete roster and hold the programme accountable to performance, engagement, and ROI.
• Brand Collaborations: Identify, pitch, and develop brand collaboration opportunities across tech, fashion, art, design, lifestyle, and culture – with a bias towards unexpected, creatively substantive partnerships that draw in new customers. Manage collaborations from initial concept through contract, creative development, production, launch, and post‑campaign evaluation. Work with the Creative leadership to ensure co‑branded output meets brand standards and tells a coherent story across both partners. Cultivate an active pipeline of collaboration prospects, maintaining relationships well before a project is on the table. Track and report on collaboration performance – media value, audience reach, sales uplift, and brand perception impact.
• Commercial Partnerships & Financial Growth: Own the commercial partnerships P&L: setting revenue targets, managing budgets, and delivering measurable financial growth through the portfolio. Structure and negotiate partnership deals with commercial rigour – licensing agreements, co‑marketing arrangements, exclusivity windows, tiered fee structures, and performance‑linked terms. Identify upsell and extension opportunities within the existing partner base, maximising long‑term commercial value from established relationships. Build the business case for new partnership investments, presenting clearly to senior leadership with financial modelling and strategic rationale. Work cross‑functionally with Finance, Legal, and Commercial teams to ensure deals are structured, contracted, and delivered to plan.
• Cross‑Functional Leadership: Work collaboratively across stakeholder and contributing teams to get the best results and drive clear owner accountability. Comfortable operating hands‑on within a lean team structure. Set the standard for how the teams work together: pace, rigour, relationship quality, and creative ambition. Build team capability within Brand Marketing in commercial negotiation, relationship management, and cross‑functional collaboration. Represent the partnerships function at senior leadership level, contributing to broader brand and commercial strategy.

HOW YOU'LL BE MEASURED

• Brand impact of partnerships (awareness, earned media quality, cultural relevance).
• Commercial performance of partnership‑led initiatives (traffic, revenue, sell‑through, partner contribution).
• Activation excellence (on‑time, on‑budget delivery across XF teams).
• Strength and quality of forward partnership pipeline (12–36 month horizon).

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• 8+ years of experience in partnerships, commercial development, or brand roles – ideally spanning both sport/athlete and brand collaboration contexts.
• A demonstrable track record of negotiating and closing complex commercial agreements, with evidence of financial delivery against targets.
• Experience managing athlete or talent relationships, with a deep understanding of the sensitivities and opportunities involved.
• Strong commercial acumen: you can build a business case, read a deal structure, assess risk, and negotiate confidently from a position of knowledge.
• Experience leading and developing a partnerships team, with a coaching mindset and high expectations of yourself and others.
• An existing network across sport, fashion, creative, and media – you know the right people and they know you.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to represent the brand externally with authority and warmth.
• Genuine passion for the brand's world – sport, craft, culture, and the communities where they intersect.

Working at Rapha

We are continuously looking into ways to invest in our employees and build a better working culture and environment. Here are just some of the internal benefits we offer:

• Flexible working hours
• Support for ad‑hoc remote working during the week – minimum 4 days in office
• 25 days annual leave
• 2 additional days paid time off to participate in a sportive or similar related cycling event
• A flexible riding benefit to allow you to go out riding on a Wednesday morning with colleagues or learn to cycle through our Getting Started Scheme
• An annual clothing allowance of £1,200 for testing and promotional purpose
• A company bonus scheme
• A health cash plan provided by Healthshield worth up to £1405 per year
• Mental health support with MyndUp
• Free barista coffee and social drinks in the office
• Monthly department social events and quarterly office social away days
• Bike racing expenses up to £35 per race entry
• A 50% staff discount and a discount for family and friends
• Industry discounts on brands such as Patagonia, Osprey, Finisterre, Wahoo
• Free membership to the Rapha Cycling Club
• Cycle2Work scheme
• Company Pension Scheme
• Enhanced Parental Leave and Pay