Partnership Sales Manager

We’re looking for an experienced Partnership Sales Manager to deliver commercial growth through the acquisition of new Club commercial partners, which will require you to build strong relationships with external parties and coordinate the sales process from first contact to successful lead conversion. You will work alongside key internal stakeholders to provide compelling partnership propositions and sales materials that help the Club successfully find and convert leads to increase the value of the commercial partnership portfolio. Our partners are the backbone of our business and they are a key part of our family. As well as supporting our world-leading Men’s and Women’s Rugby teams, our partners are also trailblazers in tackling social inequalities through their support of the Saracens Foundation and Saracens Multi Academy Trust. The role will report directly to the Partnerships Director and will work closely with the Partnerships Account Management team, so a good team player who is committed to the success of their team is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Partnership Sales
  • Work with the Partnerships Director and the wider Partnerships team to successfully execute the Club’s partner acquisition plan and contribute towards revenue growth targets.
  • Lead on the sales outreach for defined, pre-qualified target categories, making first contact with targeted brands, arranging meetings to pitch to these businesses, negotiating terms and successfully concluded partnership agreements.
  • Coordinate external meetings with potential partners, ensuring that appropriate personnel from the Club are engaged with to maximise the conversion of developing leads.
  • Maintain a network of brand contacts that are suitable for the development of new partnership agreements.
  • Work with key internal stakeholders on the creation of partnership propositions and commercial packages that ensure Saracens commercial inventory is utilised effectively, consistently and provides maximum revenue return.
  • Work with and maintain strong ongoing relationships with relevant agency contacts within the sports marketing industry and ensure parties are kept up-to-date on key club updates and opportunities.
  • Deliver against agreed targets.
• Delivery
  • Manage sales pipelines to ensure all leads are fully explored.
  • Contribute towards effective reporting structures that ensure sales outreach progress is being captured and reported to other key internal stakeholders.
  • Coordinate with the wider partnerships team in category approaches, ensuring the Club are creating an environment of competitive tension across the category and current partners to support growing and maximising total revenue.
  • Work with the legal and finance teams to successfully conclude and contract partnership agreements in line with Club policy and process.
  • Develop and maintain an understanding of the sales and marketing activities of prospective partners as well as the strategic direction of their business challenges and opportunities, markets, and competitors.
• Benchmarking & Insights
  • Document a thorough understanding of the market across the sport and rugby landscape.
  • Provide benchmarking in the partnerships space.
  • Conduct high quality due diligence and research to qualify prospect partners.
  • Creation of weekly insights reports – highlighting recent deals and key trends.
• Stakeholder Management
  • Building wider relationships with customers more broadly across the business.
  • Driving partners to purchase additional consumer products with a key focus on big game/s.
  • Assist in the creation of events and experiences to ensure key stakeholders are engaged throughout the season.
  • Identifying key decision makers and making memories with partners to ensure renewal.
  • Demonstrating value of partnerships & ROI to partners and the wider business.

Skills, Experience & Qualifications

• At least 3-4 years’ experience in the Sport Industry, specifically Sponsorship and Partnership sales with a proven track record of sales success.
• A University degree in a subject relevant to this role, ESA Diploma or equivalent Sports Industry qualifications are desirable, but not essential.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation and communication skills (proficiency in MS word, Excel, Outlook and CRM is expected).
• Experience in formulating, managing and delivering against budgets.
• Experience in dealing with senior stakeholders and the ability to build strong relationships internally and externally with key stakeholders, at all levels.

Personal Characteristics & Leadership Behaviours

• Ability to thrive in and promote a culture of hard work, discipline, honesty, and humility to deliver strategy and results.
• A true team player with the drive, passion, enthusiasm to proactively reach out to other functions, build consensus and deliver excellence in partnerships and sales.
• Ability to react quickly to complex situations and apply problems solving skills, working with employees, executives and outside organisations in a professional manner.
• Defines ambitious goals and establishes priorities with clear responsibilities to ensure results.
• Benchmarks competitors and other industries to identify and apply best practice to form inside advantage.
• Manages projects, activities, and resources effectively and assumes personal ownership of results.
• Encourages open discussion of different ideas and views; welcomes and solicits feedback.
• Smart, non-political with a highly developed sense of ethics, energy, creativity and ambition.
• Maintains a calm focus on results and puts clarity and order into complex issues.
• Thrives in an intellectual, fast paced but ultimately target driven environment.
• A passion for diversity and ability to be credible across diverse cultures.
• Leverages personal and business relationships to achieve significant success.
• Low ego, happy to roll up sleeves if necessary.

How to Apply

Please click APPLY NOW to begin the application process.