Commercial Operations Lead - Partnerships

The Opportunity

The Commercial Operations Lead- Partnerships, is a pivotal leadership role within the Partnerships team, responsible for shaping the operational foundations that enable commercial success. Acting as the operational leader to the Partnerships leadership team, you will ensure our systems, technology, processes and commercial governance evolve alongside the growth of the business.

This role combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution. You will lead the optimisation of Salesforce as the department's central commercial platform, strengthen partnership asset governance, introduce scalable operating frameworks, support the adoption of AI-enabled tools and deliver cross-functional transformation projects. Your success will be measured by your ability to improve commercial performance through better insight, smarter processes and operational excellence.

Purpose of the Role

To lead the operational strategy for the Partnerships function by developing best-in-class systems, governance, technology and business processes that enable commercial growth, improve decision-making, maximise partner value and support exceptional delivery.

Key Areas of Ownership

Commercial Operations & Technology

• Own the strategic roadmap, optimisation and governance of Salesforce as the primary CRM supporting the full partnership lifecycle.
• Develop dashboards, reporting, workflow automation and business intelligence that enable data-driven commercial decisions.
• Drive adoption and continuous improvement across Salesforce, Monday.com and supporting operational technologies.
• Ensure CRM governance, data integrity, user adoption and operational best practice.

Partnership Asset Strategy

• Lead the operational development and governance of the Club's partnership asset portfolio.
• Improve asset planning, allocation, forecasting and inventory management to maximise commercial opportunity.
• Support commercial negotiations through operational planning and rights evaluation.

AI Enablement & Business Innovation

• Support the implementation and governance of AI-enabled solutions that improve productivity and operational effectiveness.
• Identify automation opportunities and integrate emerging technologies into existing commercial workflows.
• Promote a culture of innovation and continuous improvement across the Partnerships team.

Operational Excellence & Leadership

• Lead strategic improvement projects from concept through implementation.
• Develop scalable operating procedures, playbooks, governance frameworks and performance reporting.
• Build trusted relationships across Partnership Development, Marketing, Content, Finance and Technology.
• Coach colleagues, influence stakeholders and champion operational excellence across the function.

The Ideal Candidate

You are a commercially focused operations leader who thrives on solving complex business challenges through technology, data and process. You combine strategic thinking with exceptional execution, build credibility through delivery and influence stakeholders through insight rather than hierarchy. Comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels, you enjoy creating scalable solutions that enable high-performing commercial teams.

Key Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience in commercial, partnership, business or revenue operations.
• Advanced Salesforce expertise including CRM strategy, optimisation, reporting, workflow design and governance.
• Experience delivering operational transformation, systems implementation and AI-enabled solutions.
• Strong understanding of sponsorship operations, partnership assets and commercial rights management.
• Excellent analytical, project management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change, influence cross-functional teams and deliver measurable business improvement.
• Commercially astute with a continuous improvement mindset and exceptional attention to detail.