Senior Manager - Sports Partnerships, Strategy & Consulting

Wasserman operates at the epicenter of sports, music and entertainment, serving talent, brands and properties on a global scale. Our brands and properties division works with iconic brands and rights holders, supporting business growth through all marketing disciplines. We are a trusted partner to every major league, team and venue, building meaningful connections between brands, properties and fans. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Wasserman's presence spans 28 countries and more than 70 cities, including New York, London, Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Madrid, Mexico City, Toronto, Paris and Sydney.

Wasserman is seeking a dynamic Snr. Manager to lead within the Brands & Properties client team, specifically within Strategy & Consulting. In this role, you will play a key part in driving client success by overseeing strategic initiatives, managing partnerships, and ensuring seamless execution across projects. You will guide and support account team members, contribute to high-impact client reports and presentations, and maintain strong relationships through exceptional client service. Acting as the voice of the client within the organization, you will champion their goals, uphold quality standards, and help deliver innovative partnership, marketing & experiential solutions that advance business objectives. This Snr. Manager role is a global role, dedicated to a multinational financial services client. They have secured a new multi-year global sports sponsorship, which will commence in April 2026, and this role will be working on the international rollout & delivery of this high-profile sports sponsorship.

What You'll Be Doing

• Act as a senior lead in the day-to-day management of the vertical, partnering closely with the Associate Director to set priorities, drive strategy, and ensure operational excellence across all initiatives.
• Develop and own strategic perspectives on key deal terms, asset valuations and partnership structures to inform negotiation strategies and executive decision-making.
• Synthesize data, research, and performance insights into clear, compelling client narratives and strategic recommendations for the partnership and the activations.
• Proactively identify, evaluate, and articulate high-value partnership opportunities, strategic alignments, and growth drivers for both existing and prospective partners.
• Lead and facilitate high-level strategic brainstorming and planning sessions to develop innovative, insight-led activation campaigns with measurable business impact.
• Own delivery of comprehensive project and campaign recaps, translating performance analysis into actionable insights and optimization recommendations for clients and internal stakeholders.
• Oversee vertical-level reporting, including weekly and quarterly performance trends, competitive intelligence, and executive-ready insights for senior leadership.
• Provide senior oversight of the creative approval process for brand sponsorship programs, ensuring all national and local partner assets meet brand standards, compliance requirements, and strategic objectives.
• Govern and evolve the brand guidelines database, ensuring consistent application across all partnerships and serving as a central source of truth for internal and external teams internationally.
• Drive cross-functional alignment through leadership participation in weekly brand strategy meetings, cross-team reviews, and key planning forums.
• Lead property planning sessions to ensure efficient creative development work flows, disciplined review cycles, and on-time approvals.
• Serve as a trusted internal subject matter expert on sponsorship strategy, best practices, compliance, and partnership guidelines across the organization.
• Provide senior oversight of global brand partnership execution, including complex property and talent integrations tied to key tentpole events.
• Maintain deep, up-to-date knowledge of client products, services, and business objectives to deliver persuasive presentations, strategic recommendations, and partnership proposals.
• Build, cultivate, and manage senior-level relationships with clients, partners, and agencies to drive long-term satisfaction, retention, and growth.
• Partner closely with strategy, analytics, and measurement leads to deliver robust, data-driven insights, research findings, and performance reporting.
• Lead specialized initiatives and manage vendor relationships to ensure seamless execution of complex programs and strategic priorities.
• Attend international events where the given partnership(s) are being activated and be a Wasserman representative and lead POC on site, ensuring smooth delivery of the partnership and building strong relationships between agency, client, partners and third parties.

What You Need

• Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree (nice to have)
• 5-7 yr work experience is ideal – sports experience is preferred
• Up-to-date knowledge of the sports and entertainment industry, with a working knowledge of what's happening across culture today and into tomorrow.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Suite, particularly with PowerPoint and Excel.
• The ability to multi-task and self-manage to meet deadlines and handle multiple priorities.
• Must be flexible and comfortable to assume multiple roles as needed by the team.
• Efficient communicator, with internal as well as client stakeholders, who is able to drive decisions.
• Carries out responsibilities with minimal direction.
• Possess an interest in the role of technology, including digital and social media platforms, in today's consumer sports and entertainment experience.
• Strong attention to detail and highly organized.
• Ability to line manage and support the career development of others, as well as contribute to the wider team.
• Ability to think creatively in a team environment.
• Happy to travel internationally to key sports events and key client events.
• Must be flexible and react calmly under stressful circumstances. Ability to stay poised and professional when working with well-known talent.
• Ability to travel for partner programs or activations as required.
• Experience in financial services or other highly regulated industries is desirable however not essential.

Wasserman does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.