Location:

Opening Date: 27 Aug 2024

Full Time / Part Time: Full Time

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date of Applications – 10/09/2024

Our Story

Established in 2013, City Football Group is the world’s leading private owner and operator of football clubs, with total or partial ownership of twelve clubs across the world. City Football Group also invests in other football related businesses and serves as a global commercial platform for our partners, whilst fulfilling our purpose of empowering better lives through football on a local and global scale, consistent with what “City” football has meant to people for over a century.

Our Winning Team

Our purpose is to empower better lives through football. We are proud of the role City Football Group clubs play in their localities, delivering positive economic, social and environmental impact through our operations and through programmes and activities that bring about meaningful, lasting change.

This is Your City

As part of our team, you will be entitled to 26 days annual leave plus an additional day off for your birthday, private healthcare and a simply health cash plan, an annual discretionary bonus, plus a range of partnership and lifestyle discounts.

Working closely with (and reporting to) the Senior Partnership Marketing Manager – APAC, the Partnership Marketing Manager will be responsible for managing a portfolio of CFG’s global & regional commercial partners, with a focus on China.

Responsibility and remit for these partnerships will be end to end, including all associated partnership planning and activation programmes. The Partnership Marketing Manager will be required to work closely and effectively with the Partnership Marketing and Operations teams, as well as other Club departments, to deliver outstanding quality of service.

In addition, this role will assume responsibility for significant work-streams with other Global Partnerships. Other specialist projects may be introduced from time to time, depending on priorities and workloads. As a core member of the Partnership Marketing Team this role will be expected to contribute across all core pillars of the department (see below).

Please note: this role will require travel to Partners’ overseas headquarters on a quarterly basis. Additional availability for business travel (UK and overseas) will be required to attend key meetings, activations, and the establishment/maintenance of key relationships. Occasional matchday working will be required.

Your Impact

1. Planning

Takes responsibility for ‘living and breathing’ a consistent framework that enables Partners to develop compelling, competitive partnership strategies and activation plans
Immerses in the world of the partner, building a rich appreciation of their environment and a detailed understanding of objectives, opportunities and challenges
Drives the planning approach, assuming ownership of workshops and providing clear direction to marketing/leadership teams. Fuels this process with insight and expertise and involves other Club departments as appropriate
Proactively contributes to the evolution of the planning framework, ensuring that the Club’s approach stands out from the competition and is truly fit-for-purpose in the region
Adopts an ‘objectives and measurement-focused’ mind-set, enabling the department to build a full and true picture around the impact of the Partnerships

2. Club brand

Engages and educates Partners on the Club’s brand vision and positioning, as well as the current marketing strategy and priorities
Explores areas where the respective outlooks (Club and Partner) share commonality. Assesses opportunities to collaborate and maximise the return for both business’
Enhances and protects the Club’s brand throughout the term of the partnership by playing an integral role in the planning process
Proactively shares best practice and learning via preferred platforms. Maintains regular dialogue and support with stakeholders and peers in all regions
Supports the Club’s regional objectives for the China region working closely with other departments including marketing and FRM

3. Delivery

Works in tandem with the Partnerships Operations team to ensure all Partnership rights are delivered with maximum effectiveness and efficiency
Delivers high quality briefings to relevant members of the Operations team and keeps Partners well informed of status and progress
Continually looks for opportunities to refine and maximise ways of working

4. Case Studies

Engages Partners and works with them to co-create rich stories that demonstrate the power of association, with a clear thread throughout (linking objectives to tangible results)
Delivers to a consistent standard and brings about a genuine step-change in how case studies are crafted and communicated on-going
Takes the lead role in creating full end of season reports for Partners and explores innovative ways to present/tell the stories both internally and externally
Takes advantage of all opportunities to feature Partner activity, working with the Operations Team and providing creative as required
Explores opportunities for awards submissions and other recognition/accreditation

5. Business Development

When workloads allow, the Partnership Marketing Manager will be expected to work collaboratively with Partnership Sales Managers and the Partnership Planning team to help shape compelling proposals
Attends meetings and pitches as required, to offer insight and expertise in relevant fields such as Digital and Media
Supports the Senior Partnership Marketing Manager in developing renewal strategies each season, providing Partner and category insight wherever relevant
Proactively develops ideas that bring about benefit to Partners, both local and global, and also drive organic revenue growth for the Club

What we are looking for

Essential

Strong knowledge of the global and regional football landscape
Familiar with football sponsorship contracts and rights packages
Skilled in partner/client service
Knowledge of the APAC & China landscape & culture
Strong digital literacy
Skilled digital management/consultancy
Strong team ethic and collaborative nature – confident managing multiple stakeholders
Flexible working attitude and approach – able to respond to immediate business needs
Solid commercial experience and acumen, with an inherent interest in this area
Availability to travel for business needs
Strong digital expertise and experience, preferably within sports media/advertising
Experienced/capable across all aspects of marketing and sponsorship, including:
- Strategy & Planning
- Activation & Rights Delivery
- Integrated communications
- Results Analysis & recommendations
- Negotiations & renewals
Undergraduate degree or equivalent

Desirable

Additional language skills, for example Spanish, French, German.
Exposed to a rights-holder/club environment
Exposed to overseas markets/business cultures
Exposed to brands in the Middle East
Post-graduate digital qualifications/courses
Further marketing/sports related credentials (Masters/Diploma etc…)

City Football Group promotes equal opportunities in employment and we positively welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We will screen all applicants and select candidates whose skills and experience seem to meet our needs. We will carefully consider your application during the initial screening and will contact you only if you are selected for an interview.

Employment is subject to the provision of proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

Due to our safeguarding promise, all UK based CFG roles will be subject to a DBS check upon commencing employment with us. This will be either a basic, standard or enhanced check depending on the job role and responsibilities.

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Partnership Marketing Manager - China