The Sr. Manager, Partnerships - Flag Football will play a critical role in building the league's partnership and activation function from the ground up. As a newly established league, this role is responsible for developing and executing best-in-class partner activations while creating the frameworks, processes, and standards that define how partnerships come to life. This individual will translate new business deals into integrated, ROI-driven activation strategies across digital, broadcast, events, and in-market experiences, ensuring all contractual deliverables are executed at a high level and evolve alongside the league. As the primary point of contact for assigned partners, the Sr. Manager will build and grow senior-level relationships, driving long-term value, retention, and overall partner success.
Beyond execution, this role will lead cross-functional alignment to operationalize activations for the first time-building repeatable playbooks, identifying efficiencies, and continuously optimizing the partner experience. The Sr. Manager will also support partnership proposals, help shape go-to-market strategies, and lead season-end recaps that demonstrate performance and drive renewals. This position reports to the incoming Vice President, Partnerships - Flag Football. The ideal candidate thrives in a build-from-scratch environment and brings a strategic, solutions-oriented mindset, strong client leadership skills, and the ability to manage multiple high-profile partnerships while driving execution that supports revenue growth and long-term league success.
Responsibilities:- Lead onboarding of new partners in collaboration with Sales; translate contracts into integrated, ROI-driven activation strategies
- Shape and execute strategic partnership plans with leadership, aligning activations to partner objectives and league priorities
- Oversee end-to-end delivery of all partnership assets (digital, broadcast, in-game, events, hospitality, etc.), ensuring best-in-class execution and client satisfaction
- Direct cross-functional teams to develop and operationalize innovative activations across matches, events, and key league moments
- Build and scale integrated marketing and PR campaigns in partnership with internal stakeholders
- Own senior-level client and agency relationships; drive ongoing engagement, performance optimization, and renewals
- Evaluate partner performance against KPIs; provide strategic recommendations to maximize ROI and long-term value
- Review and approve partner-facing materials to ensure brand alignment, quality, and effectiveness
- Lead development of executive-ready recaps, performance reporting, and inventory tracking
- Establish and optimize processes for tracking deliverables, proof of performance, and partner data within CRM systems
- Support high-impact client presentations, proposals, and visual activation concepts
- Contribute to annual planning and own activation budgets, ensuring efficient resource allocation
- Identify upsell opportunities and support go-to-market strategy in partnership with leadership
Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience
- 5-7 years in sports partnerships or activation
- Proven success managing and growing multiple high-value partnerships simultaneously
- Strong executive presence with exceptional client-facing, communication, and relationship-building skills
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects and cross-functional initiatives in fast-paced environments
- Track record of driving partner ROI and delivering innovative, high-impact activations
- Experience developing strategic plans, performance reporting, and executive-level presentations
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word); experience with CRM and partner tracking systems preferred
- Creative mindset with ability to concept and guide development of activation ideas and visual mockups
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage competing priorities under tight deadlines
- Experience owning budgets and contributing to planning processes
- Ability to travel as needed for partner meetings, games, and other events
Preferred:- Experience working within an agency, sport or media environment
- Experience building or scaling partnership/activation programs in a startup, new league, or high-growth environment
- Deep expertise in integrated sponsorships across digital, broadcast, live events, and social platforms
- Strong commercial acumen, with a track record of identifying upsell opportunities and driving partner revenue growth
- Proven ability to create scalable processes, playbooks, and performance frameworks, with strong storytelling and client presentation skills
You'll be successful if:- You build and scale a partnership activation function from the ground up, creating clear frameworks, playbooks, and standards
- You consistently deliver high-impact, innovative activations that drive measurable partner ROI and satisfaction
- You establish trusted, senior-level client relationships that lead to renewals, growth, and long-term partnerships
- You effectively lead cross-functional teams to execute seamlessly across games, events, and key league moments
Benefits: - Equity ownership opportunities to allow employees to share in the company's growth
- Unlimited discretionary time off along with 15 paid holidays per year (including the week of Independence Day)
- Comprehensive health insurance options, including a 100% contribution Employee coverage option
- Additional employee and family insurance coverage options with company contribution, including dental and vision
- FSA, HSA and DCHSA opportunities including contribution matches
- Retirement options including traditional 401(k) and Roth IRA plans
*Benefits are subject to change at the company's discretion.