Image Rights & Brand Manager

What the role involves

• Negotiate sponsorships and appearances
• Plan a personal brand and content calendar
• Coordinate with legal and tax advisers

Ways in, with or without formal qualifications

Experience, knowledge and interests count in football. These routes are what people in this role commonly point to.

• Experience

  Assist at an agency

  Entry-level agency staff handle research, scouting reports, admin, video and relationships with families and clubs.

• Experience

  Sales or hospitality background

  Commercial, ticketing and hospitality teams recruit people who have already sold, served customers and hit targets.

• Experience

  Design, video or photography background

  Clubs, brands and agencies need people who can shoot, edit, design and tell stories, and often hire on portfolio.

Qualifications and licences

These can strengthen an application but are not a gate.

• Business & management

  Marketing & Digital Marketing Qualifications

  Qualifications in marketing, digital advertising, CRM and analytics. Useful for career changers, but portfolios and campaign results matter strongly.

• Degree

  Sport or Football Business Degree

  A degree in sport management, football business or sports business. It builds finance, marketing, law and management knowledge, plus placement opportunities. Helpful, rarely essential.

Skills and knowledge

• Commercial Sales
• Brand & Marketing
• Negotiation
• Contract Law & Player Contracts

Tools you may use

• Social and video platforms
• Video, audio and design software

Where this role is found

• Player & coach agencies
• Brands, kit & equipment

Where this role leads

• Senior Agent / Head of Representation

  Required

  Leads a stable of clients and agents.

• Head of Commercial / Commercial Director

  Helpful

  Leads club revenue from sponsorship, ticketing, retail and brand.

Common stepping stones into this role

• Agency Assistant / Intern

Pay and context by region

Illustrative estimates scaled from a UK baseline. Check local job adverts and union or association data.