Marketing Manager

What the role involves

• Plan campaigns across channels
• Manage agencies and budgets
• Report on audience and revenue results

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.

• Self-built

  Run a football channel, newsletter or podcast

  Consistent public work, whether writing, video, audio or data, builds an audience and a portfolio at the same time.

• Experience

  Career change from law, finance, tech or marketing

  Clubs and governing bodies hire professionals from other industries into legal, finance, data, marketing and operations roles.

• Experience

  Work experience and internships

  Placements at clubs, associations, agencies and sports businesses. Often unpaid or low-paid, but the strongest way to get a first contact.

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

• Brand & Marketing
• Social Media & Content
• Project Management
• Communication

Tools you may use

• Social and video platforms
• Ticketing and CRM systems
• Dashboard tools

Where this role is found

• Top-flight clubs
• Brands, kit & equipment
• Leagues, confederations & global bodies

Where this role leads

• Head of Commercial / Commercial Director

  Helpful

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

Common stepping stones into this role

• Commercial Assistant
• Social Media & Digital Content Manager
• Club Video Producer / Editor

Pay and context by region

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