Partnerships Manager

What the role involves

• Plan activation with sponsors
• Report on results and renewals
• Manage sponsor events and content

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

  Sales or hospitality background

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

• 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

• Commercial Sales
• Negotiation
• Project Management
• Communication

Tools you may use

• Ticketing and CRM systems
• Spreadsheets

Where this role is found

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

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

• Sponsorship Sales Executive

Pay and context by region

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