Associate Director, Sports Marketing

Chicago, IL (Hybrid)

$70K/yr – $125K/yrSenior Level8+ years expFull time

Posted 6 weeks ago

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Job Summary

Own sponsorship budget governance across multi-LOB funding, contracts, and asset management, while spotting white space and new opportunities in sports sponsorship and NIL.

  • Budget & Reporting: oversee budgeting, tracking, and client/internal reporting.
  • Sponsorship Assets & Contracts: manage contractual assets and cross-functional allocation decisions.
  • Opportunity Discovery & Team Growth: identify white space in the sports marketplace and mentor direct reports.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Budget tracking for sponsorship assets and deals.
  • Oversight across portfolios when funding comes from multiple lines of business.
  • Detailed knowledge of all working budgets and accountability for internal and client-based budget reporting.
  • Detailed knowledge of contractual assets and accountability for internal and client-based allocation recommendations across cross-functional teams.
  • Stay up-to-speed on the evolving sponsorship and NIL landscape across sports properties and the athlete/talent ecosystem, plus ticketing industry trends and tech advances.
  • Identify new opportunities in the sports marketplace that fit client strategy and coordinate with internal teams to bring them to life.
  • Oversee direct reports by managing workload, delegating, ensuring accuracy, and serving as the lead POC for mentorship and growth.

Requirements

  • Undergraduate degree required (preferably Marketing, Business, Sports Management or Communications).
  • 8+ years’ experience in a sponsorship marketing role with direct client-facing access.
  • 4+ years of relevant experience in sports.
  • Experience on sports sponsorships and 360 activations is a plus, including local partnership stewardship (hospitality and ticketing management).
  • Experience across mainstream media channels (national TV, local, digital, social, etc.).
  • Strong communicator and presenter, in person and on conference calls.
  • Extensive client facing experience and highly organized with the ability to prioritize many deliverables.
  • Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Google Docs, and Teams.
  • Background in sponsorship marketing and media strategy with integrated recommendations across budget scenarios.
  • Background in athlete/talent activation within broader sponsorship efforts is a plus.
  • Ability to communicate ideas clearly in writing and speaking; able to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
  • Industry knowledge of the sports marketing and sponsorship landscape and media vernacular and trends.
  • Strong management skills and the ability to lead a team.
  • Self-sufficient, enthusiastic, and proactive in pursuing assignments.
  • Support direct reports in developing overarching sponsorship strategy and co-lead broader sports strategy development for client education.
  • Design materials (PPT presentations, POVs) that convey strategy with appropriate research and observations.
  • Interpret relevant research from third-party data and industry sources.

Nice to have

  • Experience working on sports sponsorships and 360 activations including local partnership stewardship (hospitality and ticketing management).
  • Background in athlete/talent activation within broader sponsorship efforts.

Benefits

  • Health insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • Dental insurance
  • 401(k)
  • Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
  • Vacation days
  • Sick days
  • Personal days
  • Paid parental leave
  • Paid medical leave
  • STD/LTD insurance benefits

Marketing Team

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