Manager, Partnership Marketing

Position: Manager, Partnership Marketing

Department: Partnership Marketing

Reports to: Senior Director, Partnership Marketing

FC Cincinnati is a Major League Soccer team playing at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally founded in 2015 by Carl H. Lindner III and co-CEO Jeff Berding, FCC started play in the United Soccer League (USL) in 2016. FCC entered MLS as the 24th team in 2019. The club’s wide and diverse ownership group is led by controlling owner Lindner III; as well as managing owners Meg Whitman and Dr. Griff Harsh; Scott Farmer; and George Joseph.

FC Cincinnati opened the club’s privately funded, 26,000-seat soccer-specific TQL Stadium in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati in 2021, a venue which has won numerous global awards including the World Football Summit Best Venue 2022 in Madrid and the 2022 Prix Versailles World Title in the Sports Category in Paris, France.

FC Cincinnati won the 2023 Supporters’ Shield – the annual award given to the team with the most points in the regular season – and clinched a spot in the 2023 MLS Playoffs for the second straight year. The club won the 2018 USL Regular-Season Championship in record-setting fashion and earned postseason berths in all three of its USL seasons. In 2017, FC Cincinnati also advanced to the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a run that included victories over two MLS squads.

Position Summary:

The Manager of Partnership Marketing will play a key role on the Partnerships Team working closely with the Senior Director of Partnership Marketing. This individual will be responsible for the execution and fulfillment of the Club’s partnerships, consisting of Club trademark and promotional rights, stadium signage, media (broadcast, digital, and social) consumer promotions, special events, community relations programs, and cause marketing initiatives with a focus on delivering measurable return on investment for the assigned book of business. Additionally, the ideal candidate will thrive in creating unique opportunities to expand partnerships and focus on partner retention with FCC’s existing partners.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Own daily partner relationships of a variety of FC Cincinnati’s mid-to-high level partnerships by developing creative marketing campaigns and activations that deliver high-impact results achieving partner goals.
• Combine vision and ambition by working with internal and external stakeholders to identify ways that current partners can be authentically integrated into FCC’s marketing and community initiatives with goals of accomplishing annual goals for both the partner(s) and the Club.
• Collaborate on various special projects and events to advance the goals and priorities of FC Cincinnati.
• Work closely with Marketing, Match Day Entertainment, and Community Relations departments to develop and implement successful promotions, charitable events, and entertainment features to ensure Partner goals and objectives are met and provide maximum return on investment.
• Produce partner documents and reports including, but not limited to; annual go-to-market plans and detailed proof of performances (PoP) of all activities highlighting sponsorship deliverables (ie. signage, radio & TV spots, promotional activity and results, VIP parties, tickets, program/media guide ads).
• Assist with maintaining records of all asset implementation including ticket logs, budget management, promotions, artwork deadlines, and communications.
• Build strong, trusting and open relationships with internal departments and teams.
• Develop authentic professional relationships with existing partners.
• Lead partner renewal and upsell opportunities by utilizing category knowledge and industry trends in meaningful ways to align with partner objectives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications, Skills, and Educational Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business Management, Sport Management, or Communications.
• 2 years of experience in client account management, brand management, or similar capacity at a sports property, brand, or agency.
• Extremely collaborative and detail oriented with vision to try new things with world-class effort.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and events under tight timelines when necessary.
• Demonstrate strong critical thinking skills to successfully navigate adverse situations as needed.
• Ability to be self-motivated and collaborative with your teammates.
• Must be able to work most home games, irregular schedules, weekend, early morning, late-night and holiday work assignments as needed.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (ie. Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel)

To Apply: Please apply through teamworkonline.com and include your resume and salary requirements.

FC Cincinnati is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.