Job Description
There has never been a more exciting time to join Chicago Fire FC.
As one of Major League Soccer's original clubs, Chicago Fire FC is in the midst of an exciting era fueled by tremendous investment, ambition, and growth. With a new $100M state-of-the-art Endeavor Health Performance Center now open, new offices in Chicago's iconic Wrigley Building, and plans underway for a privately-funded $750M+ soccer-specific stadium set to open in 2028 in the heart of Chicago, the Club is building the future of soccer in one of the world's great sports cities.
Chicago Fire FC is becoming a cultural force in Chicago by connecting communities, shaping experiences, and creating new ways for fans to engage with the game and the city. The Club's future home, McDonald’s Park, will anchor Chicago's newest neighborhood and serve as a catalyst of growth for the next chapter of professional sports and entertainment in the city.
Joining Chicago Fire FC today means joining an organization on the rise. Our growth creates once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for ambitious professionals to generate meaningful impact and help shape the future of our Club. Whether on the pitch working match day or in the front office, every team member plays a role in building something incredibly special.
At Chicago Fire FC, our mission is to entertain, serve, and unite Chicago through world-class experiences and a relentless pursuit of excellence. We are guided by our core values: Integrity, Respect, Innovation, Accountability, and a commitment to Never Settle.
If you're looking for a place where your work will matter, your ideas will be heard, and your career can grow alongside one of the most ambitious projects in professional sports, we'd love to hear from you.
Position Overview:
The Club’s Partnership Team is responsible for creating and driving comprehensive soccer marketing platforms to reach the objectives and drive ROI for corporate partners. The Partnership Marketing team is responsible for deepening relationships with current partners, activating all contractual elements, and renewing and upselling partners. The Senior Account Manager will manage relationships with local and national brands who are corporate partners of the Chicago Fire FC. In addition to overseeing day-to-day partnership management, the Senior Account Manager will take a strategic leadership role across their book of business, proactively identifying opportunities to strengthen partner relationships, drive revenue growth, and elevate overall partnership execution.
Responsibilities:
Book of Business Management
Book of Business Management
- Strategic management and ownership of a book of business within the team’s corporate partnership portfolio
- Lead day-to-day client communication and serve as the primary relationship lead for assigned partners, proactively managing deliverables, contractual obligations and overall partnership strategy
- Meet partner objectives and deliver superior results through the execution of contractual elements, while proactively identifying opportunities to enhance partner value
- Lead the development of strategic activation concepts for assigned partners based on contractual commitments, business objectives and growth opportunities
- Manage and maintain a strong understanding of partner activation budgets, ensuring programs are executed effectively and cost-efficiently
- Build and deepen relationships with partner accounts, including key decision-makers, and proactively identify and pursue opportunities that deliver mutual growth for the partner and the Fire organization
- Own the renewal and upsell strategy for corporate partners within portfolio, including identifying growth opportunities, developing recommendations and leading partner conversations toward completion
- Lead collaboration with internal departments to develop and implement successful activations that achieve partner goals and align with Club priorities
- Collect, analyze, prepare and deliver proof of performance materials for partners throughout the year
Department Support
- Execute cross-functional processes between club partnerships team and other departments in order to fulfill partner commitments and elevate club deliverables
- Provide strategic and executional support to the Partnership Marketing team, including but not limited to:
- Provide oversight and quality control of partnership elements including digital, hospitality, partner events, signage, matchday elements, etc., ensuring deliverables are completed accurately and at a high standard
- Capturing proof of performance photos and digital tracking for partner recaps
- Oversight of partner lists and communication
- Oversight of partner merchandise and gifting
- Take ownership of key department-wide initiatives and sponsor-related projects as assigned by Vice President, Partnership Marketing & Strategy
Required Qualifications:
- Minimum 5 years relevant work, industry and partnership experience
- Proven experience in strategic management and ownership of a book of business
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Willingness to learn in a fast-paced environment
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, professional in presentation and able to work with multiple stakeholders and personalities
- Ability to work non-traditional hours, in non-traditional settings, including all games (or other work events) that fall on nights, weekends, and/or holidays
- Strong computer proficiency – MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree
- Experience working in sports, specifically professional soccer
Compensation:
- This role offers a salary range of $70,000.00 - $75,000.00 and is commission eligible
- The final salary is determined by carefully considering the applicant's background, experience, and qualifications. Base pay may vary significantly based on geographic location, job-specific knowledge, skills, and overall experience. This role is classified as Full-time, exempt
- This role is bonus eligible based on club wide goals
- Additional benefits & perks: https://www.chicagofirefc.com/careers
Please note:
- Chicago Fire FC is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Our diversity initiatives start with the recruitment and selection process; therefore, we’d like to welcome all diverse candidates to apply to opportunities within our Club.
- CFFC is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and maintaining a workplace for employees and applicants for employment that is free from discrimination. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, age, veteran or military status, disability, sexual orientation, sexual orientation or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.
- If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the Human Resources Department at hr@chicagofirefc.com to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.
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About Chicago Fire FC