Senior Partnership Planning & Creative Manager

Purpose:

At City Football Group, making moments matter is a part of our DNA. Recognising and developing the best talent allows us to achieve success in the right way.     

Driven by a passion for our winning culture, you will help deliver on our shared goals of sustainability through a uniquely global yet local community environment.  

The Partnership Strategy and Creative team plays a crucial role in supporting the Partnership Departments primary objective of securing new, and renewing existing, commercial partners to support the continued growth of Manchester City Football Club and all City Football Group (CFG) properties. Helping to create a competitive advantage in the marketplace by developing a differentiating partnership proposition, informed and powerful proposals. The team also provides a level of planning and creative support to existing Group/Club Partners

The person in this role will be expected to lead the development of new platforms, ideas, approaches and proposals that add tangible value to our partnership proposition and contribute to the delivery of the annual revenues budget as well as the continued development or our approach and proposition.

Role specific accountabilities:

1. Lead planning and creative development of key proposals (prospects & partners) from inception to proposal creation, development & pitch

• Identify and uncover all relevant insights and intelligence required to develop a truly informed proposal (including exploratory sessions with prospect/partner)
• Creative planning to capture inspiration, develop thinking and ideas
• Develop partnership territory, narrative and big concepts
• Work with design and other departments to bring proposal to life in most powerfully way
• Ability to positively contribute to and influence pitches

2. Contribute to delivery of annual revenues budget through increased creativity, sophistication and impact of involvement in sales pipeline & partner renewal / upsell opportunities

• The ability to comfortably lead, prioritise and deliver a high volume of varied creative and strategically important projects whilst having a key focus on where improvements and developments can be made that add value to qualified conversations and increase the appeal, value and success of our proposals.

  3. Lead creation and development of key team and departmental strategic projects

• Lead and positively contribute to the development and roll-out of major departmental projects and initiatives assigned by Chief Commercial Officer / VP Partnership Strategy & Creative
• Responsible for overseeing the development and delivery of core project phases and outputs to achieve agreed objectives
• Ability to comfortably prioritise, progress and deliver project in line with dynamic project phasing and challenging deadlines
• Individual to establish themselves as the key point person providing clear project briefings and direction to internal departments as well as external agencies and stakeholders

4. Lead identification and development of key processes, tools & practices to increase effectiveness & efficiencies of team’s contribution to department’s commercial effort

• Focused on increasing the volume and agility of the team’s contribution and quality of its outputs. Working with sales, design and wider teams to understand challenges in order to identify and deliver solutions to improve team’s involvement and quantity and quality of its outputs.

5. Ensure wider department is aware of, understands and is inspired by the latest marketing trends and insight from across the sports and wider industry and help identify how these can positively impact our proposals

• Developand leadinitiatives to inform and inspire department with key marketing trends & ideasas they happen –helping colleagues understand their relevance, considerations and impact for their respective prospects/partners and how it can be powerfully and authentically integrated into their respective proposals or projects
• Provide regular inspiration to team to continue to innovate ideas and approach to aid competitive advantage
• Ensure team aware of individuals personal areas of expertise and insight to positively impacting initiatives in these areas

Role specific knowledge, skills and experience:

Essential:

• Degree or equivalent deep technical expertise
• Significant knowledge and understanding of commercial football, sports and entertainment landscape as well as prospect and partner challenges - a strong understanding of their consumer, customer and audience landscape, habits and behaviours
• Experience in an agency, brand or rights holder working in sports marketing and/or commercial partnership development
• Proven ability to develop creative, professionally structured and presented proposals & supporting sales materials
• Creative thinker with an innovative outlook and ability to inspire creativity in others
• Results-driven with strong analytical skills
• Proven ability to lead and prioritise a varied project workload in a dynamic environment and manage senior stakeholders
• Strong communication & interpersonal skills with internal and external stakeholders
• Proactive and entrepreneurial approach
• Proven problem-solving skills
• Ability to work in a cross-team / inter department environment and positively influence peers and senior team leads

Desirable:

• Knowledge and understanding of core marketing competencies and principles
• Proven track record in business development and/or driving value from partnerships for the benefit of the benefit of Partner and respective business
• End-to-end involvement in pitch process from development of ideas and approach to pitching the proposal to Partners and/or Prospects