Directing partnerships involves growing and commercializing strategic football partnerships across global markets. This role leads and develops strategic relationships with key partners, including national federations, premier league, league 1, and championship clubs, as well as global governing bodies and football associations. Serving as the primary strategic contact, this role drives revenue growth, elevates brand presence, and delivers exceptional commercial value to partners' retail businesses through cross-functional collaboration and senior-level relationship management.
Responsibilities
Represent Fanatics as the trusted face of the brand within the sports community, building advisor-level relationships with senior stakeholders to ensure mutual satisfaction and long-term partner retention
Introduce innovative ideas and best practices that enhance partnership value and deepen fan engagement across digital, in-venue, and retail touchpoints
Drive revenue growth through partner activations and joint marketing initiatives that elevate the fan experience and strengthen commercial outcomes
Monitor and analyze performance metrics to continuously optimize financial returns for both Fanatics and its partners, keeping the fan at the center of every decision
Stay current with industry trends, competitor activities, and developments in sports retail to proactively identify new commercialization and renewal opportunities
Develop and execute forward-thinking strategies that grow and commercially enhance partnerships with associations, leagues, and clubs
Leverage data and market analysis to identify emerging opportunities, solve complex challenges, and inform strategic direction across the partnership portfolio
Champion a culture of continuous improvement by introducing best practices that push the boundaries of what partnership value can deliver
Lead strategic business reviews against contracts and business plans, presenting relevant performance data with internal teams to drive accountability and results
Manage the full partnership lifecycle end-to-end, including onboarding, ongoing reviews, escalations, and relationship nurturing, ensuring every commitment is met on time and within plan
Proactively identify risks and opportunities within the portfolio and take decisive action to protect and grow the value of each partnership
Hold cross-functional teams accountable for delivering on partner goals, maintaining high standards of execution across all touchpoints
Collaborate with senior leadership, ecommerce, product development, licensing, new business, buying, marketing, and operations to align on launches and partner goals, ensuring seamless communication and delivery of commitments
Drive alignment across internal stakeholders to ensure the organization is consistently positioned to meet and exceed partner expectations
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Oversee internal teams supporting the partnership portfolio, fostering a high-performance environment built on clarity, collaboration, and shared accountability
Provide strong, inspiring leadership that builds confidence, drives effective change, and develops talent within the partnerships function
Create a team culture grounded in BOLD principles, empowering individuals to take ownership, innovate, and deliver outstanding results for partners and fans alike
Apply AI and technology to improve efficiency, quality, and outcomes
Use data and digital tools to inform decisions and enhance performance
Demonstrate curiosity and adaptability in adopting new technologies and ways of working
Contribute to a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
Requirements
8+ years of experience in partnerships, account management, or business development, preferably within sports, sports retail, or ecommerce environments
Demonstrated ability to manage senior client relationships with strong negotiation and strategic thinking skills, and a proven track record of driving revenue growth through strategic partnerships
Deep understanding of football club operations, league structures, and fan engagement strategies, with the ability to operate credibly at the highest levels of the sports industry
Strong commercial acumen with the ability to analyze complex data and market trends to inform strategy and optimize financial performance
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels, internally and externally
Proven project management capability, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
Willingness to travel internationally as required to support partner relationships and business objectives
Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Sports Management, or a related field
Nice to have:
Advanced degree
Important Details
Work location: The primary place of performance of this role is the Company's office located in Paris, subject to the Company's current hybrid work policy. This role currently requires in-office presence 3 days per week in Paris and frequent travel to the Manchester Head office.
About the Company
Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. It ignites the passions of global sports fans and maximizes the presence and reach for its hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Its more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally. Fanatics Commerce is a leading designer, manufacturer, and seller of licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods. It operates a vertically-integrated platform of digital and physical capabilities for leading sports leagues, teams, colleges, and associations globally.
