Pro Sports League Jobs – Sponsorship Services Account Manager
Those in sponsorship services account management jobs at the league level, like the team level, manage the relationships with corporate sponsorship partners, and implementation of all contractual elements, including radio, signage, publications, in-arena and retail promotions, community programs, events and hospitality. The account manager is also responsible for creating proposals and sales tools to aid in the renewal process. For this reason this position necessitates a proven track record of personal and team achievements, with demonstrated creativity in the development of innovative and effective activation campaigns. Strong project management skills and people management experience is also critical. The person in this job will be required to be highly knowledgeable of the local, regional, and national sponsorship and advertising community in addition to the sponsor company and their marketing objectives.
Account managers must possess strong relationship skills because they will be responsible for dealing with high level corporate decision makers on a consistent basis. The account manager is the front line and “face” of the league office in all dealings with the partner company.
Along with managing accounts, this position helps generate sponsorship revenue during renewal time by creating customized partnership programs that leverage both parties’ assets to promote a mutually beneficial relationship. Because this position entails a great amount of contact with the client, those in the position must be a clear self-starter with strong relationship skills. This person must be responsible, dynamic, outgoing and self-motivated with a proven track record in developing corporate and/or media driven partnerships.
Some of the responsibilities for this position include;
- Cultivating new and existing corporate partner relationships to ensure sponsor revenue growth that exceeds the requirements as determined by the league.
- Development of dynamic sales presentations for current business partners using PowerPoint proposals, incorporating research of category dynamics and a clear understanding of the prospective partner’s marketing goals.
- Providing accurate, reliable information to sales managers.
- Managing and ensuring fulfillment of all corporate partner programs in conjunction with the department head, while establishing strong relationships throughout partner companies.
- Identify local and national trends and emerging markets, and adjust strategies accordingly.
As with most league jobs, the qualifications include at the minimum a Bachelor’s degree in a business related field. Leagues are also looking for someone with at least three years experience in corporate sponsorship sales or account management.
Compensation:
Compensation at the league level is higher than at the team level in most cases. The main reasons for this are the amount of money leagues are dealing with and the greater level of responsibility. Another key factor is that leagues tend to hire more experienced people that have spent a number of years working at the team level. One other benefit at the league level is that they often pay a portion of relocation costs (something that is rarely if ever done at the team level).
Salary levels vary substantially, depending upon the level of managerial responsibility, length of service, education, professional level (minor league versus top professional league), location, and sport.
Major League Baseball: $47,000 – $59,000
National Football League: $50,000 – $65,000
National Basketball Association: $44,000 – $65,000
National Hockey League: $42,000 – $55,000
NASCAR: $53,000 – $68,000
*Because account managers do less selling, and therefore make less commission, they tend to have a lower level of compensation compared to sales managers.
Please note that positions at the above leagues are all based in New York City, where the cost of living is significantly higher than other U.S. cities.