Global Sports Marketing Manager

Contract to potential hire
Hybrid schedule in San Diego (potentially open to LA talent that can come onsite as needed)

Key Responsibilities

Athlete Relationship Management & Exceptional Service
• Build and maintain meaningful, long-term relationships with athletes, ensuring they feel valued and fully supported at every stage of their journey.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for athletes under contract, offering exceptional service that positions brand as their preferred partner and prioritizes their personal and professional success.
• Oversee seamless product delivery and manage product scripting for both performance and lifestyle wear, ensuring each athlete has the right product at the right time for the right occasions.
• Ensure athletes are consistently supported by tracking all contractual obligations, while also holding them accountable to their performance and marketing commitments to keep them fully engaged with the brand’s needs.
• Set the standard for brands “athlete service” by innovating the experience, ensuring athletes feel inspired and loyal to the brand.
• Be present at key sport events to offer direct support to athletes and industry stakeholders, creating experiences that strengthen their connection with the brand and ensure their contractual and brand representation needs are met.
• Be the brand’s Sports Marketing POC for Beyond the Field Sports
Strategic Integration of Athletes with Brand Vision
• Partner with cross-functional teams to embed athletes into our brand storytelling and integrated marketing campaigns, aligning them authentically with brand vision.
• Support the delivery of marketing campaigns that leverage athlete endorsements, capturing the unique joy and resilience of each athlete’s journey.
• Track and report all marketing activations done by athlete inclusive of all marketing channels.
• Represent brand at key events, photoshoots, and brand activations, ensuring athletes are aligned with our marketing objectives and that all brand interactions reflect brand’s commitment to sport and athlete authenticity.
• Collaborate with brand marketing to execute impactful marketing initiatives that authentically tell athletes’ stories and resonate with fans, fostering a deep connection between the brand and its audience.
• Ensure athletes commit and show up to all required marketing activations.

Event Support
• Assist in the planning and execution of sports marketing events, brand activations, and hospitality experiences, ensuring each reflects brand’s commitment to joy, authenticity, and excellence.
• Serve as a resource for the broader sports marketing team, stepping in as needed to support various operational tasks, from packing event bags to fulfilling on-site logistical needs.

Product & Performance Alignment
• Collaborate with product teams to ensure brand product supports athletes’ performance requirements while maintaining sport authenticity.
• Collect and share athlete insights on marketing and product innovation to fuel product development and brand alignment.

Team Leadership & Organizational Connectivity
• Ensure the sports marketing team operates with a business-oriented mindset, championing sport authenticity in all brand actions.

Qualifications
• Minimum 5 years in a Sports marketing role, with athlete management experience required.
• Direct experience managing athlete relationships (pro, collegiate, or NIL) and executing contractual obligations.
• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration, sports management. MBA degree preferred.
• Proven attention to detail.
• Proven background in working at or with a global brand, sports agency, or sports property.
• Track record of building and activating athlete marketing campaigns across multiple channels (social, experiential, PR).
• Experience managing product seeding, logistics, and athlete servicing at a high-performance and lifestyle level.
• Skills/Competencies: Relationship management, organizational excellence, x-functional collaboration, communication, strategic mindset, cultural fluency, adaptability.