Head of Sponsorships manages the portfolio of brand partnerships across arts, education, community and sports. The position leads U.S. Bank’s efforts to build excitement and goodwill within the communities in which we operate, drive awareness and ultimately influence consideration of our products and services through sponsorship marketing.
Job Responsibilities:
Develops a strategic approach to national & regional partnerships in support of U.S. Bank business objectives.
Supports business priorities by ensuring the application of business and marketing priorities and the application of relevant data in the selection of sponsorship marketing partnerships, acquisition of rights, benefits, assets and incentives, and execution of sponsorship marketing programs.
Leads Property identification, negotiation, and activation of partnerships to maximize ROI of the sponsorship portfolio. Defines innovative non-traditional sponsorship models as well as large national properties to achieve greater ROI through consumer preference and business relationships.
Understands line-of- business (LOB) needs in order to build sponsorship activations that maximize return on investment, sponsorship key performance objectives and activation engagement objectives.
Leads the application of eight figure budget in support of sponsorship marketing and reforecast when needed.
Socializes the sponsorship strategic approaches with executives and the senior leadership team
Leads the negotiation and valuation of new & existing sponsorships.
Leads cross-functional teams (internal and external) through the development and execution of sponsorship activations (e.g., internal creative team, agency partners, public relations, media, social, etc).
Communicates key metrics and opportunities to senior leadership through written reports, presentations and stakeholder status meetings for both existing and new sponsorship properties.
Helps identify, negotiate, and execute a combination of own, earned & paid social programs, leveraging external partnerships where appropriate, that extend the reach and quality of U.S. Bank’s messages.
Partners with the digital team to execute paid social strategies to bring sponsorship programs to life.
Ensures integration of sponsorship activities with overall marketing campaigns, other key functional groups and key agency partners.
Develops and applies metrics and measurement tools for the evaluation of sponsorship investments and initiatives aligned with overall marketing and national sponsorship metrics.
Direct management and oversight of national and regional sponsorship teams, providing mentorship and development opportunities.
Leads the execution of existing national and regional sponsorships.
Experience / Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, a related field, or equivalent education required
10+ years’ experience in corporate sponsorships and experience marketing
8+ years’ experience leading people/teams
Experience developing and executing a successful national brand sponsorship plan
Proven track record managing and communicating with C level executives at sponsorship properties and internally
Proven track record showing the demonstrative value of specific sponsorship activities and activations
A strong knowledge of the Financial Services industry preferred
Qualifications:
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Proven autonomous leadership in a revenue driven environment
Ability to drive projects across a cross-functional team
Demonstrated ability to handle complex negotiations maximizing ROI
Passion for sponsorships and sports marketing
Record of sound decision making under pressure/compressed timelines
Experience managing eight figure budget with multiple priorities
Ability to handle multiple priorities with competing deadlines
Flexibility to travel 30%
Strong time and priority management skills and ability to juggle multiple projects.
Relationship management skills with external and internal customers.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively under pressure, independently, and within a collaborative team oriented environment using sound judgment in decision-making.
Excellent communication skills both oral and written with strong analytical and problem solving skills.
In-depth knowledge of the current principles and best practices within brand partnerships, sponsorships, consumer engagement, and social media marketing.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office products (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word).
Physical Demands and Work Environment:
Representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Must be able to operate a PC and sit for extended periods of time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
