Senior Sponsorship Account Manager

SUMMARY:
The Senior Sponsorship Account Manager is responsible for sourcing, securing, and managing sponsorship partnerships across 4Racing and TAB assets — including events and media platforms — to deliver annual revenue targets for the business.

POSITION INFO:
Key Responsibilities Sponsorship Sales & Pipeline Development • Proactively source and identify new sponsorship opportunities for 4Racing and TAB events and media assets. • Build and maintain a robust, well-qualified sponsorship pipeline to support annual revenue targets. • Research and identify prospective sponsors aligned with the brand, audience, and commercial objectives of 4Racing and TAB. • Develop and present compelling sponsorship proposals and packages tailored to prospective partners'' needs. Contract Negotiation & Deal Management • Lead initial engagements with prospective sponsors, from first contact through to proposal and pitch. • Negotiate sponsorship terms, contracts, and commercial agreements in line with company policy and revenue objectives. • Manage the end-to-end deal process, ensuring agreements are commercially sound and legally compliant. • Collaborate with legal, finance, and senior leadership as needed to finalise contract terms. Account & Relationship Management • Serve as the primary point of contact for sponsors throughout the duration of their agreements. • Maintain and grow existing sponsorship relationships, ensuring all contractual obligations and deliverables are met on both sides. • Manage account dynamics proactively, identifying opportunities for renewal, upsell, and expanded partnership value. • Monitor sponsor satisfaction and address issues or concerns promptly to protect long-term partnerships. Revenue Delivery & Reporting • Deliver against annual sponsorship revenue targets set by the business. • Track and report on pipeline status, deal progress, and revenue performance to the Head of Content. • Provide regular forecasts and insights on sponsorship trends, market opportunities, and competitor activity. Strategy & Market Intelligence • Maintain and continuously refine 4Racing''s Sports Marketing & Engagement strategy, ensuring it evolves with industry trends and shifts so that partnership and sponsorship offerings remain relevant. • Maintain a local market sports sponsorship spend matrix, tracking major brand sponsorship commitments, deal terms, renewal windows, and budget cycles. • Proactively plan and prepare pitches well ahead of the forthcoming year, ensuring 4Racing''s offerings are positioned for consideration during prospective sponsors'' typical budget planning windows. Team Management • Manage the Sponsorship Account Manager(s) - the junior resource(s) reporting into this role - including workload allocation, performance management, and development. • Ensure the team''s delivery of executed sponsorship agreements is aligned with commercial commitments and account plans. Partnership Activation & Experiential Marketing • Host and lead partnership workshops to align and maximise the collective objectives of 4Racing, TAB, and prospective partners\/sponsors. • Host racing experiential events on select premium race days to expose new prospective sponsors to racing and 4Racing''s sports marketing and content engagement assets. ROI, Value Demonstration & Case Studies • Provide ROI reports to all sponsors, measuring tangible and intangible sponsorship benefits and equivalent advertising value (EAV), aiming to maintain a return of at least 3:1 wherever possible. • Maintain a portfolio of case studies of successful sports sponsorships and partnerships run by 4Racing, including sponsor testimonials, for use in future pitches and renewals. Requirements Experience • Minimum 5-7 years'' experience in sponsorship sales, account management, or partnerships, ideally within sports, racing, betting\/gaming, or media industries. • Proven track record of sourcing new business and delivering revenue against targets. • Demonstrated experience negotiating and managing commercial contracts. Skills & Competencies • Strong new business development and prospecting skills. • Excellent negotiation and commercial acumen. • Skilled relationship manager with the ability to manage multiple stakeholders and account dynamics. • Strong presentation and proposal-writing skills. • Ability to work independently while managing a full sponsorship pipeline. • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. • A strong existing network within the sports sponsorship sector - direct and indirect - including agencies, media buyers, and brand\/partner CMOs, built through local market experience. • Proven experience leading and developing junior team members. Qualifications • A relevant tertiary qualification in Marketing, Business, Sales, or a related field is preferred. Other Requirements • Based in or willing to work from Johannesburg, Gauteng. • Valid driver''s licence and own transport (for client and event visits, as needed). • Willingness to attend events, meetings, and functions outside of standard working hours when required. Key Relationships Reports to: Head of Content, 4Racing Direct Reports: Sponsorship Account Manager(s) Internal: Content team, Marketing, Legal, Finance, Events External: Current and prospective sponsors, agencies, media buyers, brand\/partner CMOs