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The Sr. Director, Sports Partnerships — EMEA is responsible for driving strategic growth across the EMEA sports and entertainment portfolio through the development, expansion, and stewardship of league, sponsor, brand, agency, venue, and partner relationships. This leader serves as a key contributor to regional revenue generation, sponsorship activation strategy, client retention, new business development, and cross-market execution while building and leading a high-performing team across EMEA.
LOCATION:
- This role is based out of our London, UK or Manchester UK office and offers a flexible onsite schedule of onsite 4 days per week, with 1 day remote.
- To be considered, you must live within commuting distance, as regular in-person collaboration is a key part of the role.
TRAVEL:
- Required across EMEA and internationally as needed
The role requires a proven regional business builder who can identify EMEA market opportunities, cultivate executive-level relationships, develop innovative sponsorship and merchandise strategies, and translate client objectives into measurable commercial outcomes. Working closely with the Managing Director — EMEA and global leadership, the Director will play a critical role in shaping regional strategy, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and accelerating long-term growth across priority EMEA markets.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Growth & Business Development
- Lead the development and execution of EMEA growth strategies designed to expand revenue, increase market share, and strengthen the organisation’s sports and entertainment portfolio across priority markets.
- Establish, cultivate, and expand strategic relationships with leagues, clubs, rights holders, sponsors, agencies, venues, partners, and key industry stakeholders across EMEA.
- Identify and capitalise on new business opportunities by leveraging regional relationships, market intelligence, global capabilities, and emerging sports and entertainment trends.
- Drive sponsor engagement initiatives that increase activation effectiveness, improve programme adoption, and maximise partnership value.
- Collaborate with EMEA and global leadership to develop innovative merchandise, marketing, fan engagement, employee engagement, and sponsorship solutions that support client objectives and organisational growth.
Client & Partnership Leadership
- Serve as a trusted advisor to key EMEA clients and partners, delivering strategic recommendations that enhance partnership performance and long-term value.
- Lead efforts to retain, grow, and regionalise existing partnerships through proactive relationship management, consultative business planning, and coordinated account leadership.
- Partner with account teams to develop integrated sales, marketing, merchandise, and activation strategies that drive revenue growth and client success across EMEA.
- Ensure exceptional client experiences through responsive service, operational excellence, strategic problem-solving, and effective coordination across countries and functions.
Team Leadership & Talent Development
- Foster a high-performance EMEA culture through mentorship, accountability, continuous development, and recognition.
- Provide leadership and guidance to direct reports and cross-functional contributors, adapting coaching styles to maximise individual and team effectiveness across markets.
- Partner with EMEA executive leadership on staffing strategies, organisational design, succession planning, and capability-building initiatives.
Financial & Operational Management
- Establish performance objectives, revenue targets, and key metrics aligned with organizational goals.
- Manage team budgets and resources to ensure profitability, operational efficiency, and responsible financial stewardship.
- Monitor business performance through reporting, forecasting, and data-driven decision-making.
- Ensure teams effectively manage expenses while maximizing return on investment and growth opportunities.
We are pleased to share the base salary range for this position is £135,000 to £165,000. If you are hired at BDA, your compensation will be determined by factors such as skills, education, and experience, while also taking internal equity and pay fairness into account. In the spirit of transparency, the range listed represents the full base salary range for the role, with starting salaries typically set within this range to allow room for growth over time. Certain revenue-generating positions may be eligible for incentive compensation.
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Skills Required
- Proven regional business builder with experience in EMEA sports and entertainment partnerships
- Track record in sponsorship activation strategy, merchandise, marketing, and fan engagement
- Experience in new business development, revenue generation, and client retention at a senior level
- Demonstrated ability to cultivate and manage executive-level relationships with leagues, clubs, sponsors, agencies, venues, and partners
- Proven experience building, leading, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams across multiple EMEA markets
- Experience managing budgets, forecasting, reporting, and delivering against revenue targets and KPIs
- Willingness and ability to travel across EMEA and internationally as needed
- Based within commuting distance of London or Manchester and able to be onsite approximately four days per week
What We Do
BDA is the nation's premier promotional Merchandise Agency™. We help our clients meet their business needs through the power of branded merchandise. Our clients consist of Fortune 1000 companies worldwide and every major U.S. sports league and team. Customers come to us to extend their brand reach through strategic initiatives, custom campaigns, integrated eCommerce programs and sports sponsorship activations. And associates come to us for our high energy and high expectations. We are over 900 associates strong, operating in offices around the globe, including our newest office in Manila. Our Locations: Atlanta, Austin, Bentonville, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Greenville, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, London, Los Angeles, Manchester, Manila, Milwaukee, New York, Newark, Paris, Phoenix, Portland, Providence, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Washington D.C., and Windsor Today, the company is celebrating 34 years of business with such high-profile brands as Coca-Cola, Sony, AT&T, NFL, Ford, Starbucks, GE, Kellogg’s, HBO, and many more. Interested in joining the BDA family? Visit https://www.bdainc.com/culture/
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