Senior Partnership Manager

Who We Are

VML is a global creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce to create connected brands that drive growth. Guided by a Human First philosophy, VML is known for its innovative work for brands and consistently ranks among the world’s leading creative companies, including the WARC Creative 100. VML’s global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore.

VML is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.

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About the job

At VML Live, we inspire growth for ambitious brands through sport and entertainment. For more than 25 years, we’ve made it our mission to engage audiences across the world’s biggest sports, major competitions, and bespoke experiences. We work solely for brands, and we are rights-holder agnostic, meaning that we won’t compromise on driving the best results and ROI for our clients through their sport and entertainment partnerships.

We are a close-knit, collaborative team with a unique and vibrant culture. Clients value our creativity, our innovative thinking and our strategic, insight-based approach to every challenge. With our HQ in London with offices in other key worldwide locations, we are proud to be part of the Wunderman Thompson global network, and a WPP Group agency.

This role provides an exciting opportunity to join a large WPP agency team managing global activation and content for a major F1 team partner brand.

We’re looking for a driven Senior Partnership Manager to play a lead role in liaising with the F1 team, other WPP agencies, our client’s global brand team and our client’s central partnership team, as we work to support them in delivering their partnership activation plans with best-in-class project management.

Based at our office, Sea Containers in Blackfriars, the Senior Partnership Manager will work within a five person immediate Brand team which sits within a wider client team of 14. This is a client facing role, with line management responsibilities, which provides extensive autonomy and significant opportunity for growth.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Act as a key senior member of the account management team with the confidence, knowledge and experience to guide the client with a solutions-driven focus
• Day to day responsibility for development and delivery of complex creative content projects, all with the aim of bringing to life our client’s F1 partnership for their key target audiences
• Take the lead in working closely with the brand team, regional/end market clients and relevant internal teams to ensure all activation plans are proactively delivered to a high standard with full approval of the F1 team and internal client stakeholders as required
• Manage, influence, and maintain a productive partnership with the core client, their regions and end markets.
• Work across multiple projects with seamless efficiency
• Develop and maintain a strong working relationship with the F1 team to foster a collective culture of creativity, problem solving and positivity
• Possess outstanding project management skills and a high level of organisation
• Coordinating and collaborating with cross-discipline team members to make sure that all parties are on track with project requirements, deadlines, and schedules
• Support the Account Director with regular client and F1 team reporting
• Expand our current business relationships by identifying and securing growth opportunities as part of the dedicated projects and across the wider business
• Maintain an awareness of best practice in sponsorship activation to fully maximise the potential of market activation plans

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Extensive experience of managing complex and creative content projects
• Appropriate years of account management experience, preferably working within F1 or with another major sports sponsor and their markets on a global basis
• Experience in working to tight deadlines as well as successfully managing complex client finance, briefs and proposals
• Proven ability to juggle multiple work streams, stakeholders and projects with a flexible attitude
• International mindset with the ability to operate in global regions seamlessly when required
• Confident communicator with experience of successfully managing client expectation
• Enthusiasm, energy and an innovative approach to the role
• Agile mindset and ability to pivot as project requirements change
• Resilient and forward thinking in nature
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with impeccable attention to detail
• Strong team player with a positive attitude and desire to grow both personally and professionally as the role requires
• Demonstrate the ability to generate creative ideas that make our current and prospective clients sit up and notice
• A willingness to travel both inside and outside of the UK as may be required from time to time
• Ability to write and speak a leading foreign language, whilst not essential, would be beneficial
• A passion for entertainment, culture, and sport is highly sought after

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

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