Senior Partnerships Manager

Rapha
London

Rapha launched in 2004 to redefine cycling apparel. Today, progressive design and storytelling has built a global movement.

We want to make cycling the most important sport in the world, by transforming the lives of millions, and we’re on a mission to create the world’s greatest club through the Rapha Cycling Club (RCC).

The Senior Partnerships Manager is a leadership role engineered to contribute to this mission by defining and delivering a globally coherent partnership strategy that strengthens Rapha’s position in cycling and drives measurable brand heat and commercial growth.

THE ROLE

This is a senior, commercially accountable leadership role for someone who can build and manage partnerships that both grow the business and elevate the brand.

You will own a portfolio that spans athlete representation, brand collaborations, and commercial partnerships, with full responsibility for channel leadership, contract negotiation and financial delivery.

You'll be joining at a pivotal moment for Rapha, with real scope to shape how we approach partnerships strategically. This isn't a relationship management role, it's a business and brand building one.

KEY AREAS OF OWNERSHIP:

Athlete Management

End-to-end athlete relationships, from recruitment through to contract and activation

Brand Collaborations

Culturally resonant co-creation with tech, fashion, art, design, and lifestyle partners

Commercial Growth

P&L ownership, deal structuring, and financial delivery across the portfolio

WHAT YOU'LL DELIVER:

Athlete Partnerships

  • Lead the end-to-end athlete partnership programme – from identification and

  • recruitment through contract execution, relationship management, and renewal.

  • Build deep, long-term ambassador relationships: understanding what athletes need, what they stand for, and how to unlock authentic content and advocacy.

  • Negotiate athlete contracts, usage rights, exclusivity clauses, and performance incentives, working closely with legal and finance.

  • Collaborate with Creative and Social teams to develop athlete content that serves both brand and commercial objectives.

  • Establish clear KPIs for the athlete roster and hold the programme accountable to performance, engagement, and ROI.

Brand Collaborations

  • Identify, pitch, and develop brand collaboration opportunities across tech, fashion, art, design, lifestyle, and culture – with a bias towards unexpected, creatively substantive

  • Partnerships that draw in new customers.

  • Manage collaborations from initial concept through contract, creative development,

  • production, launch, and post-campaign evaluation

  • Work with the Creative leadership to ensure co-branded output meets brand standards and tells a coherent story across both partners.

  • Cultivate an active pipeline of collaboration prospects, maintaining relationships well

  • before a project is on the table.

  • Track and report on collaboration performance – media value, audience reach, sales

  • uplift, and brand perception impact.

Commercial Partnerships & Financial Growth

  • Own the commercial partnerships P&L: setting revenue targets, managing budgets,

  • and delivering measurable financial growth through the portfolio.

  • Structure and negotiate partnership deals with commercial rigour – licensing

  • agreements, co-marketing arrangements, exclusivity windows, tiered fee structures,

  • and performance-linked terms.

  • Identify upsell and extension opportunities within the existing partner base, maximising

  • long-term commercial value from established relationships.

  • Build the business case for new partnership investments, presenting clearly to senior

  • leadership with financial modelling and strategic rationale.

  • Work cross-functionally with Finance, Legal, and Commercial teams to ensure deals

  • are structured, contracted, and delivered to plan.

Cross-Functional Leadership

  • Work collaboratively across stakeholder and contributing teams to get the best results and drive clear owner accountability.

  • Comfortable operating hands-on within a lean team structure.

  • Set the standard for how the teams work together: pace, rigour, relationship quality, and creative ambition.

  • Build team capability within Brand Marketing in commercial negotiation, relationship management, and cross-functional collaboration.

  • Represent the partnerships function at senior leadership level, contributing to broader brand and commercial strategy.

HOW YOU’LL BE MEASURED:

  • Brand impact of partnerships (awareness, earned media quality, cultural relevance).

  • Commercial performance of partnership-led initiatives (traffic, revenue, sell-through, partner contribution).

  • Activation excellence (on-time, on-budget delivery across XF teams).

  • Strength and quality of forward partnership pipeline (12–36 month horizon).

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

  • 8+ years of experience in partnerships, commercial development, or brand roles – ideally spanning both sport/athlete and brand collaboration contexts.

  • A demonstrable track record of negotiating and closing complex commercial agreements, with evidence of financial delivery against targets.

  • Experience managing athlete or talent relationships, with a deep understanding of the sensitivities and opportunities involved.

  • Strong commercial acumen: you can build a business case, read a deal structure, assess risk, and negotiate confidently from a position of knowledge.

  • Experience leading and developing a partnerships team, with a coaching mindset and high expectations of yourself and others.

  • An existing network across sport, fashion, creative, and media – you know the right people and they know you.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication; able to represent the brand externally with authority and warmth.

  • Genuine passion for the brand's world – sport, craft, culture, and the communities where they intersect.

Working at Rapha

We are continuously looking into ways to invest in our employees and build a better working culture and environment. Here are just some of the internal benefits we offer:

  • Flexible working hours

  • Support for ad-hoc remote working during the week - minimum 4 days in office

  • 25 days annual leave

  • 2 additional days paid time off to participate in a sportive or similar related cycling event

  • A flexible riding benefit to allow you to go out riding on a Wednesday morning with colleagues or learn to cycle through our Getting Started Scheme

  • An annual clothing allowance of £1,200 for testing and promotional purpose

  • A company bonus scheme

  • A health cash plan provided by Healthshield worth up to £1405 per year

  • Mental health support with MyndUp

  • Free barista coffee and social drinks in the office

  • Monthly department social events and quarterly office social away days

  • Bike racing expenses up to £35 per race entry

  • A 50% staff discount and a discount for family and friends

  • Industry discounts on brands such as Patagonia, Osprey, Finisterre, Wahoo

  • Free membership to the Rapha Cycling Club

  • Cycle2Work scheme

  • Company Pension Scheme

  • Enhanced Parental Leave and Pay

Posted 2026-05-15

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