Senior Partnerships Manager

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