Partnerships Manager at Making of Champions Limited

Job Summary

• We are seeking to employ a Partnerships Manager to contribute to MoC’s partnerships and sponsorship fundraising activities in Nigeria – this will include securing Partners and Sponsors for:
  • MoC’s existing myriad of Talent Search (School Athletics) and Elite Athletics Competitions
  • MoC’s Elite Athlete Management activities in Athletics (Track & Field) and other sports, and
  • MoC’s nation-building Athlete training and development activities under MoC Foundation.
• The role requires a pro-active, energetic candidate with prior experience fundraising in Nigeria for Corporate Sponsorships and/or experience in sports and/or event management.
• It’s an opportunity to play a pivotal role in the current Athletics resurgence across Nigeria leading to the Paris 2024 Olympics and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Lead the prospecting for and execution of Sponsorships & Partnerships for Competition & Athlete Management for MoC Ltd, and Athlete Development for MoC Foundation, implementing impactful plans for:
  • Secondary School & Elite Athletics Competitions that are relevant to local context across Nigeria and Africa respectively for maximum global impact.
  • Elite Athlete Management for Olympic & US Collegiate Athletes of Nigerian and other nationalities; Entry into other sports (e.g., football, basketball)
  • Youth Athletes combining Sports & Education in Nigeria, relevant to local Athletics context and reflecting MoC’s global sports development priorities.
• Sponsorship fundraising for MoC Media’s team of sports journalists, photographers, and videographers for the local and global multimedia sports content created by Making of Champions to promote both MoC Limited and MoC Foundation on all their various initiatives.
• Develop Partnerships with other nationwide media channels across TV, Radio, Print and Online, which support high impact communications and publicity strategies for all MoC Athletes, Competitions and Programmes
• Ensure financial viability and profitability of MoC competitions and athlete initiatives through fundraising (sponsorship prospecting and grant acquisition) as well as effective budget administration.
• Develop marketing plans/strategies for MoC Competitions and Athletes to ensure maximum impact in terms of Sponsor attraction & retention.
• Manage sponsorship activities, including Sponsor prospecting, proposal customization & presentation, contract revision and servicing, Sponsor follow-up, representing the company at official functions, etc.
• Develop and maintain Sponsorship Pipeline, the database of prospective and secured Sponsors and Partners that you are responsible for, building and sustaining long lasting relationships at each pipeline stage.
• Identify/develop new business opportunities/partnerships and create effective plans to pursue these, involving research and conceptualization of appropriate marketing approaches on a client-by-client basis.
• Develop and implement budgets required for all competitions & athletes to achieve financial sustainability, when taking funding into account
• Expansion of MoC’s Sports Sponsorship and Management services across other sports of high importance, impact and profitability in Nigeria, including but not limited to football, basketball, tennis, table tennis etc.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's or Master's Degree in any discipline
• Must have 5-7 years relevant experience, including at least 2-3 years leading teams in a commercial or client-facing environment (particularly in sponsorship fundraising)
• Experience working in sports, media or entertainment industries and/or a demonstrated passion or interest in Sports Event Management would be an advantage.
• Experience in international development roles or prior experience in leading or running non-profit organisations in Nigeria would also be beneficial.
• Prior Experience and interest in Athletics (Track & Field) beneficial but not required.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Word, Excel & PowerPoint
• Exceptional communication abilities – excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills – and strong salesmanship, energy, and drive
• Proven track record of strong management and leadership skills in such areas as: fostering teamwork, developing, and motivating others, managing change, conflict resolution, initiative, and flexibility.
• Demonstrated high-level interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, including the ability to build collaborative relationships internally and externally with sensitivity to cultural, ethnic, social, and political issues; Coalition building capabilities, external networking, and experience in developing strategic partnerships.
• Ability to pragmatically solve problems, plan a course of action using analytical, conceptual, strategic, and forward-thinking abilities to achieve an effective resolution.