Client Manager, Sponsorship & Consultancy

Job Description:

MKTG Sports & Entertainment is a global integrated agency that help brands and rights holders move at the speed of fans. For over 20 years, we've ignited fandom and innovated activation in the world of sports and entertainment. We have strategised, created and driven partnerships for some of the world's biggest brands and power brands in the making. With one aligned goal - make something worth noticing, engaging, liking, sharing and remembering.

We are part of Dentsu Sports International, a global sports network comprised of MKTG Sports & Entertainment and Dentsu Sports, a leading sports rights holder including federations, leagues, events, teams, and venues. 

Purpose of the Role

We are looking for a Client Manager to join the MKTG team to work on delivering and implementing some of the most exciting collaborations in Sport and Entertainment.

As a Client Manager in Sponsorship + Consultancy, your role is to provide support and assistance in managing the client’s business and to keep day to day activities running smoothly. You will support the wider team in delivery on accounts, managing the capabilities and team to ensure on-time delivery and excellence in execution. This is a key role in driving collaboration internally and externally with the client and partners.

This role will report into the Senior Director and is based in London.

This role will be responsible for leading and managing the client relationships, activation plans, projects and client servicing across our Cadbury account.

Cadbury, part of Mondelez International, is one of the UK’s most iconic brands with an industry leading marketing team, using sport and talent partnerships to deepen its role in culture and reinforce its reputation as a generous, community focused brand. Through relationships across Premier League football clubs, WSL teams, a growing roster of world class ambassadors and lifestyle partners, Cadbury creates shared experiences that bring fans closer to the moments and people they love. These partnerships are activated through purpose‑driven initiatives from community programmes and surprise‑and‑delight access all designed to give back and strengthen brand affinity. This role will support the delivery of this partnership ecosystem, ensuring Cadbury’s generosity platform is brought to life with consistency, creativity, and impact.

What you’ll do

Client Servicing/Account Management:

• Manage day to day client relationships.  
• Own client connections and relationships
• Understand your client’s business and the wider industry competitor set. 
• Know what makes your clients tick, how to make them stand out and support them in achieving marketing goals. 
• Lead by example on client service excellence. 
• Adhere to excellent time management.
• Have ownership and accountability for client/account fees and activation budgets. 
• Understand and be able to report on the commercials of your client responsibilities. 

Project Management:

• Effectively and efficiently manage retained client work and project work. This includes but not limited to, end-to-end project management, management of partnership rights and utilisation, merchandise, campaign planning, managing activations across key moments of the season, on ground activations and much more to ensure deliverables are met.
• Work with leadership team to ensure the project delivers above client expectations.  
• Be accountable for (the client team) setting timelines, expectations, and meeting deadlines. 
• Support the Directors with the management of resource and workloads across the team on designated projects.

Administration:

• Ensure that timesheets for self and direct reports are completed on time and accurately.
• Oversee and be the key point of contact for finance related activities on the account.

Culture & Values:

• Lead key culture initiatives and demonstrate the importance of our culture & values to the junior team. 

New Business & Marketing:

• Support new biz function by participating in new client proposals and pitch processes.
• Look to build opportunities from current client and new clients from across the business.
• Put together proposals and costings for small to mid-size projects with support from Directors.
• Participate in regular thought leadership in written, presentation and verbal format. 

Self-Development:

• Be knowledgeable about the industry and strive for expertise. 
• Ensure you understand and can confidently present sponsorship processes. 
• Be curious and focus on personal development through team management and leadership training.  

People Management:

• Act as a mentor and coach to your direct reports to help them develop in their role and career, promoting an inclusive environment where everyone’s voice can be heard.
• Provide regular on the go feedback and regular structured 121’s which focuses on performance.
• Discuss and agree clear performance objectives and L&D opportunities, which supports both the business and your direct reports personal ambitions, identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses.

What you’ll bring

You are excited by the prospect of working on award winning sports and entertainment sponsorship projects and are passionate about delivering brilliant solutions for clients.

You have the technical knowledge of sponsorships and partnership marketing and are passionate about delivering brilliant solutions for clients. You have attention to detail and drive to manage and develop existing activation programmes.

You take pride in your work, thrive in managing projects and are comfortable with strategic thinking needed to develop campaigns, activations and integrated marketing solutions.

You also thrive under pressure, enjoy working on sports/events and like to be part of a close-knit team.

To be able to deliver this we need you to have:

• Proven, consistent, experience in marketing either agency side, client side or with a rights holder.
• Proven, consistent, experience working on sport, ambassadors, music or entertainment sponsorships and activation programmes
• Demonstrable experience in project management and client servicing excellence
• A good understanding of brand ambassador management
• A good understanding of the wider marketing landscape
• Superstar project management skills
• A strategic and logical thinker who can provide council to our clients and suppliers in delivering best in class solutions
• Acumen to look at business performance for our clients and how this can be measured to make sponsorship assets more accountable
• A team mentality, building high performing teams both through line management and brilliant project work.

What we offer

This is a permanent role. The team is based from our London office on a hybrid working basis. 

At dentsu, we care deeply about our people. Our flexible benefits package supports your health, wellbeing, and financial future with company-funded private medical insurance, virtual GP access, and an employee assistance programme. Enjoy 25 days of annual leave plus extra days for your birthday, wellbeing, and volunteering. From discounted gym memberships and retail perks to electric car leasing and travel insurance, dentsu empowers you to thrive both at work and in life.

Inclusion and Diversity

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners, and communities.

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic. Beyond recruitment, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

We recognize the importance of work-life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles. If you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or medical condition during our recruitment process, please contact us at [email protected], quoting the reference number of the role that you are applying for. Your needs will be handled with respect and confidentiality to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience.

#LI-Hybrid #LI-MKTGEMEA

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