At Sports Direct, our team members are highly passionate about inspiring, motivating and empowering our customers to better their best. We believe that people ultimately want to lead a healthy and fit way of life and we want to empower them to do so by providing correctly fitted footwear, sports gear and personalised service. From their first pair of shoes to their first football, our team are there to ensure that whatever activity they want to do, they’re wearing the right shoes and using the best equipment.
Joining Sports Direct is more than just a job, it is a family who cares, develops, grows, and rewards each and every one of us.
About Us
Sports Direct is continuing its rapid expansion across Australia, backed by Accent Group. We are first and foremost a true sports store, dedicated to performance, game-day gear, and equipping athletes at every level. We operate in a lean, agile, and fast-paced environment where our team is empowered to make a massive impact.
We are looking for a dynamic Partnership Manager to join our Sydney team. You will be the driving force behind how Sports Direct connects with communities, clubs, and brands across the country.
About the Role
As the Partnership Manager, you will own the end-to-end partnership life cycle. You will be responsible for defining our partnership strategy, identifying the right opportunities, and managing relationships that solidify Sports Direct as the ultimate destination for sports gear in Australia.
Your portfolio will be highly diverse: from grassroots community initiatives (like local football clubs) all the way up to elite-level professional organisations (such as NRL or A-League clubs). You’ll also have the creative freedom to explore non-sports partnerships where there is a strong, strategic brand alignment.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategy & Planning: Develop and execute a comprehensive partnership strategy that aligns with our core positioning as a performance-driven sports retailer, ensuring we stand apart from purely lifestyle-focused competitors.
- Identification & Outreach: Proactively identify, prospect, and reach out to potential partners across grassroots, elite sporting clubs, and relevant out-of-category brands.
- Pitching & Negotiation: Lead commercial negotiations, carefully structuring agreements to ensure strong ROI, brand visibility, and mutual value.
- Relationship Management: Serve as the primary point of contact for all partners, building strong, long-lasting relationships and ensuring all contractual deliverables are met.
- Marketing Integration & Activation: Work hand-in-hand with the Marketing and Digital teams to bring these partnerships to life. You will ensure we maximize the benefits of our sponsorships through campaigns, store openings, player appearances, and social media activations.
- Performance Tracking: Continuously analyze and report on the success and commercial impact of active partnerships, pivoting strategies as needed.
What You’ll Bring
- Experience: Proven track record in partnership management, sports marketing, sponsorships, or commercial business development.
- Commercial Acumen: Strong negotiation skills with a deep understanding of how to structure partnership tiers and maximize commercial benefits.
- Agility: A "roll-up-your-sleeves" mentality. You thrive in a lean, fast-moving retail environment and can adapt to changing priorities quickly.
- Relationship Builder: Exceptional communication and networking skills, capable of dealing with local community volunteers and elite sports executives alike.
- Flexibility: A true passion for the industry, which includes a willingness to work occasional outside hours to attend partner games, weekend activations, and networking events.
Why Join Us?
Amazing Workspace: Be based in our brand-new, cutting-edge Alexandria office.
Impact: Play a foundational role in shaping the footprint of a massive global sports brand in the Australian market.
The Perks: Excellent Accent Group team member discounts, career progression opportunities, and the reality of getting paid to attend sporting events and build relationships within the sports industry.
At Accent Group Limited we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity and inclusion. We believe in the diversity of our people across age, gender, identity, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, physical and mental ability. We strive on creating an equal employment environment where everyone from any background can be themselves. The Accent Group acknowledges, and pays respect, to the Traditional Owners and ongoing custodians of the land. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Maori people.