Sports & Entertainment Partnerships Manager

Introduction

IBM is redefining what's possible at the intersection of technology, sports, and entertainment-helping fans experience the moments they love in smarter, more connected ways. From golf and tennis to motorsports, football, and music, IBM technology powers the data, insights, and storytelling that bring these experiences to life.

We collaborate with iconic partners that inspire excellence and shape culture, using IBM's commercially available technology to create authentic, hands-on experiences that showcase innovation in action. Together, we're turning the world's most passionate stages into live demonstrations of what IBM can make possible.

Your role and responsibilities

We are seeking a dynamic, results-driven Partnerships Manager to join our team. This role will be pivotal in leading IBM's UFC and Fantasy Football partnerships, while supporting other programs across our Sports & Entertainment portfolio. You'll play a key role in developing and executing activation strategies that drive brand awareness, client engagement, and business impact for IBM.

The ideal candidate has strong marketing and project management skills, thrives in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment, and can manage multiple partnerships and priorities simultaneously. You bring creativity, organization, and strategic thinking to every program you lead.
Key Responsibilities

• Lead partnership activations for UFC and Fantasy Football across paid, owned, and earned channels, as well as B2B hospitality programs, to enhance IBM's brand visibility and engagement in line with strategic priorities.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with hospitality, marketing, communications, and technical program teams to ensure consistent storytelling and successful execution.
• Manage agency and internal partners to deliver best-in-class activations - including advertising, social, case study videos, on-site experiences, and event collateral.
• Track, analyze, and report on partnership performance, using insights to inform and optimize future activations.
• Oversee large-scale sports and entertainment budgets, ensuring efficient resource allocation, compliance with internal processes, and on-target spending.
• Represent IBM externally within the sports and entertainment partnership industry to strengthen relationships, stay ahead of trends, and advance IBM's leadership in client experience.

Required education

Bachelor's Degree

Preferred education

Master's Degree

Required technical and professional expertise

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Sports Management, or a related field (MBA or relevant certifications preferred).
• 7+ years of experience in brand, experiential, or sports marketing with a proven record of delivering high-impact campaigns.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across teams and leadership levels.
• Strong project management skills, able to balance multiple priorities, partners, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Analytical and data-driven mindset, using insights to inform creative strategies and measure performance.
• Experience with sports sponsorships, activations, and event execution, ideally across global or enterprise-scale programs.
• Creative problem-solver with a passion for storytelling and innovative marketing solutions.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you'll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you'll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM's greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we're also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it's time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

The compensation range and benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year. The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location. Pay increment and frequency of pay will be in accordance with employment classification and applicable laws. For part time roles, your compensation and benefits will be adjusted to reflect your hours. Benefits may be pro-rated for those who start working during the calendar year.

Client-provided location(s): Austin, TX

Job ID: IBM-73690

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2025-11-14T18:49:56