Americas Grassroots & Promotions Manager, Racquet Sports
Wilson, Chicago Heights, IL, United States
Overview
At Wilson, we are here to empower every human to live like an athlete. Passion. Creativity. Integrity. Teamwork. Ambition. Innovation. These are the qualities that have made Wilson Sporting Goods Co. the number one sports equipment brand in the world. We come together to win, grow, and celebrate. We all play for Team Wilson. We all have a role to play within our organization and are working towards the same goal. One team, one dream.
We believe that being an athlete isn’t something you do, it’s who you are. It’s a universal code of conduct, a way of seeing the world and how you show up every day. We seek out diverse voices and welcome all perspectives. Our team is composed of individuals with unique backgrounds, points of view and experiences. These perspectives create a rich and diverse culture in which we learn from one another through empathy and inclusion.
Evolving the sports world and being the best partner for players, athletes, and our community is no small task. We are continually looking to add enthusiastic, ambitious, team-first individuals who desire to make a difference —and who love to help others win. Together, we will create a better world through sport. Join us.
What You'll Do The Americas Racquet Sports Communities & Promotions Manager is responsible for leading grassroots, community engagement, and promotional initiatives across Tennis and Padel in North and Latin America. This role oversees non-elite advisory staff, demo and promotional events, and key grassroots partnerships while serving as a critical connector between Sales, Commercial, Marketing, and Partnerships teams.
The role is accountable for developing scalable grassroots strategies, managing budgets and operations, strengthening academy and federation partnerships, and ensuring Wilson delivers consistent, premium brand experiences at every community touchpoint.
Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Lead grassroots efforts across hard goods and soft goods for racquet sports in North and Latin America.
Develop and execute North American grassroots and promotions strategies that can be replicated globally.
Establish benchmarks and evaluate the cost-benefit of grassroots programs, including academies, tournaments, federations, associations, demo events, and top national and regional coaches.
Continually ideate on strategies to support market share growth targets in performance racquets.
Lead and support non-elite (non-tour) advisory staff programs across all racquet sports.
Collaborate with Territory Sales Representatives and advisory staff in the U.S. & Canada
Ensure alignment with Wilson brand standards, activation guidelines, and community engagement goals.
Oversee planning and execution of high-quality demo and promotional events that drive product education, community connection, and retail sell-through.
Develop and manage key grassroots partnerships, including academies, junior tournaments, federations/associations, coaches’ conventions, and non-elite training centers.
Proactive network to ensure Wilson is a preferred commercial partner with all grassroots partners
Serve as a link between Sales, Commercial, Partnerships, and Marketing teams.
Support RSS teams and key accounts through grassroots activations and promotions.
Ensure grassroots initiatives reflect commercial priorities and KPI objectives.
Manage day-to-day grassroots budgets and operations for North America.
Identify opportunities for digitalization to streamline processes, including coaches’ programs, package management.
Manage the online platform used to service coaches in North America.
What We're Looking For This role requires a bachelor’s degree in a related field plus a minimum of 3 years of experience in Grassroots marketing and/or Sport Marketing or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Other qualifications include:
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent interpersonal, cross cultural and negotiation skills with a proven ability to create and maintain positive working relationships with juniors, coaches, tournaments, business partners, governing bodies, suppliers, shippers, and customers
Strong supervisory and leadership skills
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
Thorough understanding of company products and logistics
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Proficient with SAP
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
Experience playing tennis at professional or college level
Experience playing Padel
Ability to travel 50 - 75 days a year
High energy levels are essential
Conversational in Spanish preferred.
What We’ll Provide A reasonable estimate of the
pay range is $80,000 - $100,000 per year
at the time of this posting. Within the range, individual pay is determined by factors such as job-related skills, relevant experience, education, and/or training. Please note that the range details reflect the base pay only and does not include our competitive bonus program.
Located in the vibrant, sports-centric city of Chicago, Wilson Sporting Goods Co. global headquarters sits along the lakefront with first-class access to a burgeoning creative, innovative, energetic and active professional community. We offer an open, collaborative, high tech work environment with best in class amenities and perks, including:
Medical, dental and vision
Pre‑tax transit discounts
401(k) with company match
Life insurance
Paid maternity/paternity leave
Professional development opportunities
Volunteering programs
Team building outings
Discounts on Wilson and Amer Sports products
On-site health club
Summer hours
Company-sponsored sports leagues/teams
Fun, active company outings around major sports events
Please note, our candidate can reside in the following racquet epi‑centers: Southern California, Texas, Atlanta, GA or Florida.
Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristics.
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We believe that being an athlete isn’t something you do, it’s who you are. It’s a universal code of conduct, a way of seeing the world and how you show up every day. We seek out diverse voices and welcome all perspectives. Our team is composed of individuals with unique backgrounds, points of view and experiences. These perspectives create a rich and diverse culture in which we learn from one another through empathy and inclusion.
Evolving the sports world and being the best partner for players, athletes, and our community is no small task. We are continually looking to add enthusiastic, ambitious, team-first individuals who desire to make a difference —and who love to help others win. Together, we will create a better world through sport. Join us.
What You'll Do The Americas Racquet Sports Communities & Promotions Manager is responsible for leading grassroots, community engagement, and promotional initiatives across Tennis and Padel in North and Latin America. This role oversees non-elite advisory staff, demo and promotional events, and key grassroots partnerships while serving as a critical connector between Sales, Commercial, Marketing, and Partnerships teams.
The role is accountable for developing scalable grassroots strategies, managing budgets and operations, strengthening academy and federation partnerships, and ensuring Wilson delivers consistent, premium brand experiences at every community touchpoint.
Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Lead grassroots efforts across hard goods and soft goods for racquet sports in North and Latin America.
Develop and execute North American grassroots and promotions strategies that can be replicated globally.
Establish benchmarks and evaluate the cost-benefit of grassroots programs, including academies, tournaments, federations, associations, demo events, and top national and regional coaches.
Continually ideate on strategies to support market share growth targets in performance racquets.
Lead and support non-elite (non-tour) advisory staff programs across all racquet sports.
Collaborate with Territory Sales Representatives and advisory staff in the U.S. & Canada
Ensure alignment with Wilson brand standards, activation guidelines, and community engagement goals.
Oversee planning and execution of high-quality demo and promotional events that drive product education, community connection, and retail sell-through.
Develop and manage key grassroots partnerships, including academies, junior tournaments, federations/associations, coaches’ conventions, and non-elite training centers.
Proactive network to ensure Wilson is a preferred commercial partner with all grassroots partners
Serve as a link between Sales, Commercial, Partnerships, and Marketing teams.
Support RSS teams and key accounts through grassroots activations and promotions.
Ensure grassroots initiatives reflect commercial priorities and KPI objectives.
Manage day-to-day grassroots budgets and operations for North America.
Identify opportunities for digitalization to streamline processes, including coaches’ programs, package management.
Manage the online platform used to service coaches in North America.
What We're Looking For This role requires a bachelor’s degree in a related field plus a minimum of 3 years of experience in Grassroots marketing and/or Sport Marketing or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Other qualifications include:
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent interpersonal, cross cultural and negotiation skills with a proven ability to create and maintain positive working relationships with juniors, coaches, tournaments, business partners, governing bodies, suppliers, shippers, and customers
Strong supervisory and leadership skills
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
Thorough understanding of company products and logistics
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Proficient with SAP
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
Experience playing tennis at professional or college level
Experience playing Padel
Ability to travel 50 - 75 days a year
High energy levels are essential
Conversational in Spanish preferred.
What We’ll Provide A reasonable estimate of the
pay range is $80,000 - $100,000 per year
at the time of this posting. Within the range, individual pay is determined by factors such as job-related skills, relevant experience, education, and/or training. Please note that the range details reflect the base pay only and does not include our competitive bonus program.
Located in the vibrant, sports-centric city of Chicago, Wilson Sporting Goods Co. global headquarters sits along the lakefront with first-class access to a burgeoning creative, innovative, energetic and active professional community. We offer an open, collaborative, high tech work environment with best in class amenities and perks, including:
Medical, dental and vision
Pre‑tax transit discounts
401(k) with company match
Life insurance
Paid maternity/paternity leave
Professional development opportunities
Volunteering programs
Team building outings
Discounts on Wilson and Amer Sports products
On-site health club
Summer hours
Company-sponsored sports leagues/teams
Fun, active company outings around major sports events
Please note, our candidate can reside in the following racquet epi‑centers: Southern California, Texas, Atlanta, GA or Florida.
Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristics.
#J-18808-Ljbffr