Associate Account Director

Associate Account Director

Horizon Sports and Experiences (HS&E) was created to provide a differentiated and comprehensive approach for clients engaging in sports and experiential marketing. With a fully-integrated service model, HS&E includes a core focus on IP creation and monetization, strategic advisory and consulting, media rights, sponsorship, sales, and experiential strategy and activation

transforming marketers' ability to more seamlessly and effectively leverage their brand assets, content, and engagement strategies to drive increased growth.
What You'll Do

HS&E is looking for an Associate Account Director to further develop our brand consulting practice as an integral member supporting a growing piece of business under the professional services category. This position will report directly to the Director of the sports division, and support client projects, sponsorship activation & strategy and new business efforts.
The Associate Account Director will be responsible for leading an account team overseeing a budding portfolio spanning professional team sports and motorsports. The Associate Account Director will help develop, implement and measure the client's sponsorship strategy. The Associate Account Director will build and maintain relationships based on trust and collaboration across all appropriate client levels, properties, vendor partners and partner agencies with the fundamental objective to deliver on the client's goals and business needs in order to exceed client expectations. The Associate Account Director will also contribute to the professional growth of their direct report.
Client Management & Strategic Leadership

Develop, maintain and advance professional and personable relationships with clients and partner agencies at appropriate level
Oversight of team's day-to-day communication and coordination between client, rights holders and vendors
Manage the development of client strategies and objectives, working closely with clients to continuously update/revise based on business needs
Drive new partnership solutions to deliver on clients' goals and evaluate current health of client business via analysis of relevant business metrics (ROI/ROO); introduce advanced measurement solutions and consumer insights to help guide long-term activation approach and establish annual benchmarks for success
Monitor marketplace, identify new pursuits, and proactively present opportunities to grow client's existing portfolio
Ensure client portfolios are being managed up to the highest standards
Business Operations

Lead an account team in the management and implementation of clients' marketing campaigns and client portfolios
Oversee development of negotiation strategy and approach based on proposal assessment, property knowledge, and client direction
Oversee logistics and execution of partnerships, events and promotions with respective rights holders and vendors
Oversee general partnership operations, ensuring teams are working effectively, communicating efficiently and organizational structure is productive
Utilize creative and innovative thinking skills to develop partnership concepts and strategies for clients
Ensure all client projections
ew revenues are communicated to finance lead in a timely manner; escalate billing issues to finance
Facilitate communication with internal counterparts, vendors, rights holders and upper management
Communicate regularly with Creative, Events and Strategy teams to ensure cohesive partnership strategy
Build and maintain long-term business relationships (internal and external)
Meet with properties/vendors regularly to understand the latest industry developments
Staff Development

Contribute, build and maintain positive and dynamic culture across the agency, inclusive of team-building efforts and social activities
Manage the professional development of each direct report
Set career development goals, track performance, and hold team members accountable
Work with team members to improve skill sets and remove barriers to effectiveness
Provide constructive feedback in real time
Contribute to the execution of people functions of the agency (including, but not limited to):
Staff reviews / quarterly check-ins
Identify training needs for improved performance
Developing action plans
Monitor team's workload and notify executive leadership if additional staff support is necessary
Lead interview process for new candidates
Business Strategy and Development

Support HS&E's new business efforts, when applicable, with strategic solutions, insights and concept development ideation
Build close relationships with key Horizon stakeholders on brand strategy and activation teams
Who You Are

Team-spirited and collaborative to achieve client objectives
Ability to work in a dynamic, fast-pace environment, working on multiple partnerships and activations at a time
Proven leader, experience managing a team
Passionate in the live events landscape and a desire to innovate and keep up with trends
Tremendous organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and competing priorities
An innovative thinker, concepting creative ideas for various activations
A strong writer, listener, communicator and presenter
Solutions oriented and proactive problem solver with foresight and the ability to develop creative solutions
Experience with sponsorship measurement techniques
An advocate for and supporter of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Preferred Skills & Experience

Minimum of 6-8 years of marketing and sponsorship experience at an agency, team, league, rights holder or brand with a proven performance record
Past experience working on NFL, NBA, NHL and Formula 1 partnerships/agency is encouraged
Bachelor's Degree
Deep understanding of the sports landscape
Experience managing a staff of no less than three (3) account team members as well as the ability to manage remote staff, if necessary
Experience working across organization and interfacing with a variety of stakeholders
Proven experience developing persuasive presentations and comfortable presenting to C-Suite level clients
Past experience with sponsorship strategy development, activation concepts, compliance (measurement analysis experience is a plus)
Ability to conduct comprehensive client-facing research
Ability to effectively manage a variety of overlapping projects
Must be solutions oriented and focused on proactive problem solving and advanced troubleshooting
Effective communicator and listener
Ability to work nights, weekends or travel for client programs and/or events
High level of proficiency with Excel, Word and PowerPoint