General Manager - Wake Forest University

About the role

Learfield is seeking a proven General Manager (GM) to lead our Sports Properties team and serve as the primary Learfield liaison to the university’s Athletics Department.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary liaison between Learfield and the university’s Athletics Department, Athletic Director, and university leadership.
• Oversee the execution of the multimedia rights agreement and ensure alignment with the university’s values, brand standards, and strategic priorities.
• Lead the property team, including sales and activation staff, providing coaching, performance feedback, and professional development.
• Achieve individual and team revenue goals by selling integrated sponsorship packages using traditional, digital, social, and experiential platforms.
• Cultivate and sustain strong relationships with local, regional, and national sponsors as well as key university stakeholders.
• Collaborate with the Team S/VP and corporate support teams (e.g., marketing, research, digital, legal) to optimize sales strategy and execution.
• Develop and manage annual budgets, business plans, and forecasts that ensure property-level accountability and financial performance.
• Represent Learfield in key meetings, campus initiatives, and local events to promote partnership visibility and university engagement.
• Model and foster a positive, inclusive, and team-first culture across the property and broader organization.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with university partners, athletic department staff, and internal stakeholders—serving as a trusted and respected representative of both Learfield and the university.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in sponsorship sales, sports marketing, or a related B2B revenue-generating role, with a strong track record of driving results.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams and manage others, including experience hiring, coaching, and developing high-performing talent.
• Prioritized experience managing complex partnerships and serving as a strategic liaison to executive-level stakeholders, ideally within sports, media, or higher education.
• Strong understanding of integrated marketing solutions, including traditional, digital, social, and experiential channels.
• Financial acumen to manage budgets, interpret performance metrics, and drive profitability.
• Comfortable navigating change and ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent relationship-building, presentation, and communication skills — able to influence and collaborate effectively across internal and external groups.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and sound judgment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university.

Skills

• Command of sponsorship sales, university partnerships, and operational excellence.

Benefits

Learfield offers a full spectrum of benefits for eligible employees including Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account, Life Insurance and Other Insurance Plans, Flexible Paid Time Off (minimum 10+ days annually), including Parental Leave, 20 Paid Holidays, 401(k) + Match, and Short/Long Term Disability.

Pay

N/A

Schedule

N/A