Senior Manager, NIL Partnership Strategy - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic planning, activation, and fulfillment of NIL campaigns involving student-athlete talent across integrated brand partnerships.
• Collaborate with the sales team to ensure student-athlete content, messaging, and experiences are seamlessly integrated with broader sponsorship objectives.
• Serve as the NIL execution lead, overseeing athlete coordination, content timelines, deliverables, and campaign approvals in alignment with university compliance and Learfield guidelines.
• Manage and coach a team of NIL activation professionals (coordinators, managers, interns), providing feedback, mentorship, and performance support.
• Track and report on NIL performance, including content reach, engagement, and partner KPIs, and incorporate results into partnership recaps and renewal strategies.
• Support strategic planning and renewal discussions for key accounts in collaboration with sales leadership.
• Identify process improvement and support the growth of NIL programming by developing scalable activation models, toolkits, and storytelling frameworks that highlight student-athlete impact.
• Represent Learfield in high-visibility partner meetings, university engagements, and game day operations.
• Ensure all execution aligns with contractual terms, university brand standards, and Learfield policies.

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in sponsorship activation, client services, or brand marketing—preferably in NIL, sports, entertainment, or agency settings.
• Proven experience leading teams and managing direct reports in a fast-paced, high-visibility environment.
• Strategic thinker with strong execution skills and the ability to manage complex partner portfolios.
• Excellent communication, organization, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence both internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of partnership fulfillment across digital, social, in-venue, and experiential channels.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and project management/CRM tools.
• Availability to work evenings and weekends as needed for game days, client events, and university engagements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communications, sports management, or related field.
• Experience managing client relationships across multiple sponsorship tiers.
• Familiarity with the multimedia rights landscape in collegiate athletics.
• Understanding digital and social media best practices within NIL and influencer marketing.
• Experience developing or supporting content strategies for social media, with a clear sense of what drives engagement across different platforms.
• Familiarity with creative production elements such as graphic design, motion graphics, photography, and social storytelling.

Learfield Offers

• 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.
• Leave benefits are consistent with state and local laws, including the Colorado Health Families and Workplaces Act.
• Learfield is an Equal Opportunity Employer.