Senior Manager, Partnership Sales

About Elevate

Elevate is an award-winning global sports and entertainment agency founded in 2018 and the chosen growth partner for the world’s leading brands, properties, and experience-driven businesses. Through one integrated model, Elevate serves as the trusted advisor for more than 1,000 clients, helping them solve complex challenges and drive business wins. What began in sports has evolved into a platform now serving clients across culture, attractions, culinary, and hotels. Today, Elevate brings operational expertise, data-driven intelligence, and world-class creativity together under one roof. Elevate’s more than 750 employees sit across 14 offices around the world, from North America to Europe to Asia, and speak and write in 17 different languages. For more information, visit us at www.oneelevate.com.

Position Overview: Senior Manager, Partnership Sales

Elevate operates as a fully integrated partner for its clients, adding insight, expertise, and in-market activity to accelerate and enhance commercial return in collaboration with the client’s leadership, commercial teams, and wider stakeholder landscape (e.g. marketing and brand, hospitality, technology, community, sustainability, stadium construction, etc.). Elevate is seeking an experienced, partnership sales professional to assist the Head of Partnership Sales in the commercial transformation for Venezia FC. Based in Elevate’s London office or in Italy (with regular presence in Venice required), this individual will form part of a dedicated sales team tasked with delivery of a new stadium naming rights partner for Venezia FC’s new stadium, alongside other marquee assets and the underpinning commercial partnerships programme. The successful candidate will demonstrate a track record in shaping, pitching, and securing seven-figure commercial partnerships at Board and C-suite levels. We are seeking a proven seller with a consultative and creative approach to building value - someone who understands how to leverage the unique narrative of Venice and data-driven insights to maximise multi-million-euro revenue opportunities. This is an onsite position, based at Venezia FC.

What You’ll Do

• Revenue Delivery: Work with the Head of Partnership Sales to deliver against commercial revenue targets for the project, with primary accountability for securing Naming Rights, Founding Partners, and other tier-one stadium and club partnerships.
• Sales Strategy & Pipeline Management: Build and oversee a structured, disciplined sales pipeline; driving proactive prospecting and high-frequency outbound engagement while maintaining an accurate forecasting cadence via CRM.
• Executive Prospect Engagement: Lead high-stakes outreach, discovery meetings, and formal presentations to C-Suite decision-makers, positioning the stadium project as a strategic, long-term business platform rather than a transactional sponsorship.
• Proposition Development: Collaborate with internal strategy, insights, and marketing teams to shape premium commercial packaging and pricing strategies, ensuring all proposals are tailored, insight-led, and commercially robust.
• Complex Negotiations: Work in tandem with the Head of Partnership Sales to efficiently progress the end-to-end negotiation process for high-value contracts, navigating complex legal and financial frameworks through to signed agreements.
• Network Activation: Leverage events, premium hospitality, and curated environments to advance conversations and deepen relationships with global brand leaders.

Who You Are

• Experience: 5+ years’ experience in high-value partnership or complex B2B sales. Experience within sport, entertainment, real estate, infrastructure, or major events is advantageous.
• Proven Track Record: Demonstrable success in identifying and closing 7+ figure commercial deals. Naming rights/venue sales experience desirable.
• Executive Presence: Completely comfortable operating, presenting to, and negotiating with Board-level and C‑Suite decision‑makers.
• Strategic Mindset: A strategic thinker who can balance long‑term vision with disciplined, day‑to‑day execution and sales momentum.
• Industry Knowledge: Deep commercial understanding of Serie A and the wider European football landscape.
• Relationship Management: An established global network of senior decision‑makers with the ability to generate warm leads and high‑level introductions rapidly.
• Communication: Exceptional presentation and written communication skills; ability to craft compelling narratives that resonate with global brands.
• Technical Proficiency: Meticulous approach to CRM (Salesforce or similar) for reporting, forecasting, and global collaboration.
• Cultural Adaptability: Ability to sell and negotiate in cross‑cultural contexts, with a specific focus on the Italian and broader European business markets.<