Job Title: Manager, Team Marketing - Columbus, Ohio

Reports to: Director, League & Field Marketing

About the United Football League

The United Football League (UFL) is the professional spring football league, born from the groundbreaking 2024 merger of the XFL and USFL. With the visionary backing of RedBird Capital Partners, FOX, Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, ESPN and Mike Repole, the UFL is redefining the football landscape. The UFL is committed to pushing the boundaries of the game and delivering an elevated experience for players, fans, and partners alike.

About the Position

The Team Marketing Manager is responsible for all team and league marketing and branding efforts within their local market. This role will be critical in building the fan base, creating breakthrough awareness campaigns, engaging fans across social/digital platforms and driving business performance, ticket sales and game attendance.

Reporting to the Director League & Field Marketing, the Team Marketing Manager will be responsible for translating the league’s marketing strategy into a tactical year round  go-to-market plan, with a key focus on execution and activation.  The Manager will collaborate with Team & League staff to execute the vision for the league and team brands, partnering closely with Ticket Sales, Communications/PR, Sponsorship, Social Media and other verticals to drive key business goals.

What You Will Do

Delivering Marketing Excellence

• The primary role of the Marketing Manager is to develop and execute all team marketing campaigns designed to support the team’s revenue goals, build brand awareness, acquire new fans and retain current fans.
• Collaborate with the league Marketing Director to transform the league marketing strategy to a season long tactical plan. Responsible for seeing through the execution of this plan, working with the league email, social, creative and digital/media to ensure plan alignment and assets development. Submit creative requests, write email copy, traffic assets as needed.
• Collaborate with the league Marketing, Content and Creative teams to implement creative and innovative advertising, branding, promotional and grassroots campaigns across multiple platforms. (Including brand, ticketing, theme game, tentpole, sweeps, lead gen, fan engagement campaigns)
• Collaborate with the seasonal social media team on content plans across all digital platforms to ensure marketing initiatives and messaging are strategically aligned, supported and amplified.  
• Lead all local field marketing and grassroots activation efforts, including fan engagement, community event activations, and social responsibility efforts - with the goal of elevating the team brand visibility in the market, growing fandom, generating leads and ultimately measuring success through data capture and ticket sales. (Includes on-site activations, digital/social activations, fan promotions, street teams/brand ambassador programs, event activations).
• Work with the league Marketing team to align on impact and relevance of campaign messaging, media placements and audiences based on local market insights.  Provide recommendations, ideas and evaluation of hyper local plans.
• Be the main steward for the Columbus team brand and execute the team and league’s marketing and business strategy.
• Build  the local team brand, personality and reputation, appealing to key audiences, deepening fan love and engaging with fans, local partners and key stakeholders.
• Execute activations, promotions, content capture, buzzworthy moments with local partners - e.g. sponsors, other sports teams, community organizations etc to build brand and engage with local sports fans and families.  Build strong reciprocal relationships with these key entities, ultimately raising team brand and driving game attendance.

Succeeding on Game Day

• Generate ideas and facilitate fan engagement activations, gameday event planning and logistics.
• Support game presentation by providing weekly information for the production timeline and run of show to ensure efficient operations and accuracy of game day scripts.
• Manage game day staff, talent and other individuals working games and/or events.
• Work with production and venue staff to direct the pre-show and gameday fan experience.
• Source/build and keep fully staffed street and promotional teams who will help fulfill all the teams grassroots marketing efforts. 
• Manage the team marketing budget and deliver against key performance metrics for the Marketing function.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

What You Will Bring

• 3-5+ years of marketing management experience with an emphasis in consumer-facing sports, media or entertainment industries.
• Expertise in marketing and digital technology landscape, including industry trends, key industry leaders, terminology and overall knowledge of the sports entertainment and media landscape.
• Ability to create campaigns, promotions and digital assets with demonstrated brand judgment, and the ability to generate brand energy.
• Proven ability to execute a strategic marketing plan aimed at growth and closely aligned with the company’s goals and vision.
• Ability to manage complexity and ambiguity and lead multiple projects in parallel while understanding business challenges and creating forward-thinking solutions.
• Solid understanding of nuances with various local market ticket buying habits/fan engagement.
• Ability to work well with multiple stakeholders across the company, agencies and client organizations.
• A self-starter, energetic and resilient mindset with enthusiasm and determination to ensure that deliverables, timelines and objectives are achieved.
• Exceptional communications, sales/promotions and customer service skills.
• Superior verbal/written communications skills.

Additional Details

• Work location: The location of this role must be in Columbus, Ohio area. 
• Primarily works in a remote office and/or an office environment.
• Must attend all team home games and may be required to attend select games and events in other UFL team markets.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Minimal out of market Travel (<10% travel): Will Be required to travel to in market events.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule inclusive of weekends, nights and holidays required.
• Must be able to lift 25+ pounds at times.

Compensation

This role is eligible for annual incentive and/or comprehensive benefits, including medical/dental/vision/life insurance, a 401(k) plan, unlimited PTO and offers a discretionary bonus and an equity opportunity for future growth. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including, without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location of the position.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The United Football League maintains a strong policy of equal opportunity in employment.  It is our objective to recruit, hire, and retain the most qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.  Our equal employment philosophy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, promotions, transfers, job benefits, and terminations.