Background: 

FC Cincinnati is a Major League Soccer team playing at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally founded in 2015 by Carl H. Lindner III and co-CEO Jeff Berding, FCC started play in the United Soccer League (USL) in 2016. FCC entered MLS as the 24th team in 2019. The club’s wide and diverse ownership group is led by controlling owner Lindner III; as well as managing owners Meg Whitman and Dr. Griff Harsh; Scott Farmer; and George Joseph.

FC Cincinnati opened the club’s privately funded, 26,000-seat soccer-specific TQL Stadium in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati in 2021, a venue which has won numerous global awards including the World Football Summit Best Venue 2022 in Madrid and the 2022 Prix Versailles World Title in the Sports Category in Paris, France.

FC Cincinnati won the 2023 Supporters’ Shield – the annual award given to the team with the most points in the regular season – and clinched a spot in the 2023 MLS Playoffs for the second straight year. The club won the 2018 USL Regular-Season Championship in record-setting fashion and earned postseason berths in all three of its USL seasons. In 2017, FC Cincinnati also advanced to the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a run that included victories over two MLS squads.

Any interested candidates should contact TurnkeyZRG directly. 

Contacting FC Cincinnati will only delay consideration of your qualifications. 

Position Summary: 

FC Cincinnati seeks a highly motivated team member to focus on people and strategy and run its Partnerships Activation team. FC Cincinnati is searching for a dynamic leader looking to invest in its people while impacting the Cincinnati corporate and community landscape. This person is an integral part of the department and will help organize and grow revenue by ensuring FC Cincinnati Corporate partners receive world-class service. This person will lay out renewal and activation strategies to increase the likelihood of Corporate Partners renewing and helping them achieve their goals. 

What You’ll Do:

• Create touchpoint campaign to ensure high likelihood of account renewals and upsells

• Provide leadership and mentorship to the Partnership Activation Team, assisting in activating sponsorship deals, planning and executing partner-related events, overseeing client asset integration across all business units, and renewing accounts

• Works collaboratively across internal departments and stakeholders for partner approvals and alignment of programs and initiatives.

• Manage and evaluate sponsor activations while also seeking out and creating new opportunities to activate for sales purposes.

• Analyzes research findings and identifies activation concepts that align with the brand, support partners’ marketing objectives and drive business results.

• Oversee inventory management of all corporate partnership assets including signage, giveaways, in-stadium promotions, radio, digital, social media, community initiatives, ticket, suites, and more

• Provides training when necessary to continue the growth of their team

• Oversee, assist, review and participate in client recaps and sales presentations

• Organize and gain insight from market research including Relo Metrics, SponsorUnited and other services

• Other special projects and duties as assigned

What You’ll Bring:

• Strategic thinking for account management and activation team going forward in terms of structure and defined processes

• Collaborative mindset while working with all departments within the organization to create a strong internal brand.

• Organizational skills for tracking and establishing team best practices for an ever-growing client base for potential clients and utilize CRM system for all tracking purposes

• Leadership skills for overseeing direct reports within Partnerships Activation team to improve overall performance by seeking and providing feedback.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for working within FCC in relation to partnership activations and directives.

What You’ll Need:

• Bachelor’s Degree required

• 7+ years of work experience within Sports Marketing Activation and Account Management Field

• Outstanding presentation skills and ability to establish relationships with C-Suite executives and throughout a client’s organization.

• Excellent relationship building, communication and interpersonal skills

• Have led other full time team member minimum of two years

• Adept at managing multiple priorities in a dynamic, deadline-driven environment

• Experience leading a Partnership Fulfillment and Account Management preferred

Why You’ll Love FCC:

• Generous paid time off and holiday time

• Option for one work from home day per week (by department and schedule)

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 401k plan with company match

• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance

• Maternity & Paternity Leave and Family Building Benefit

• Employee Assistance Program and free subscription to the Calm App

• Discount off merchandise in the FCC team store

• Community volunteer opportunities

• Professional development and frequent team building opportunities

• Employee recognition programs and referral programs

• Opportunity for complimentary staff tickets to home FC Cincinnati matches

About TQL Stadium

TQL Stadium, home of FC Cincinnati, is one of the most ambitious soccer-specific stadiums in not only North America, but the world. Critically-acclaimed firm Populous designed an innovative and forward-thinking stadium that is one of the largest soccer-specific facilities in Major League Soccer. TQL Stadium has been named Best Venue at the 2022 World Football Summit in Madrid and the 2022 Prix Versailles World Title in the Sports Category in Paris, France.

The stadium has five team locker rooms, including a comprehensive team suite for FC Cincinnati that features a dressing room, coach’s office, lounge, equipment storage and the Mercy Health Center of Excellence for the team’s medical and game day fitness needs. Within the 18 months of the stadium’s completion, TQL Stadium has featured both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams, including the USMNT’s FIFA World Cup Qualification match vs. Mexico, and a concert by legendary rock band, The Who.

The closest seats are within 15 feet of the pitch at the $250 million, privately funded stadium. The design includes 53 traditional suites and 4,500 premium seats throughout four premium club spaces. FC Cincinnati’s supporters’ section, The Bailey, has grown to be more than 3,100 strong and loom over opponents at a 34-degree angle at the stadium’s north end. A 360-degree canopy roof covers every seat in TQL Stadium, but still allows sufficient sun in to grow a natural grass field.

About Mercy Health Training Center 

In 2019, the club opened the state-of-the-art Mercy Health Training Center (MHTC) in Milford, Ohio. Designed by MSA Sport, the $30 million, 24-acre facility includes three full-size, lighted soccer fields – including two stabilized natural grass surfaces and one synthetic turf surface – as well as a goalkeeper-specific training area. The MLS team is housed in a 30,000 sq. ft., multilevel building abutting the fields, including a separate, 4,000 sq. ft. wing of the building for the FC Cincinnati Academy.

Additionally, there is a 3,000 sq. ft. maintenance facility on the property. In the design process, the MSA Sport design team benchmarked training grounds across the world, including the best in Europe, South America, and Asia. The goal of the design meets the original goal to develop one of the premier and most progressive team facilities in Major League Soccer and North America.

FC Cincinnati Commitment:

FC Cincinnati is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.