Senior Partnerships Manager

• Own a portfolio and shape its growth, genuinely yours
• Step into leadership, mentoring a Partnership Executive as you grow
• Direct access to NBL players and events

Some people manage partnerships. Others make them thrive.

This role exists for one reason: to make NBL partnerships the best relationships our partners have in sport. Not just well-managed accounts, but genuine commercial alliances where both sides win.

We're looking for someone who becomes the person every partner is glad they picked up the phone for.

About Us

The NBL Group is the fast-moving, growth-focused, entrepreneurial sports and entertainment business behind Australia's two premier basketball competitions: the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).

We sit at the centre of one of Australia's fastest-growing sports. Beyond the two elite leagues, we play a key role in the NBL1 competition and an expanding portfolio of major events and aligned products. We move at pace, think big, and operate as a high-performance, commercially driven, growth-focused organisation, with reach across broadcast, digital, live experiences and international markets, and the ambition to match it.

We are also a business that is deliberately evolving. We challenge how things have been done, invest in new ways of working, and back people who bring fresh thinking to big problems. Change and innovation here isn't a disruption; it's the operating model.

The Role

You'll own a portfolio of NBL partnerships end to end. That means strategy, delivery, relationships and results.

Day to day, you'll be:

• Building and managing strategic plans for each partner, with clear objectives, aligned activations and meaningful reporting
• Delivering on every contractual commitment with care and precision, nothing falling through the gaps
• Developing warm, trusted relationships at every level of your partner organisations and their agencies
• Identifying new revenue opportunities and bringing at least two new growth or engagement initiatives to life each year
• Managing budgets, invoicing and financial reporting across your portfolio with accuracy and timeliness
• Maximising broadcast and digital partner integration to drive audience engagement and data outcomes
• Engaging NBL players, talent and ambassadors in ways that bring partner campaigns to life authentically
• Tracking industry trends and sharing insights with leadership at least quarterly
• Lead, coach, and mentor a Partnership Executive, providing clear direction, regular feedback, and the support they need to grow their skills and contribute to the team's success.

This is a role where strategy and execution sit side by side. You need to be genuinely comfortable in both.

Who We're Looking For

We want someone who makes their partners feel like the most important relationship the NBL has. And then delivers on that.

You're the right fit if you:

• Have 5+ years of experience in sponsorship, sales, advertising or a related commercial field
• Have a proven track record managing complex partner or stakeholder relationships
• Communicate with clarity and warmth whether you're in a boardroom or on a group chat
• Are commercially sharp enough to spot an opportunity before anyone asks you to look
• Are calm, organised and consistent, even when the workload peaks
• Use data purposefully, translating performance into insights people can actually act on
• Have worked in sport, entertainment or media (or can demonstrate you understand what that world requires)
• Enjoy leading, coaching and mentoring others

Our Values and What You Need To Succeed With Us:

At NBL, we Think Big, we're Accountable, we act with Integrity, we Show Respect, we're Fans too, and we're One Team.

To succeed you need to:

• Thrive in ambiguity and move fast, that's where you do your best work
• Champion change and bring ideas, not just execution
• Exercise good judgment, move decisively and adjust as you learn
• Have the stamina and hunger to keep pushing and delivering results
• Show resilience - overcome challenges and move on quickly
• Flex outside your remit when the business needs it
• Make feedback a habit - give it, seek it and act on it
• Take the ball, own the play, and communicate directly and honestly
• Win as one team - we succeed when we work together, not as individuals
• Care about growing basketball in Australia, New Zealand and around the world

What's on Offer

• The chance to shape how Australia's biggest brands show up in basketball
• A seat at the table in a growing, ambitious partnerships team
• Direct access to NBL players, events and behind the scenes moments
• Genuine investment in your development and commercial growth
• A collaborative team that holds each other to a high standard
• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience

Ready to own it?

If you read this and it felt right, we'd love to hear from you. Apply with your CV and a brief note on what draws you to this role and the NBL.