Senior Specialist Brand Sponsorships

At Cell C, we are not just a telecommunications company; we are a people-centric and consumer-focused organization committed to delivering exceptional experiences to our customers. In line with our dedication to customer-centricity, we are seeking a seasoned professional as a Senior Specialist: Brand Sponsorships to join a dynamic team of #Unstoppables. Purpose of the Job:

Develop and execute sponsorship strategies that align with brand and business objectives, securing valuable rights, and activating them across multiple channels to drive awareness, engagement and brand love for Cell C**.**

Manage partner relationships, agencies and budgets to ensure impactful, compliant and cost-effective delivery of sponsorships.

Measure and report performance against KPI, such as ROMI, media value, and customer impact to demonstrate business value.

Main Responsibilities:

Strategic Sponsorship Planning

• Develop and implement the annual sponsorship strategy, guidelines and related leverage plans aligned with overall brand, marketing and commercial objectives across all properties, to deliver effective sponsorship campaigns
• Define measurable objectives, i.e. brand awareness, consideration, engagement, customer acquisition / retention for each property in the portfolio
• Identify sponsorship opportunities align with with passion points of targeted segments and audiences, e.g., sports, culture, lifestyle etc.
• Evaluate and keep record of all sponsorship opportunities presented to Cell C in accordance with the strategic framework
• Develop and implement a sponsorship measurement system that relates sponsorship activities and their impact on business objectives back to pre-determined KPI’s
• Drive experiential activations that create memorable consumer connections and measurable engageme

Sponsorship Management

• Champion sponsorships as a core brand asset that builds emotional connection and loyalty
• Manage the relationships with rights owners, potential sponsors and sponsorship industry stakeholders
• Manage the relationship with the agency partners, i.e. sponsorship, creative and media agencies and manage their deliverables
• Manage the sponsorship rights per sponsorship property to ensure effective leverage of rights afforded to Cell C
• Manage sponsorship leveraging activities to positively impact brand image and support the functions across regions
• Implement sponsorship measurement systems that monitor and capture all relevant sponsorship project information on a relevant database or filing system ensuring that the project data is always up-to-date and accurate for ongoing sponsorship monitoring and reporting
• Develop and present post-campaign analysis reports for management, identifying key learnings
• Manage internal departments that provide services to the approved sponsorship leverage plans, to ensure timeous delivery against deadlines and to maximize the sponsorship leverage effect

Administration and Reporting

• Compile and manage an annual sponsorship activity calendar to be updated and shared with internal stakeholders weekly
• Obtain information from the segment managers on their requirements to stimulate sponsorship activity in a particular segment over a particular period of time
• Identify and establish new and innovative ways of implementing sponsorship activities
• Seek out research to identify any new trends that are happening both locally and globally to ensure that sponsorship activities are always topical, relevant and exciting
• Report annually to the Executive on the competitor sponsorship landscape and the brand’s sponsorship leveraging results, against the pre-determined KPI’s per sponsorship property
• Ensure all contracts are accurately prepared, compliant, approved and executed within the required timelines, with appropriate governance, record-keeping and ongoing contract management in line with organisational policies and regulatory requirements

Governance and Budget Management

• End to end management of the sponsorship budget, adhering to financial policies and guidelines
• Participate in the budgetary forecast planning of sponsorship spend (rights and leveraging)
• Ensure compliance with contracts, legal requirements, and brand governance
• Drive efficiencies in agency and paymaster fees, ensuring cost-effective sponsorship delivery

Perform any related duties as requested by Management

Special requirements relevant to this role:

• The role requires the incumbent to occasionally work on weekends
• Travel around the country and internationally as the job requires

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing / Brand / Communications / Arts or Sports Management

Experience

• 5 - 8 years relevant marketing experience with:
• Minimum 4 years relevant experience in sponsorship management at management level, collaborating across teams and functions
• Project Management experience

"Cell C is an equal opportunities employer, committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees are treated fairly and with respect, regardless of race, gender, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic."