Senior Manager, Partnership Development

Our rich history is a big part of who we are.  With historic roots dating back over 135 years, Woodbine is steeped in tradition. We have been the engine that drives the Ontario horse racing industry, creating winning experiences for all our guests.

We are also currently on an amazing 20-year journey to ‘build a city within a city’ and transform the largest privately held land in Toronto into one of Canada’s premiere entertainment destinations.  This journey will unlock the value of approximately 700 acres of land, leading to job creation and the revitalization of our communities, while enhancing our ability to share the thrill of horse-racing and cementing our place as an entertainment powerhouse. 

We also take care of our PEOPLE. Here are some of the things we offer:

 

Our Values & Beliefs

 

| WOW EVERY GUEST | OWN IT! | LISTEN & CONNECT – PEOPLE MATTER | FUEL THE FUN & PASS IT ON | TRUST IN OUR TEAM | #WE CARE | PURSUE YOUR POTENTIAL |BE BOLD| BE ALL IN | 

The Partnerships Team is responsible for creating and building strategic partnerships that align the Woodbine mission of supporting racing in Ontario. We are fortunate to work with some of the world’s leading and emerging brands. We generate creative marketing partnerships and revenue opportunities for Woodbine Racetrack, Woodbine Mohawk Park Racetrack and other subsidiary Woodbine Entertainment properties. 

Reporting to the Head of Business Development and Partnerships, the candidate will seek to expand our portfolio of leading brands and partners and will be responsible for driving new partnerships to woodbine to support all strategic priorities of the business. This position is ideal for an individual who has a specific interest in marketing, sports, broadcast media, content, and connecting brands to customers/events. 

Woodbine is looking for an experienced partnership development professional to help lead the growth and development of the partnership business for the Organization. 

Reporting to the Head of Business Development and Partnerships, the role will focus on the development of strategic partnership deals that align with Woodbine corporate goals and objectives to deliver against specific revenue, marketing, development and business goals. 

The Senior Manager, Partnership Development will help lead a small team of partnership executives and work to plan, create and execute partnership deals that drive revenue to Woodbine Entertainment and/or marketing value to our brand. 

The Senior Manager, Partnership Development should be a dynamic leader, an experienced negotiator, with the proven ability to develop and sell impactful and innovative partnerships. They should be passionate about being part of a team and align with the Woodbine vision.

You must be skilled at identifying and engaging contacts at brands and in new categories, generating strong prospect volume, and creating new partnerships that ultimately drive WEG’s revenue targets.

·         Build breakthrough marketing partnerships for new and existing Woodbine Entertainment partners that can help elevate the sport of racing and guest experience at our venues.

·         Lead the partnership development process from initial touchpoint all the way through to contract execution.

·         Initiate discussions with potential new partners (client direct & agencies) to understand client objectives and budget; able to build strong and trusted relationships with senior clients up to and including C-level.

·         Lead presentations and negotiate partnerships through to the conclusion of contract phase.

·         Build and develop relationships throughout the organization to understand challenges and develop partner led brand solutions that can provide a win to Woodbine, Win to the Partner and a win to our customers.  

·         Utilize data, research tools to prospect and identify prospects in new categories, to demonstrate how Woodbine’s audience and property opportunities might align with a prospect’s target markets and corporate values.

·         Develop a deep and thorough understanding of the partner or prospect’s business and competitive environment, building partnerships that deliver against business objectives for the partner and drive affinity for Woodbine/Horse Racing/Betting

·         Stay current with all facets of the dynamic marketing mix, including digital, social media, experiential, print and broadcast; equipped with creativity and innovative ideas.

·         Help support long-term department initiatives and projects.

·         Achieve revenue targets, and provide regular status reports, taking a lead role in reporting of revenue and prospect target revenue. 

·         Develop strong working relationships with Racing depts., Marketing, GX, Hospitality, Security, Operations, Corporate Affairs and Finance to ensure all integrated partnership deals can be fully delivered.  

·         Minimum 5+ years of sponsorship, partner marketing or relevant relationship management experience

·         A relationship builder who knows how to build and manager professional relationships both internally and externally.

·         Proven prospector with a track record of securing meetings and securing results.

·         Self-motivated to set and chase ambitious goals and motivated by results.

·         Deep understanding of Broadcast media and a desire to stay current on emerging digital platforms. 

·         You are responsible, accountable and solutions-focused; you deliver on promises and take initiative.

·         You are naturally curious and creative, seeking to constantly learn and share new trends and best practices.

·         You are able to think long-term, see the big picture, strategize accordingly, and obtain buy-in at a variety of levels and across a variety of departments both internally and externally

·         Someone who thrives in a dynamic team environment, with ability to productively handle multiple priorities.

·         Related post-secondary education – Business, Commerce, Sports Management, Marketing

·         Understanding of the Canadian sports and entertainment landscape

·         Ability to think strategically and connect brands, business objectives and the property through sponsorship

·         Exceptional interpersonal skills and a commitment to quality customer service. A positive, winning approach, incorporating integrity, confidentiality and discretion.

·         Exceptional PowerPoint – deck building skills that can deliver excitement and the why someone would partner with us. 

·         Strong qualitative and analytical skills with experience of KPI/ROI measurement

·         Strong presentation skills with persuasive ability both in person and through written language. 

·         Negotiating skills and ability to work and manage multiple stakeholders

·         Imaginative and Innovative problem solver

·         Experience with CRM and Digideck considered an asset

·         You are able to work during some events in the evenings and weekends when applicable for major racedays.