Sponsorship Lead – Brand & Customer Experience

• Permanent Role
• Location Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane

About the role:

Contribute to strengthening and differentiating the Group’s mass and niche brands through innovative external sponsor partnerships and engagement strategies that support the business by delivering:

• Reach and exposure in priority markets, brand consideration, appeal and competitor blocking and differentiation
• Attract and deepen relationships through integrated brand engagement and experiences.

More specifically you will:

• Contribute to the delivery of the brand/s sponsorship and community portfolio, executing best in class sponsorship activity and leverage partnerships to maximise ROI for our brands and business.
• Achieve agreed business outcomes through strong brand alignment to the sponsorship and community portfolio.
• Contribute to optimum leverage from sponsorship portfolio through operational excellence in innovation, planning, delivery and measurement.
• Drive strong working relationships with BCX peers, internal stakeholders and agency partners.
• Maintain understanding of customer needs, behaviour and interests/passions across priority segments.
• Where relevant, develop sponsorship related experiences for innovative customer experiences to support the channels/platforms and brand differentiation.
• When required manage marketing and leverage activity across channels with sponsorship partners, community and third-party providers.
• Influence brand marketing stakeholders to implement sponsorship opportunities and experiences in alignment with the brand propositions and campaigns.
• Plan, manage activations across media and events (including event response) where required.
• Actively engage and adopt the sponsorship and community measurement frameworks, manage reporting on sponsorships and share results, learnings with BCX Team and stakeholders. 
• Input into the on-going planning and continuous review of the sponsorship & community strategy to identify opportunities, gaps, overlaps and potential divestment strategies for the business.
• Support where required on commercial negotiations with external partners (rights holder, community and/or broadcast) to secure opportunities at fair value and relevant benefits, while maintaining the group’s strong positive reputation.
• Across the portfolio, lead and support implementation of contractual benefits and campaign deliverables when required.
• Maintain deep insights into brands and customer behaviour to understand how to connect customers where they are most engaged and passionate about.
• Manage external partners and agencies to deliver sponsorship related measurement programs.
• Management of sponsorship and community budget planning process, invoice processing and monthly cost centre forecasting to deliver target cost base.
• Work with team leaders along-side marketing peers to elevate and provide meaning of the brand/s sponsorship & community portfolio and engagement strategies.
• Adhere to and execute robust sponsorship program governance – legal, data, brand alignment, risk, SMS (internal marketing management system) processes etc.
• Contribute to written/verbal sponsorship strategies to stakeholders and senior managment.
• Respond to internal and external sponsorship requests when required.
• Demonstrate test & learn methodologies with a commitment to effective measurement and optimisation.
• Leverage internal and external research, competitive and industry intelligence to ensure activities are innovative, current, fluid and two-way with customers/communities.
• Support sponsorship portfolio planning, annual planning cycle, marketing scoping needs etc.
• Develop and present post sponsorship and campaign implementation reporting to stakeholders.
• On respective programs, liaise with brand managers, go to market team members and the other centres of excellence to deliver market-leading sponsorship programs across paid, owned and earned channels.
• When required, lead and support on Event Response customer campaign deliverables working with the various internal and external stakeholders on weather/natural hazard events response management.
• Role model the Suncorp Behaviours and Code of Conduct.

About You:

• 8+ years’ experience in sponsorship management (preferably within financial services), marketing and media.
• Extensive experience in negotiation, developing sponsorship strategies and partnership management across brand and community sponsorships.
• Dealing with senior executives and managing relationships.
• Proven experience managing marketing strategy and tactics across all media channels.
• Experience managing campaigns, media partnerships and branded integrations.
• Proven record of leadership and achievement within a complex business environment.
• Experience in managing multiple stakeholders across a wide variety of workstreams simultaneously.

Key Capabilities:

• Strong knowledge of brand strategy/positioning, strategic marketing principles, marketing communications strategies and experience, including a competency in media and sponsorships.
• Strong strategic and conceptual thinking skills.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Exceptional ability to build strong relationships, align diverse stakeholders around common goals and successfully motivate people toward shared outcomes.
• Strong financial acumen, commerciality and ability to generate ROI via brand, marketing and communications strategies and tactics.
• Ability to manage a portfolio budget and monthly forecasting.

What we can offer you:

• Discounts and offers on a range of insurance products
• A range of flexible working and leave options, including 20 weeks paid parental leave, 4 weeks secondary carer parental leave, and unlimited paid emergency response leave.
• Invest in your brighter future with ongoing study support and career development programs.
• Give back to our communities with payroll giving, donation matching and paid volunteer leave.
• Prioritise your work/life balance with our robust employee assistance program and dedicated employee council.

Employee benefits | Suncorp Group

At Suncorp we believe we are our best when our workforce is as diverse, talented and passionate as the communities in which we live and operate, and where our people feel included, valued and connected. We are passionate about inspiring our people by creating a diverse, accessible, and inclusive culture, offering flexible work, career development and internal mobility, and building connected relationships amongst our team members and with our customers.