Partnership Activation & Strategy Manager

Busey Bank•Champaign, IL

About The Position

The Partnership Strategy & Activation Manager is responsible for leading and maximizing Busey’s strategic collegiate partnerships, with a primary focus on athletics and additional support across other key relationships. This role drives brand visibility, business development, and client engagement by leveraging sponsorship assets, NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities, and integrated marketing activations. This individual serves as the primary point of contact for Busey’s collegiate athletic partnerships, ensuring that all elements are strategically aligned and fully activated to deliver measurable business impact. The role collaborates cross-functionally with marketing, commercial banking, wealth management, and retail teams to translate partnership investments into brand growth, client acquisition, and community engagement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Sports Management, or a related field required.
5+ years of experience in sponsorships, partnerships, sports marketing, or brand activation.
Proven experience managing and activating high-value partnerships.
Knowledge of sponsorship structures, asset utilization and partnership lifecycle management
Knowledge of integrated marketing strategies, brand activation and experiential/event-based engagement.
Ability to connect marketing investments to business outcomes, pipeline development and client growth
Ability to develop and execute plans aligned with organizational and market objectives.
Ability to build, maintain and influence relationships with internal leaders and external partners
Ability to partner with sales teams and cross-functional stakeholders.
Ability to operate in a dynamic environment with evolving partnership opportunities including emerging NIL considerations
Ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams and drive alignment.

Nice To Haves

Experience working within collegiate athletics, media rights organizations, or NIL environments strongly preferred.
Familiarity with the collegiate athletic ecosystems is a plus.

Responsibilities

Own and execute the strategy for collegiate athletic partnerships and additional strategic partnerships
Serve as primary liaison with collegiate athletics partnerships, media rights partners and other key external stakeholders.
Identify and develop new partnership opportunities, including NIL initiatives, athlete collaborations, and experiential activations.
Ensure all sponsorship assets are fully leveraged and aligned to Busey’s business objectives.
Plan and execute integrated marketing activations across in-venue, digital, social, and event channels.
Partner with internal marketing teams to develop campaigns that enhance brand awareness and fan engagement.
Coordinate game-day presence, hospitality programs, and experiential marketing efforts.
Maintain consistent and impactful brand representation across all partnership touchpoints.
Leverage the partnership to support new business generation and deepen existing client relationships.
Partner with commercial, wealth, and retail teams to activate opportunities tied to athletics events and networks.
Build relationships with university stakeholders, alumni, donors, and business leaders within Busey’s footprint.
Support client entertainment and engagement strategies tied to athletics programming.
Monitor the evolving NIL landscape and identify potential opportunities aligned with Busey’s brand and marketing priorities.
Provide guidance on athlete partnerships that may enhance visibility and community impact.
Maintain knowledge of NIL regulations to ensure any future activity remains compliant.
Establish and monitor KPIs related to partnership performance, including brand awareness, engagement, and business impact.
Provide regular reporting and insights to leadership on ROI and effectiveness.
Continuously refine activation strategies based on performance data and feedback.
Act as the internal connector across teams to ensure alignment and maximize partnership value.
Educate internal stakeholders on how to leverage partnership assets effectively.
Collaborate with senior leadership to align partnership efforts with broader strategic goals.