Marketing Manager – American Football

Overview

Marketing Manager – American Football | Chicago, IL (Hybrid)

 

At Wilson, we are here to empower every human to live like an athlete. Passion. Creativity. Integrity. Teamwork. Ambition. Innovation. These are the qualities that have made Wilson Sporting Goods Co. the number one sports equipment brand in the world. We come together to win, grow, and celebrate. We all play for Team Wilson. We all have a role to play within our organization and are working towards the same goal. One team, one dream.

 

We believe that being an athlete isn’t something you do, it’s who you are. It’s a universal code of conduct, a way of seeing the world and how you show up every day. We seek out diverse voices and welcome all perspectives. Our team is composed of individuals with unique backgrounds, points of view, and experiences. These perspectives create a rich and diverse culture in which we learn from one another through empathy and inclusion.

 

Evolving the sports world and being the best partner for players, athletes, and our community is no small task. We are continually looking to add enthusiastic, ambitious, team-first individuals who desire to make a difference — and who love to help others win. Together, we will create a better world through sport. Join us.

What You'll Do

The Marketing Manager will lead marketing plans and activities to support avid player outreach & grassroots engagement specifically for American football and flag football.

 

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Build, manage, and track 360-degree global football marketing plans and budgets to ensure strategic alignment, operational efficiency, and measurable business impact via retail sales and brand growth.
• Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, E-Commerce, PR, Social, Sales, Retail, Creative, and Commercial teams to develop and execute consumer-relevant, on-brand marketing programs that deliver business results in American football.
• Support the Marketing Director in developing and executing grassroots activation platforms designed to engage target consumers and grow participation globally.
• Identify, secure, and manage strategic partnerships while supporting key football organizations, including NFL FLAG, IFAF, and various grassroots partners, to ensure annual contractual deliverables are executed effectively.
• Build a scalable ecosystem of global football partnerships by evaluating organizations across youth, high school, and adult segments and developing clear points of view on strategic fit and value.
• Develop strategic marketing briefs for avid-focused product launches and initiatives, providing clear, actionable feedback to creative teams to ensure deliverables meet brand and business objectives.
• Identify content needs and manage the creation process through internal and external resources, partnering with social media teams to execute football content across relevant channels.
• Oversee football ambassador program, including contract management, recruitment, campaign planning, and ongoing program execution.
• Communicate marketing strategies, consumer insights, and category priorities in core team planning sessions, sales meetings, and cross-functional business reviews.
• Plan, attend, and manage experiential event activations, ensuring each event is executed to brand standards, reaches the target consumer, and supports overall football growth objectives.
• Other duties as assigned.

What We're Looking For

This role requires a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university in Marketing, Communications, or a related area; an MBA with a focus on marketing is preferred. We are seeking candidates with a minimum of 5 years of consumer marketing experience for a brand or a marketing agency.

 

Other qualifications include:

• Experience building and leading marketing campaigns, across digital, social, experiential, and retail.
• Experience writing creative briefs and working collaboratively with design team to bring new campaign assets to life.
• Experience managing contract negotiations with organizations and/or talent.
• Familiarity with American football, especially flag football, is desirable.
• Excellent written/verbal, time management and quantitative/analytical skills.
• Advanced PowerPoint skills – from content development to professional, streamlined formatting.
• Proven ability to work with limited resources and budgets.
• Self-motivated and empowered to take initiative & ownership, developing new programs and strategies, continually looking for ways to improve processes and platforms.
• Hyper efficient with proven ability to manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment with strong organizational, communication and follow-through skills.
• Highly collaborative problem solver who thrives in a team environment working cross-functionally.
• Positive thinker who sees challenges as opportunities and translates them into actionable items.
• Avid Fan – can speak authentically about sports, specifically American football.
• Experience working with content creators is desirable.
• Retail marketing experience desirable, in-store and e-commerce.
• Available to travel approximately 50% of the time, including work weekdays, weekends, and evenings as required by events and business needs.

 

What We’ll Provide

 

A reasonable estimate of the pay range is $85,000 - $110,000 per year at the time of this posting. Within the range, individual pay is determined by factors such as job-related skills, relevant experience, education, and/or training. Please note that the range details reflect the base pay only and does not include our competitive bonus program.

 

Located in the vibrant, sports-centric city of Chicago, Wilson Sporting Goods Co. global headquarters sits along the lakefront with first-class access to a burgeoning creative, innovative, energetic and active professional community. We offer an open, collaborative, high tech work environment with best in class amenities and perks, including:

• Medical, dental and vision
• Pre-tax transit discounts
• 401(k) with company match
• Life insurance
• Paid maternity/paternity leave
• Professional development opportunities
• Volunteering programs
• Team building outings
• Discounts on Wilson and Amer Sports products
• On-site health club
• Summer hours
• Company-sponsored sports leagues/teams
• Fun, active company outings around major sports events

Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristics.