Partnership Activation Specialist in Hartford, Connecticut at Hartford Athletic

Mission

We are Hartford Athletic. Our mission is to provide a world class professional soccer experience and make our community the best place to live, work, and play.

Position Summary

The Partnership Activation Specialist is responsible for independently managing Hartford Athletics' most strategic and complex corporate partnership accounts. This role serves as the primary point of contact for assigned partners and is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing sponsorship activations, hospitality programs, and community initiatives that deliver exceptional partner experiences.

The Partnership Activation Specialist is entrusted with the Club's highest-profile partnerships and is expected to exercise sound judgment, proactively solve problems, and coordinate complex activations with minimal day-to-day direction. While this position does not have supervisory responsibilities, it serves as a trusted resource within the Partnerships department through experience, professionalism, and consistent execution.

Success in this role is measured by partner satisfaction, fulfillment accuracy, activation quality, operational excellence, and support of partnership retention efforts.

Work Schedule & Location

Monday through Friday, with additional responsibilities for match days, community events, and other Club events as needed. This is a full-time, in-office position based at Hartford Athletics' offices and stadium facilities.

Responsibilities

Partnership Fulfillment & Partner Success

• Serve as the primary day-to-day contact for assigned corporate partners

• Manage fulfillment of all sponsorship agreements and ensure contractual assets are delivered accurately and on schedule

• Maintain detailed records of partnership assets, deliverables, activation schedules, and proof-of-performance documentation

• Conduct regular partner communications to ensure a positive experience and proactively address concerns

• Support partner ticket fulfillment, utilization campaigns, and ticket-related inquiries in coordination with the Ticketing team

• Support renewal efforts by ensuring partners receive exceptional service and all contractual obligations are fulfilled

Sponsorship Activation & Event Execution

• Coordinate and execute all sponsor activations, promotions, hospitality experiences, and recognition opportunities

• Coordinate activation logistics with internal departments, vendors, and partners to ensure successful execution

• Manage on-field presentations, contests, fan engagement activities, and partner events

• Coordinate sponsor giveaways, fulfillment, and participant logistics

• Ensure activations are executed professionally and in accordance with contractual commitments

Hospitality & Game Day Operations

• Coordinate VIP hospitality and suite fulfillment

• Welcome partners, prospects, and guests on match days

• Serve as the primary resource for partner-related questions and issue resolution during events

• Execute assigned game-day sponsorship assets, activations, hospitality experiences, and promotional elements to ensure contractual obligations are fulfilled

• Support game-day operations, hospitality execution, and special events as assigned

• Ensure all sponsorship assets are properly executed and documented during home matches

Reporting & Administration

• Assist with sponsorship inventory management and tracking of available partnership assets

• Maintain fulfillment records, activation schedules, and proof-of-performance documentation

• Collect and organize proof-of-performance content, including photos, videos, and activation results

• Assist with the preparation of partnership proposals, presentations, recap reports, and renewal materials

Foundation & Business Alliance Support

• Assist with execution of Green & Blue Foundation initiatives, community events, and partner activations

• Support Hartford Athletic Business Alliance programs and events

• Represent Hartford Athletic, the Green & Blue Foundation, and Business Alliance programs within the community

Cross Department Collaboration

• Work closely with Sales, Marketing, Ticketing, Operations, and Stadium staff to ensure seamless execution of partnership obligations

• Assist the Partnerships team with administrative projects, inventory tracking, CRM updates, reporting, process improvements, and other departmental initiatives as assigned

• Support other organizational priorities as assigned

Desired Qualifications

• Experience in partnership fulfillment, account management, or sponsorship activation, ideally within sports or entertainment

• Working knowledge of CRM or partnership management platforms

• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills

• Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple partner accounts and deadlines simultaneously

• Comfortable interacting with corporate partners, vendors, and stadium guests

• Ability to problem-solve in a live, fast-paced game-day environment

• Positive, professional demeanor and a collaborative, team-first mindset

• Passion for soccer, sports, and community engagement

Requirements

• Employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background check

• Willing to work evenings and weekends around the home match and event schedule

• Reliable transportation to Trinity Health Stadium

• Ability to travel to and represent the Club at select community events as assigned

Commission Eligibility

In addition to your base compensation, you will be eligible to participate in the Company's incentive compensation program for business opportunities that you directly originate and close.

Given the nature of this role, annual new cash revenue targets will be more modest than those of a traditional sales position, with greater emphasis placed on developing barter partnerships, securing grant funding, maintaining high partner satisfaction, and achieving strong partner retention rates. These measures will be considered as part of your overall performance evaluation.

Hartford Athletic is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic