Position:
Specialist, Sports Partnerships
Reports to:
Head, Sports Partnerships
Position Term:
Full Time Permanent
Primary Location:
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Workplace Type:
Hybrid
Job Purpose
Reporting to the Head, Sports Partnerships, the Specialist, Sports Partnerships is responsible for the successful planning, execution, and optimization of World Vision Canada’s Sports Partnerships initiatives. This role ensures that the vision and goals of each partnership are met and exceeded, with a focus on both engagement and fundraising performance.
The Specialist, Sports Partnerships plays a key role in delivering integrated campaigns and activations that drive revenue, donor acquisition, and brand visibility. They are accountable for executing project plans, managing timelines and deliverables, and contributing to strategic KPIs, including partnership-generated income.
Working closely with internal teams and external partners, this role builds strong relationships and drives collaboration that results in effective, measurable, and mission-aligned impact.
Responsibilities
- Lead a portfolio of integrated sports partnerships with a high level of ownership, building strong, trusted relationships with sports teams, leagues, athletes, and key stakeholders.
- Build strategic partner plans and supporter journeys that drive engagement and achieve revenue, donor acquisition, and brand visibility objectives for World Vision Canada.
- Proactively identify and test new partnership models or opportunities that expand reach, optimize fundraising, and increase supporter value.
- Provide end-to-end project management for World Vision and partner events, activations and initiatives, defining scope, timelines, risk, budgets, deliverables, and execution.
- Deliver data-informed planning, tracking performance and recommending optimizations to maximize impact and sustainability.
- Monitor industry trends and audience insights to identify opportunities for innovation and increased market presence.
- Maintain a high standard of excellence in relationship management, educating partners on WVC’s mission, coaching appeals, and ensuring shared goals are met.
- Collaborate across internal departments to align strategies and deliver cohesive, integrated campaigns.
- Ensure alignment with WVC policies, brand guidelines, and strategic frameworks in all partner-facing materials and activations.
- Contribute to ideation and campaign development with fresh, strategic thinking, connecting ideas back to partner and organizational goals.
- Support the creation of marketing assets, scripts, content calendars, production rundowns, and event experiences that elevate impact and visibility.
- Represent WVC in the sports industry, actively networking and building new partnership opportunities.
- Monitor contracts to ensure all deliverables and obligations are met by all parties.
- Provide onsite support at events as needed, ensuring flawless execution and partner satisfaction.
- Contribute to the development of team processes and tools to improve efficiency, delivery, and cross-team collaboration.
- Operate within an agile project management framework to ensure focus, flexibility, and accountability in delivery.
Qualifications
- Post-secondary education in Business, Marketing, Communications or a related discipline.
- Minimum 5 years of experience in partnership development, sponsorship, or marketing strategy; preferably within a professional sports, entertainment, or cause-marketing environment.
- Demonstrated experience in relationship and partnership management, with a track record of collaboration, strategic negotiation, and mutual value creation.
- Strong networking ability and confidence representing a brand externally to enhance visibility and engagement.
- Experience in revenue-generating roles or responsibility for delivering measurable business outcomes (fundraising, lead generation, donor acquisition, etc.).
- Experience managing complex projects or integrated campaigns with multiple stakeholders, vendors, and deliverables.
- Strategic thinker with the ability to see the big picture and connect day-to-day execution to long-term goals.
- Comfortable working in fast-paced, dynamic environments with shifting priorities and tight timelines.
- Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills, both written and verbal, with a high level of professionalism.
- Familiarity with Agile project management principles and/or experience in cross-functional sprint teams is an asset.
Working Conditions
- This position requires the ability to travel for business and to work occasional weekends and evenings, as required by event schedules.
Why Consider Us?
Our competitive compensation & benefits include:
- Health Spending Account
- Up to 6% matched pension contributions
- Parental leave top-up
- Generous paid vacation, sick days, wellness and personal days
- Office closed extra days before long weekends (6x/year)
- World Vision Canada has consistently been awarded Canada and GTA top employer awards.
- We are Canada’s largest development, relief, and advocacy non-profit organization.
- We embody an Agile mindset here.
- We offer a family-friendly, caring, and flexible work environment.
#LI-Hybrid
JobFamily
Resource Development & Fundraising
JobFunction
Individual Contributor
PayType
Salary
EmploymentIndicator
Remote with Travel/External Engagement