Manager, Partnership Strategy - University of Kansas

Position Title: Manager, Partnership Strategy - University of Kansas

Requisition : R100995

Location: Lawrence, KS

Full/Part-Time: Full time

Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences.

With data-based solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.

Our people-first culture is the foundation of our business and is reflective of our approach to building meaningful relationships with our employees, partners, and fans. The company strives each day to deliver the mission statement and embody the core values that make Learfield an exciting place to work.

Powering the connection of fans to the brands and experiences they love.

Build Trust | Be Fans of One Another | Power Tomorrow | Create & Connect Communities | Have Fun

Learfield is seeking a Manager of Partnership Strategy to lead sponsorship activation and team execution at one of our university properties. This individual is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day fulfillment of corporate sponsor ships, managing a team, and ensuring partner deliverables are executed with excellence. As the activation lead for the property, this role is essential to building strong client relationships and advancing university goals through flawless execution.

In this role, you’ll manage a portfolio of partners and serve as the primary escalation point for activation needs, while also providing day-to-day leadership to direct reports. You’ll work closely with internal teams, vendors, and university contacts to ensure all partnership elements are fulfilled across digital, social, in-venue, broadcast, and experiential platforms. This is an ideal opportunity for a motivated people leader who enjoys mentoring others, solving problems, and delivering visible results in a fast-paced environment.

• Oversee activation for a portfolio of property-level partners, ensuring timely, strategic execution of all sponsorship elements.
• Manage and develop a small on-site team, which may include coordinator(s), property assistant(s), and/or part‑time staff.
• Provide regular coaching, feedback, and performance support to direct reports, fostering a culture of accountability, service excellence, and collaboration.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with brand partners, university stakeholders, and cross-functional internal teams.
• Serve as the primary liaison to the athletics marketing staff to ensure coordinated execution across in‑venue, on‑campus, and community‑facing assets.
• Work closely with the Social Plus position (where applicable) to ensure digital and content‑related sponsorship elements are accurately activated and delivered.
• Coordinate execution of digital, social, signage, hospitality, and experiential assets across both internal and external stakeholders.
• Oversee timelines, asset tracking, deliverable documentation, and proactive communication with partners.
• Contribute to development of year‑end recaps, renewal materials, and upsell opportunities in collaboration with sales leadership.
• Ensure all activation aligns with Learfield standards, partner contracts, and university guidelines.
• Support event logistics, including partner hosting, game day operations, and campus activations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with university partners, athletic department…