Senior Manager – Sports Marketing

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization

Lead adidas India's Sports Marketing function by building and managing a world-class portfolio of athletes, teams, federations, communities and strategic partners that strengthen adidas position as the leading sports brand in India.

This role is responsible for defining and executing adidas India's sports partnership strategy across Cricket, Running, Football, Training and priority Olympic sports. Working closely with Global Sports Marketing, Brand Communications, Product and Business Units, the role will identify, secure and maximize partnerships that deliver brand impact and commercial growth.

The Senior Manager will lead the Sports Marketing team, establish adidas as the preferred partner for sports bodies and athletes, and build long-term relationships across India's sporting ecosystem.

Key Objectives

Strategic Leadership

Define adidas India's Sports Marketing strategy across priority sports and athlete portfolios.
Build a balanced portfolio of federations, athletes, communities and sporting properties aligned with business priorities.
Identify emerging sports, talent and partnership opportunities that create long-term competitive advantage.

Partnership Development

Build and manage senior relationships with sports federations, athlete managers, agencies, leagues, rights holders and sporting communities.
Lead negotiations and secure high-impact commercial partnerships.

Portfolio Management

Own the end-to-end lifecycle of strategic partnerships—from identification and negotiation to activation, servicing and renewal.
Maximize the commercial and brand value of every partnership.

Team Leadership

Lead, coach and develop the Sports Marketing team.
Build efficient ways of working across Brand, Product, Communications, Legal, Finance and Global Sports Marketing.

Key Responsibilities

Develop annual Sports Marketing strategy aligned with business priorities.
Manager relationships with BCCI, key federations, athlete agencies, managers and strategic ambassadors.
Scout emerging talent and build a future-ready athlete and federation portfolio.
Lead commercial negotiations and ensure optimal utilization of contractual rights.
Partner with Brand Communications, Product and Commercial teams to deliver impactful campaigns, product launches, community initiatives and consumer activations.
Collaborate with Product and Sourcing teams to influence athlete and federation product creation and servicing.
Lead and develop the Sports Marketing team, driving operational excellence and cross-functional collaboration.
Manage budgets, contracts, approvals and governance in partnership with Legal, Finance and Operations.
Monitor the evolving sports landscape and recommend new investment opportunities aligned with adidas business priorities.

Key Relationships

Internal

Brand Communications
Product & Merchandising
Commercial
Global Sports Marketing
Legal
Finance
Sourcing

External

BCCI & Sports Federations
Athlete Managers & Agencies
Athletes
Running Communities
League & Event Organizers

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

The ideal candidate is a commercially minded sports marketing leader with deep credibility across India's sporting ecosystem and a passion for building meaningful partnerships.

Key Requirements

12–15 years experience in Sports Marketing, Sponsorship, Sports Business or Brand Marketing.
Strong network across sports federations, athlete managers, agencies and rights holders.
Proven success negotiating and managing high-value partnerships.
Strategic mindset with strong commercial acumen.
Excellent leadership, stakeholder management and project management skills.
Passion for sport, with strong understanding of the Indian sporting landscape.

KPIs

Growth and impact of the sports partnership portfolio.
ROI on sports marketing investments.
Effective utilization of contractual rights.
Brand visibility and consumer engagement through sports activations.
Budget management and partnership governance.
Team development and cross-functional collaboration.

adidas celebrates diversity, supports inclusiveness and encourages individual expression in our workplace. We do not tolerate the harassment or discrimination toward any of our applicants or employees. We are an equal opportunity employer.

Senior Manager- Sports Marketing