Job Description
***Our headquarters are in Stamford, CT, but the location of this position can be flexible with a priority given to candidates open to hybrid work (2-3 days week in office) in one of our office locations - - Stamford, CT, New York, NY, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL or Atlanta, GA.
Are you looking for a dynamic leadership role in client services? Does the thought of shaping best-in-class sports partnerships excite you? Do you have a passion for golf? Well then, this may be the right role for you!
We’re looking for a Group Director to lead day-to-day client service and program execution across multiple premier golf sponsorship portfolios. This role will initially serve as a maternity leave backfill, acting as the primary lead across a portfolio that includes ambassador partnerships, PGA TOUR title sponsorships, media integrations, and customer engagement platforms. Beyond this initial scope, the role will expand to support a broader portfolio of golf clients and contribute to new business initiatives across the agency.
You’ll serve as the senior day-to-day contact for the client’s marketing and partnership teams, leading strategic planning, program development, property and partner management, talent oversight, and integrated activation across events, media, and digital channels.
Still interested? Great! The ideal candidate is a proactive leader, highly organized, and comfortable managing multiple high-profile workstreams simultaneously. This role requires strong strategic thinking, polished communication and presentation skills, and the ability to lead internal teams and external partners to deliver best-in-class sponsorship programs. A background in golf is required.
The Group Director will work closely with senior leadership and oversee a team responsible for executing across the client’s sponsorship portfolio. This position offers a unique opportunity to lead within the golf space while collaborating with top-tier partners, properties, and talent across the industry.
THE WORK YOU’LL DO
- Serve as the senior day-to-day lead across the client’s golf sponsorship portfolio, managing relationships with client stakeholders, talent, properties, and agency partners
- Lead and grow key relationships including golf governing bodies, talent and their agencies, tournament host organizations, media partners, and vendor partners
- Oversee strategic planning and execution of integrated sponsorship programs, including:
- Development of annual and multi-year activation strategies aligned to client business objectives
- End-to-end management of event activations, including branding, buildout, experiential, hospitality, and messaging
- Integration across media, digital, social, and communications channels
- Provide leadership and oversight of ambassador and talent programs, including contract negotiation, content development, onsite execution, and ongoing relationship management
- Drive cross-functional collaboration with internal teams (creative, strategy, media, digital, communications) to bring programs to life in a cohesive and impactful way
- Maintain ownership of budgets, financial tracking, and reporting across all areas of responsibility
- Ensure quality control across all client deliverables, including presentations, recaps, POVs, and strategic recommendations
- Lead project management across the account, including timelines, workflows, and asset tracking to ensure flawless execution
- Oversee, mentor, and develop account team members, providing guidance, feedback, and career development support
- Contribute to broader agency initiatives, including new business development, pitch work, and cross-client collaboration
- Develop a deep understanding of the client’s business priorities, industry trends, and the evolving sports and media landscape
- Other related duties as reasonably assigned
THE BIGGER TEAM YOU’LL JOIN
Recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work in Sports”, Octagon is the global sports, entertainment, and experiential marketing arm of the Omnicom Group.
We take pride in being Playmakers – finding insightful, bold ways to create play in our work, our lives, and in the world. We believe in the power of play to create big ideas and unlock potential for our clients and talent.
We can put ourselves in the shoes of fans because we ARE fans – of sports, entertainment, and culture at large. This expertise allows us to continually evolve the fan experience across sports and entertainment alongside some of the biggest brands and talent in the world.
The world needs play more than ever. Are you a Playmaker?
WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR
- 9+ years of experience in related field. Golf sponsorship experience is required
- You are ready and excited to be the client’s go-to person, who has excellent account management, can clearly present ideas, offer creative solutions and address challenges/obstacles head on
- Ability to juggle a number of projects and tasks simultaneously and consistently deliver high quality work to tight deadlines and when under pressure
- Prior experience serving as liaison between brand and partners, both internal and external, with the ability to become the brand gatekeeper
- Wants a seat at the table to contribute to high-level thought leadership and creative concepts
- Proficient in directing, reviewing, and providing quality control on deliverables prepared by outside vendors
- Exceptional attention to detail, time management and organizational skills
- Experience or interest in emerging technologies
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, especially PowerPoint
- Comfortable with a moderate amount of domestic travel that will be required throughout the year, including nights and weekends. Anticipated travel: Moderate (20-40%)
- Ability and flexibility with weekend and some holiday work as needed, and travel as necessary
The base range for this position is $90,000 – 120,000. Where an employee or prospective employee ispaid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background pertinent experience, and qualifications
Octagon is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.
We make our careers website accessible to any and all users. If you need an accommodation to participate in the application process, please contact us at [email protected]. This email address is not for general employment inquiries or vendors; rather it is strictly for applicants who require special assistance accessing our employment website. Due to volume, messages sent to this email address that are not related to an accommodation cannot be answered.
