EXCEL SEARCH & ADVISORY is the world’s largest and leading retained executive search firm wholly dedicated to sports, media, and entertainment. Our Consultants have completed more than 1,500+ Executive Searches over their careers for teams, governing bodies, associations, ownership groups, media and entertainment businesses, and major consumer brands.

Position Summary: Excel Search & Advisory is seeking a talented and ambitious Graduate Researcher to join our London team. This is an exciting opportunity to launch your career at the intersection of sports, media and executive search - working alongside experienced consultants to identify and engage world-class leaders for some of the most prominent organisations in sport and entertainment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Research & Candidate Identification

• Conduct thorough market mapping and desk-based research to identify high-calibre candidates globally across sports, media and entertainment.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive longlists for active search assignments, utilising databases, LinkedIn, industry publications and proprietary networks.
• Assess candidate profiles against client briefs and produce clear written summaries for consultants.
• Support consultants in approaching and engaging prospective candidates with professionalism and discretion.

Project & Document Management

• Assist in the preparation of client-facing documents including position specifications, research updates, longlist and shortlist reports.
• Manage multiple research projects simultaneously, maintaining accuracy and meeting deadlines.
• Maintain and update the firm's CRM with current and relevant candidate information.

Sector Knowledge & Business Development

• Develop a strong understanding of the sports and entertainment landscape - clubs, leagues, governing bodies, media organisations and agencies.
• Monitor industry news, leadership movements and emerging trends to inform ongoing research.
• Contribute to business development activity including thought leadership and sector events.

Team & Culture

• Work closely with consultants and fellow researchers to support assignment delivery.
• Contribute positively to team knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Participate in training sessions, feedback reviews and knowledge management workshops.

Education & Experience:

• Degree-level qualification (any discipline) or equivalent professional experience.
• Genuine passion for sport and/or the sports business industry.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - clear, professional and precise.
• Strong research and analytical skills with sharp attention to detail.
• Proactive and self-motivated - able to manage multiple tasks in a dynamic environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the confidence to engage professionals at all levels.
• High levels of discretion, professionalism and personal integrity.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and comfort with digital research tools.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of or experience working within sports, media or entertainment.
• Exposure to CRM or database management tools.
• Additional language skills.

This position is eligible for benefits and discretionary bonus.

Ultimately, the salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, business sector, and geographic location, among other criteria.

Position Summary: The primary responsibility of this position is to prepare sponsorship proposals and sales collateral for major brand partnership opportunities across the sports and entertainment landscape.

We are looking for a talented individual to support the creative team on all materials our team brings to market. This individual can quickly adapt to new brands, maintaining consistency, quality, and efficiency to elevate the presentation of marquee opportunities. We are looking for a true team player with a love of collaboration and a passion for raising bar.

This individual has 5+ years of professional design experience within a large agency, pro sports team, or similar organization. Successful candidates will have mastery in Adobe CC (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator), and Ceros. This graphic design professional must thrive in a fast-paced environment and be able to juggle multiple projects simultaneously with a refined ability to lead. Successful candidates are highly creative and able to clearly articulate their approach, while being open to a variety of perspectives.

Education & Experience:

• Design related degree or 5+ years of professional experience in a graphic design field.

Essential Duties:

• Design best-in-class sponsorship sales materials that create a compelling narrative for brands considering marquee partnership platforms, with a specific focus on Naming Rights and On-Uniform Branding opportunities.
• Serve as a Graphic Designer, producing compelling and creative work that rises above industry standards.
• Work collaboratively within our marketing solutions team to manage a pipeline of creative requests in support of the entire Excel Properties Division.
• Demonstrate a solutions-driven mentality, with the ability to navigate feedback from internal and external parties with poise.
• Maintain clear communication and diplomacy under tight timelines.
• Ability and interest in exploring new software, tools, and technology (e.g. AI) to continue to raise the bar and distinguish Excel from its competition.

Essential Technical Skills:

• Mastery of Adobe Creative Cloud, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, specifically PowerPoint and Google Slides.
• All video editing experience and familiarity with Premiere Pro or After Effects is a plus.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrate a good attitude and ability to work in a highly collaborative environment, as a valued member of the team.
• Must have strong organization and prioritization skills, with an ability to manage expectations and exercise flexibility as needed.
• Maintain a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement, with consistent attention to detail.
• Previous experience in the sports and/or entertainment industries.
• Must be able to operate with discretion and confidentiality across all projects.
• Availability to work nights and weekends as needed.

This position is eligible for benefits and discretionary bonus.

Ultimately, the salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, business sector, and geographic location, among other criteria.

Position Summary: 

The Sales Coordinator for the International Properties Division will be instrumental in supporting the collective sales efforts of the Property Sales Team. This position will be based in our London Office.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Work with Property Sales Executives and Sales Strategy on day-to-day work, including but not limited to:
• Proactive prospecting and company research;
• Managing and maintaining reports Salesforce/CRM system;
• Drafting sales outreach for Sales Executives and following up to schedule meetings and calls;
• Developing category, contact, and property-specific outreach strategies for Sales Executives to deploy;
• Preparing pre-meeting materials, such as brand briefs, and coordinating with Sales Strategy and Marketing Solutions on follow-up items
• Support advanced sales processes as directed with tasks related to proposals, presentation development, and special project deliverables
• Proactively monitor industry and business trade news to identify:
• Relevant updates related to active sales prospects (e.g., leadership changes, acquisitions, new product launches, relocations)
• Viable companies/brands that may or may not be a fit for a specific Excel property;
• Key emerging companies and brand categories;
• Optimal contacts and decision-makers at brands, including contact research and hooks;
• Properties that might see a need for Excel’s services short or long-term;
• Any other relevant industry news
• Support Client Management Process for Properties
• Assist project sales lead, Revenue Operations, and Marketing Solutions group as directed with new clients;
• Lead preparation for weekly client calls, including organizing Salesforce pipelines and developing an agenda;
• Communicate with other members of the sales team for account updates;
• Provide weekly internal activity reports to the Property Sales Team;
• Support Client On-Boarding and work directly with Sales Strategy to create Master Prospect Lists, sales hooks, contact hooks, and Data Request Lists
• Prepare weekly outreach schedules to hold team accountable for hitting sales targets and goals
• Act as liaison between Property Sales Team and other Divisions within Excel
• All other duties as assigned, including but not limited to administrative tasks
• Domestic travel when necessary, in support of sales efforts

Education & Experience: 

• Bachelor’s Degree required;
• 1-3 years of experience in Sports Marketing and/or Sales preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Tenacity, curiosity, and ability to work effectively in a fast paced, team environment
• Superior organization skills and ability to prioritize/manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Understanding and interest in the sports sponsorship landscape, key industry players, market values and activation concepts
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively communicate to a wide range of audiences, both written and verbally
• Basic proficiency with Salesforce preferred
• Ability to think critically and consistently offer new and creative ideas for process optimization and sales approach
• High level of commitment to quality work product and organizational ethics, integrity and compliance
• Self-starter with the ability to multi-task and meet deadlines with minimal supervision
• Meticulous and thorough with acute attention to detail
• Extremely proficient in the Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel
• Basic proficiency with prospecting software including but not limited to SponsorUnited, ZoomInfo, or Pitchbook preferred
• Highly responsive and accessible
• Ability to work both collaboratively and autonomously across multiple time zones
• Must have the ability to demonstrate uncompromised judgment and discretion regarding interpersonal relationships
• Must have an affinity towards sales and a desire to progress in a sales role
• Ability to communicate in multiple languages is highly desirable

This position is eligible for benefits and discretionary bonus.

Ultimately, the salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, business sector, and geographic location, among other criteria.

Position Summary: The primary responsibility of this position is to develop integrated sponsorship platforms and proposals for teams, leagues, rightsholders, and major brands. This individual will serve as a central hub for idea generation and brand storytelling, while working with the respective salesperson(s) to bring a deal from an introductory call to close. The ideal candidate will be able to intuitively understand a brand’s objectives, identify an authentic partnership alignment, develop a narrative, integrate impactful insights and creative solutions that deliver against brand objectives and business priorities, customize a comprehensive platform, and oversee the creative development of all deliverables. A comfort with copywriting is also essential to success in this role. The candidate will have previous experience at developing brand partnerships across sports and/or entertainment, had experience at a creative or marketing agency, and be passionate about sport. This role will be based in our London Office.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Works collaboratively with our clients, leadership, sales executives, creative services, analytics, and other key departments to manage and develop the sales materials required for every project;
• Lead the creative ideation process for properties and brand partners, in conjunction with the sales team, developing customized sponsorship platforms and packages based on the property characteristics and the priorities of the prospect;
• Build narratives/storylines for corporate sales opportunities and structures impactful presentations that will bring the partnership essence to life
• Understands how to use research and insights to power a partnership opportunity and develop deep brand understanding;
• Writes, reviews, and proofreads proposals, presentations, and other documents with extraordinary attention to detail, consistency, and grammar;
• Participates in client-facing meetings, business development pitches, and brand presentations with confidence, comfort, and ease, as needed;
• Organizes team workflows and timelines, while managing up to team leaders on priorities;
• Collaborates with team members at all levels, serving as an essential resource across the division, and provides insights into specific marketing and brand trends;
• Contributes to the wider team with creative insights, industry-wide partnership case studies and is able to identify potential brand clients for the wider commercial team to target as prospects
• Bring a great deal of understanding into how brands benefit from sponsorship across the European sports and entertainment landscape.
• Possesses a network of relationships at creative, advertising and marketing agencies within UK and/or Europe.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required;
• 3+ years of direct, relevant work experience;
• Proven ability to be a project lead for multiple projects/clients simultaneously.
• Client-facing experience or a project management background is a plus.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to work in a highly collaborative environment;
• Excellent presentation and verbal communication skills;
• Ability to manage multiple projects while being responsive to the needs of the division and peers, be able to prioritize effectively and exercise flexibility as needed;
• Self-confidence in both brainstorm organization and individual idea generation;
• Excellent project management, organization and administrative skills;
• Experience in sizzle video concept development, inclusive of script writing and storyboarding, is a plus;
• Knowledge and understanding of sports and entertainment industries;
• Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to tell a story through data;
• Ability to identify and solve problems creatively;
• Self-motivated and self-directed;
• Positive outlook and culture builder;
• Highly responsive and accessible, with the flexibility to work nights and weekends if needed.

This position is eligible for benefits and discretionary bonus.

Ultimately, the salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, business sector, and geographic location, among other criteria.

Position Summary: Excel Sports Management is seeking an experienced Senior Account Manager, Brand Marketing, to join our growing team in London, UK. You will be responsible for advising a key client on a priority partnership in global football, and provide end-to-end solutions, including rights management, strategy, activation, implementation, and partnership execution.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Manage the day-to-day progress of Excel’s Brand Marketing clients’ sponsorship activation and marketing initiatives with a focus on rights utilization, strategic planning, key moments and events, influencers, and supporting the wider activation plan.
• Interact daily with the client and all appropriate agencies/properties to manage sponsorship programming initiatives.
• Lead relationships with the respective partnership manager and activation teams to ensure seamless integration and brand alignment.
• Plan and lead client status calls which include scheduling and preparing agendas or status documents.
• Work with the team to develop integrated marketing and activation recommendations (social, digital, traditional media, experiential, PR, events, etc.)
• Create activation briefs, recaps, event itineraries and staff plans.
• Manage client-vendor relationships and coordinate necessary activation deliverables on behalf of clients.
• Build, sustain, manage, and reconcile budgets, along with providing client budget updates along each step of the process.
• Provide portfolio analysis, identifying relevant opportunities that yield strategic recommendations for clients.
• Coordinate the acquisition of relevant results to be used in generating sponsorship recap reports.
• Build and maintain positive client relationships that result in enhanced partnerships and increased opportunities for Excel.

 Requirements:

• 6+ years of experience working within the sports industry for an agency, property, or brand
• Experience and knowledge of working within the global football space (team, partner, or agency side). Premier League experience is a plus.
• Experience developing and implementing sponsorship marketing strategies and activation plans on behalf of clients or companies.
• Account management expertise, managing day-to-day relationships and deliverables for clients.
• Passionate about creative ideation including bringing fresh ideas and collaborative energy to the table, developing, and finishing the job all the way through.
• Willing and eager to go above and beyond, help his/her teammates, coachable, curious, inquisitive, flexible, and multi-faceted.
• Ability to self-start and work within a small team and dynamic organization.
• Exceptional communicator (written and oral) who overdelivers and strives to impress everyone around him/her with work ethic and willingness to go above and beyond.
• Excellent time management and ability to multitask effectively in fast-paced environments
• Proficient in Google Slides, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word and the technical/computer skills to create and deliver client presentations.
• Uncompromised ethics, integrity, and discretion with company and client information
• Ability to travel semi-frequently and work nights, weekends, and holidays
• Available to be in the London office for a minimum of 3 days per week.

This position is eligible for benefits and discretionary bonus.

Ultimately, the salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, business sector, and geographic location, among other criteria.

Position Summary:

Excel Sports Management seeks an Office Coordinator to aid our growing organization as the first point of contact at our London location with all processes related to office operations and logistics. The ideal candidate will be a highly organized, driven, self-starter that is detail-oriented and exudes positive energy and elevated customer service.  The candidate must have great interpersonal skills, confidence and be able to work collaboratively while thriving in a dynamic environment.

This role will be part-time, 4 days a week for 25-30 hours/week.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Under the guidance of the Senior Manager, Facilities, helps oversee the day-to-day operations of the London Office.
• Provide the highest level of service to all visitors, employees, candidates, and vendors, and ensure their arrival and access is welcoming and seamless.
• Manages incoming and outgoing mail, including but not limited to FedEx packages.
• Support colleagues in planning in-office meetings, conference room set-up, refreshment orders and resources.
• Under the guidance of the Operations Manager orders office supplies, cleaning supplies and manages refreshment replenishment for the London Office
• Maintain office common areas in an organized and neat fashion, including conference rooms, kitchen, municipal and storage areas.
• Will collaborate with the NY-HQ to maintain consistent environments and facilities across all offices.
• Will work with the HR and Recruitment team to greet and direct candidates while on-site.
• Will work closely with HR, to ensure that all new hires are provided the proper building and security access.
• Will track and report office related expenses.
• Oversees compliance related to workplace safety
• All other duties as assigned, including, but not limited to, supporting the upcoming office move.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at time.

Education & Experience:

• Customer Service experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Must be a problem solver who is quick on their toes and able to navigate dynamic situations.
• Must have exceptional time-management skills and be able to execute tasks and responsibilities in an ever-changing environment.
• Must demonstrate excellent communication skills and be able to communicate clearly in all the various modes (verbal, written, text, etc.)
• Must have well-developed interpersonal skills, and energetic demeanor and a positive confident attitude.
• Must have a client-first mentality and commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.
• Must enjoy office logistics and operational tasks.
• Must be able to build relationships, genuine connections, and trust both internally and externally.
• Must be proactive and possess strong organization and prioritization skills.
• Must have a strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Must have strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
• Must be able to operate with discretion and confidentiality.
• Must be a flexible and reliable team player internally and externally.
• Must be able to think creatively and innovatively.

This position is eligible for benefits and discretionary bonus.

Ultimately, the salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, business sector, and geographic location, among other criteria.