Community Relations & Sports Marketing Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Delta Dental of New Jersey is currently seeking a Community Relations and Sports Marketing Manager to lead our community branding, associate volunteer program, and sports marketing.

We are located in Parsippany, New Jersey, and this position is hybrid - in office Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and remote Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Due to the external facing nature of the position as well as the responsibilities, the schedule will vary and often require evening and weekend work.

We offer a competitive compensation package including medical, dental, Rx and vision, life insurance, 401k+, tuition reimbursement, and ample time away to recharge.

Come join a great orgainzation, and get your smile on!

SUMMARY

The Community Relations and Sports Marketing Manager is responsible for developing and driving a strategy that connects our associates, communities, and sports partners to our mission : to promote dental and vision health to the greatest number of people.

This role entails leading our community partnership program with charities and chambers of commerce across New Jersey and Connecticut, coordinating campaigns with our sports partners to elevate brand awareness, and providing logistical and event support to our Foundation.

The Manager must be passionate about community engagement, volunteerism, sports, and event management, have an executive presence, and be comfortable with public speaking.

They must anticipate project needs, discern work priorities, meet deadlines with little supervision, and be available to work select evenings and weekends.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Community Relations :

• Prepare and execute annual community relations and volunteerism strategies while leading, elevating, and driving participation in our signature community events.
• Support Marketing's outreach and engagement programs with local chambers of commerce and business affinity groups. Coordinate communication and event promotion with public relations.
• Compile reports for Leadership and analyze data to assess the success and impact of our community relations and volunteerism initiatives, offering strategic recommendations for refinement.

Keep Leadership apprised of initiatives and activities, particularly those aligned with the Foundation and sales prospects.

• Enhance our associate engagement strategy by coordinating and promoting events that unite associates (both virtually and in-person) and bolster engagement, retention, and performance.
• Manage budgets and spending for community events, sponsorships, and company-paid memberships, preparing regular budget reports for Leadership.

Sports Marketing :

• Prepare and execute our annual sports marketing strategy while increasing brand awareness of Delta Dental through in-arena advertising, social media, awareness campaigns, event activations, direct mail campaigns, etc.
• Act as liaison, managing day-to-day relationships, special events, and activations across our partnerships (New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall Pirates, UConn Huskies, etc.

Travel to and be present at - sports venues for special events.

• Brainstorm, negotiate, and implement compelling and unique opportunities to drive connection and engagement with fans, influencers, and Delta Dental's target consumers.
• Analyze data and compile reports assessing the success and impact of our sports sponsorships, assessing event success, ROI, and other KPIs, and offering strategic recommendations for refinement.
• Lead annual contract negotiations / renegotiations with partners, ensuring the effective execution of sponsorship deals and contract terms. Manage the budget.
• Work with public relations to coordinate communication and promote existing sports marketing partnerships while identifying and evaluating future sponsorship opportunities.
• Work with sports partners and procurement for fulfillment items. Manage inventory and merchandise disbursement.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree required. A Marketing degree is preferred with Sports Marketing specialization being a plus.
• Five to seven years of prior expertise with charitable, community organizations, and / or sports relationship management is required.

The candidate should have a passion for sports and sports fans and an overall knowledge of the sports and sports industry.

• Strong negotiation skills.
• Prior experience with social media.
• Demonstrated track record of creative thinking (i.e., generating imaginative and innovative ideas for campaigns and promotions) and excellent communication skills, including writing, proofreading skills, and speaking.
• Has superior organizational skills and experience with project management the ability to manage multiple simultaneous events and work assignments with various staff and volunteers while maintaining a strong attention to detail.
• Strong collaboration and teamwork skills. Ability to accomplish projects with little supervision. Embodies a fantastic service ethic and high expectations for quality.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, both in-person and by phone, demonstrating high professionalism and executive presence.
• Proficient in using the Web to conduct research, event administration, and procurement, as well as with the latest versions of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Experience with Tableau is preferred but optional. Experience with Microsoft Forms is also preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here represent those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and perform extensive close keyboard and PC work.

The employee is frequently required to walk, talk, or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and reach with hands and arms.

Travel : up to 40% with half of the travel being in New Jersey and half of the travel being in Connecticut.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those encountered by an employee while performing the essential functions of this job.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This position requires signing a confidentiality agreement.