ATHLETE MARKETING MANAGER

Company Description

Purpose of the Job

The Athlete Manager is a key position responsible for identifying, managing, and activating a portfolio of nationally relevant, world-class athletes across diverse sports disciplines. This role serves as the bridge between athletes and Red Bull, ensuring their partnerships align with the brand’s strategic goals and marketing priorities. The Athlete Manager not only supports athletes in their performance, marketing, and communication needs but also leverages Red Bull's global athlete network to elevate brand visibility and drive consumer engagement in India. By building innovative athlete projects and fostering strong relationships, this role contributes significantly to Red Bull India's Vision 2030 and cements the brand’s position as a leader in sports marketing.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

 

1.    Athlete Marketing strategy and roster development

• Build and maintain a nationally relevant, diverse, and high-performing athlete portfolio, ensuring alignment with Red Bull’s brand values and strategic priorities.
• Contribute to Red Bull India’s sports marketing strategy by identifying high-impact athletes, teams, and competitions.
• Develop short and long-term plans to maximize the impact of athlete partnerships through strategic KPIs and innovative activations. Evaluate and optimise athlete partnerships to ensure efficiency and a strong ROI.
• Monitor and assess the performance of athlete partnerships, using data and insights to refine strategies and enhance campaign impact.
• Develop long-term athlete and team development pathways that strengthen Red Bull’s credibility in sport.
• Ensure athlete and team partnerships support Red Bull’s global and local marketing priorities.
• Identify emerging talent aligned with Red Bull’s brand values and long-term sports marketing strategy.
• Build strong relationships with athletes, agents, federations, and support teams.
• Oversee athlete contracts, performance deliverables, and brand integration opportunities.

2.    Team Partnerships & Strategic Alliances

• Lead the management of Red Bull’s team partnerships, including key collaborations such as Rajasthan Royals.
• Ensure the partnership delivers across brand visibility, athlete integration, and content opportunities.
• Work closely with teams to unlock unique storytelling, fan engagement, and athlete performance narratives.
• Identify new opportunities for Red Bull to partner with teams, leagues, and sports properties aligned with brand strategy.

 

3    Content & Storytelling

• Collaborate with the Media Network to create compelling athlete-led content.
• Identify moments where Red Bull athletes and teams can generate authentic storytelling opportunities.

4    Athlete support and brand engagement:

• Provide customised support to athletes, including performance tools, marketing strategies, communication plans, and financial packages.
• Maintain a professional, credible, and high-impact relationship with each athlete, fostering trust and collaboration.
• Act as a mentor to athletes, helping them navigate challenges in performance, branding, and communication
• Drive the activation of athlete partnerships through projects, events, and social first content, ensuring maximum brand visibility and athlete engagement.
• Oversee the activation of athlete-driven initiatives, ensuring that each initiative aligns with our goals and objectives.

5    Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Content, Digital, and Events teams to integrate athlete campaigns with wider Red Bull marketing initiatives.
• Manage relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment and collaboration across multiple teams and functions.
• Drive athlete-led storytelling initiatives to inspire consumers and enhance Red Bull’s brand narrative.
• Manage relationships with team management, leagues, agencies, and sports federations.
• Ensure alignment between Red Bull’s global athlete marketing frameworks and local execution.

6     Activations & Innovative projects

• Integrate athletes and teams into Red Bull events, activations, and campaigns.
• Ensure athletes deliver meaningful fan engagement experiences across digital and on-ground.
• Support execution of athlete-driven initiatives, appearances, and grassroots programs.
• Leverage Red Bull’s global athlete and event portfolio to create unique, impactful projects and activations in India.
• Champion innovation and creativity by inventing new events, athlete branding and project ideas and transforming them into credible concepts.

7    Budget & Contract Management:

• Oversee the budget and contracts for all national athlete activities, ensuring compliance with international benchmarks and guidelines.
• Screen and evaluate athlete proposals, ensuring alignment with strategic and financial goals

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Minimum 6 years of experience in sports marketing, athlete marketing, team partnerships, or a related field, including direct responsibility for managing professional athletes.
• Demonstrated success managing professional athletes and/or high-value team partnerships, ideally within cricket or other major Indian sports leagues.
• Established experience working closely with leading sports federations, leagues, teams, and governing bodies across key sports.
• Deep understanding of the Indian sports ecosystem, including leagues, federations, athlete management agencies, commercial partners, and emerging talent pipelines.
• Proven ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships and build trusted, long term relationships across internal and external stakeholders.
• Track record of developing and delivering athlete-led content, brand activations, and integrated marketing campaigns.
• Exceptional negotiation, project management, stakeholder management, and written and verbal communication skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Sports Management, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Full professional proficiency in English, with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness and flexibility to travel frequently for athlete engagements, events, competitions, and project delivery.
• Leadership: Proven ability to lead teams and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strategic Thinking: Strong experience in developing and executing long-term athlete and brand strategies.
• Project Management: Experience managing large-scale athlete projects, activations, initiatives, and events.
• Stakeholder Management: Strong ability to manage internal and external relationships, ensuring alignment and collaboration across teams.
• Analytical Skills: Ability to leverage data and insights to refine strategies and improve the impact of athlete campaigns. 
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, capable of presenting strategies and results to senior leadership.

Language Requirements - English

Additional Information

The description of this job offer is intended to collect the information necessary to identify, in a general and non-exhaustive manner, the general characteristics of the position, with the aim of allowing those who wish to apply and participate in the selection process to do so with full legal guarantees. You are also informed that Red Bull India Private Limited (‘Red Bull India’) will treat your application and those of other candidates with full respect for current legislation and fundamental rights; in particular, equal treatment and non-discrimination. Likewise, those who wish to start the process are informed that no rights can be expected as a result of this job offer.
Please note that Red Bull India never asks for information unrelated to the job application process, such as bank or credit card data and never charges any fees to apply to any jobs.
It has been brought to the attention of Red Bull India that certain individual/s posing as a ‘HR Executive’ of Red Bull India are fraudulently enticing unsuspecting candidates with fake job offers at Red Bull India by using fake appointment letters and/or interview letters in return for money, at times terming such money as a ‘refundable security deposit’.
Please be informed and cautioned that Red Bull India does not have any association with such individual/s and never charges prospective employees any money for hiring purposes. People receiving any such communications requesting money should not act on them and are instead encouraged to report such individual/s to Red Bull India.
Red Bull India will not be responsible to anyone acting on an employment offer not directly being made by Red Bull India.
Red Bull India reserves the right to take legal action, including criminal action, against anyone attempting to misuse the brand name, brand logos and the names/designations of our employees for illegal and unauthorized activities.
For further information on Fraud Warning please visit: https://policies.redbull.com/policies/RedBull.com_IN/202309211109/en_IN/fraud_warning.html