Associate Director, Sports Marketing

Optimum Sports

Optimum Sports

Marketing & Communications

New York, NY, USA

USD 70k-125k / year

Posted on May 7, 2026
Omnicom Media (OM), the media services division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) – delivers transformational experiences for consumers, clients, and talent. Powered by the Omni marketing orchestration system, OM connects best-in-class capabilities that enable our full-service media agencies OMD, PHD, and Hearts & Science to deliver more relevant and actionable consumer experiences, more productive and proactive client experiences, and more collaborative and rewarding talent experiences for the more than 24,000 people serving the world’s leading brands in OM agencies around the globe.

Optimum Sports is the dedicated sports marketing agency within Omnicom Media. Unlike traditional sports marketing agencies, Optimum Sports operates in both the Sports Sponsorship and Sports Media landscapes. With the combination of both disciplines under a single offering, Optimum Sports is able to provide its clients with unique and advantageous marketplace leverage through which it delivers cohesive, multi-platform sports marketing strategies. Ingrained with the latest research and ROI tools, Optimum Sports facilitates everything from Ideation to Execution to Actualization.Our approach integrates media, investment, property, and insights to develop strategy, manage negotiation and execution, and evaluate performance of partnerships. Established in 2003, we continue to innovate in the sports marketplace and build solutions for our constantly evolving world.

We are looking for an experienced Associate Director to serve as the D2D client-facing sports marketing lead providing both internal and external strategic leadership. He/she works fluidly across the IAT as well as liaising directly with leagues and publishers to plan, present and execute the client’s sports marketing strategy. The Associate Director will be tasked with overseeing a team of direct reports, managing client requests and delivering on the client’s business goals with new opportunities, critical thinking and problem solving. Passion for sports is a must; experience working within sports marketing and/or media landscape, with an emphasis on multimedia strategy, KPI performance and partnership planning.

Education & Standards

  • Undergraduate degree required (preferably Marketing, Business, Sports Management or Communications)
  • 7+ years of relevant experience in sports, preferably working in an integrated strategy role and/or sponsorship marketing position with direct client-facing access
  • Expertise in partnership (rights holder) marketing
  • Extensive league, network and rights holder marketplace contacts network
  • Extremely strong communicator and presenter, both written and verbal – in person and on conference calls
  • Creative thinker who has the ability to develop unique ideas, solutions, and programs
  • Highly organized, with the ability to manage and prioritize many simultaneous deliverables
  • Experience working on sports sponsorships and 360 activations is a plus
  • Experience across mainstream media channels (national TV, local, digital, social, etc)

Critical Skills

  • Strong ability to effectively communicate ideas in both a written and verbal setting
  • Expert in industry knowledge and understanding of sports marketing and media vernacular and trends
  • Ability to work well under pressure and deliver assignments under deadline
  • Strong management skills and the ability to be a team leader
  • High level of proficiency in word, excel, power point and online research
  • Solution oriented mindset with strong problem-solving skills
  • Efficient, organized and ability to handle multiple tasks
  • Self-sufficient, enthusiastic and proactively pursues assignments

Duties & Essential Functions

  • Support direct reports in developing overarching strategy across multiple media channels
  • Co-lead broader sports strategy development for client education
  • Design materials (PPT presentations, POVs, etc) that convey strategy supported with appropriate research
    • Interpret relevant research from third party data, industry trades and additional source
  • Primarily manage day-to-day comms with client POCs and across internal teams
  • Develop broad understanding of clients’ business needs, KPI’s, goals and objectives
  • Ability to work seamlessly across internal and external groups
    • Work directly and daily with planning and investment teams to develop holistic client strategy
    • Promote use of data and other insight tools to build strategic recommendations
      • g., Target analysis, competitive, marketplace intelligence
    • Collaborate with external agency partners on IAT deliverables including but not limited to a respective annual business planning, brand/master brand communications strategy, tactical media recommendations, etc.
  • Responsible for budget tracking across a portfolio, where funding may be sourced from various LOBs
    • Detailed knowledge of all working budgets; accountability to address internal and client-based budget allocation questions and responsible for any budget reporting
  • Familiar with and staying up-to-speed on the evolving digital landscape - both related to sports-specific properties as well as social channels and content strategies
  • Have base knowledge of the sports marketplace to identify new opportunities, areas of white space, vacant ownership positions, etc. that fit within the overarching client strategy and work in conjunction with internal planning and investment teams to bring these to life
  • Oversee direct reports by managing workload, delegating responsibilities, checking work for accuracy and being their lead POC in terms of mentorship and growth development
  • Recognize and solve tactical problems; participate in development of strategic solutions
  • Develop broad understanding of clients’ business needs, KPI’s, goals and objectives
  • Familiar with digital world both related to sports specific sites as well as social channels and content strategies
  • Familiar with traditional sports media assets, strategy, trends and general terminology Supportive in business development and growing Optimum Sports
  • Contributes to company initiatives: business pitches and internal projects
Optimum Sports is 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, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.

#sports

This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, other job-related qualifications/skills, and geographic location (to account for comparative cost of living). The Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. For this role, benefits include: health insurance, vision insurance, dental insurance, 401(k), Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, vacation days, sick days, personal days, paid parental leave, paid medical leave, and STD/LTD insurance benefits.

Compensation Range

$70,000—$125,000 USD

This role is hybrid, requiring three (3) days per week in the office. The remaining two (2) days may be worked remotely. Specific in-office days will be discussed during the interview process, with flexibility to align with team needs. Please note that the number or required in-office days may be adjusted over time, potentially increasing the number of required in-office days based on business needs.

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