Assistant Director of Sport – Commercial & Strategic Partnerships

About the role

The postholder will lead the commercial strategy of Warwick Sport and development of strategic partnerships that drive mutual value across the breadth of the university. By formulating and executing strategies to expand sponsorship, foster partnerships, revenue to enhance the student experience, this position plays a crucial role in elevating the profile of sport at a Warwick through a commercial lens.

The posts’ existence is fundamental to achieving ambitious commercial targets, maximising business growth through events and facility hires, and ensuring seamless collaboration with the Sport Delivery and Operations department. Through proactive engagement with stakeholders, market assessment, and strategic planning, the Assistant Director of Sport drives the success and sustainability of Warwick Sports commercial endeavours.

About you

We are seeking a commercial leader with extensive experience operating within large, complex organisations. The successful applicant will demonstrate a proven ability to lead, inspire, and influence high-performing teams, driving a culture of continuous improvement, delivering strong commercial outcomes.

You will be highly skilled in managing competing priorities with resilience, tenacity, with a results-driven approach. Having strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, you will build effective partnerships, representing organisational interests with credibility and strong commercial acumen.

Being both innovative and entrepreneurial, you will have a track record of identifying and developing revenue-generating opportunities and delivering value, through effective commercial and contractual arrangements.

You will be experienced in financial management, budget control, investment appraisal, and business planning within devolved structures.

With excellent organisational, strategic, and communication skills, you will influence decision-making through evidence-based business cases.

About the department

Warwick Sport delivers a comprehensive programme of sport, physical activity, and community engagement across the University of Warwick’s indoor and outdoor facilities. In 2024/5, over 12,000 students engaged across our facilities in sport or active wellness. The Commercial & Partnerships team oversees key revenue activity across memberships and events – along with the management of strategic partnerships. For more detail, visit our website.

Benefits

• 30 days annual leave, plus 8 statutory days and 4 shut down days over Christmas
• A competitive pension scheme
• Staff training
• Free eye care vouchers
• Discounts at Warwick Arts Centre and Warwick Sport Membership

For more information, visit the benefits page.

For further information to shape your application, the Job Description and Person Specification can be viewed here.

How to apply

The University of Warwick has appointed SearchHigher as their recruitment partner for this campaign; apply by submitting a cover letter and CV in Word Document format via the apply button above. Your application should be tailored to the Job Description and any gaps in employment history explained.

The first stage interview will be online on Friday 21st August 2026 and the second stage interview will be held on the University of Warwick campus on Thursday 27th August 2026. Please confirm availability in your application.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role, please submit your application as early as possible.

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