General Manager - Partnerships

• Manage a portfolio of partnerships across Australian basketball
• Real influence over how the partnerships function runs
• Join a fast-growing, high-performance sports business
• Reports to Chief Partnerships Officer

About the NBL Group

The NBL Group is the fast-moving, growth-focused, entrepreneurial sports and entertainment business behind Australia's two premier basketball competitions: the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).

We sit at the centre of one of Australia's fastest-growing sports. Beyond the two elite leagues, we play a key role in the NBL1 competition and an expanding portfolio of major events and aligned products. We move at pace, think big, and operate as a high-performance, commercially driven, growth-focused organisation, with reach across broadcast, digital, live experiences and international markets, and the ambition to match it.

We are also a business that is deliberately evolving. We challenge how things have been done, invest in new ways of working, and back people who bring fresh thinking to big problems. Change and innovation here isn't a disruption; it's the operating model.

About the Role

The NBL is looking for a General Manager - Partnerships to lead the strategic oversight and governance of our commercial partnerships portfolio. Reporting to the Chief Partnerships Officer, this senior management role ensures partnership programs are delivered efficiently, contractual obligations are met, and commercial value is maximised for both our partners and the NBL Group while directly managing a portfolio of key commercial partnership accounts.

You'll help drive upsell opportunities and partnership renewals against agreed budget targets, and lead the Commercial Partnerships team; ensuring alignment with strategic objectives, seamless execution of partner activations and ensure servicing costs are within budget while championing strong ongoing relationships with our partners.

What You'll Do

• Directly manage a portfolio of key commercial partner accounts as their primary point of contact.
• Deliver a best in class partnership experiences from onboarding, day-to-day management and reporting
• Support in developing partnership strategy for each brand across a portfolio of products
• Ensure partnership deliverables are executed
• Act as the first point of escalation for partner issues, coaching the team through resolution.
• Help drive upsell opportunities and partnership renewals to hit agreed budget targets.
• Own the individual P&L for each partner account, ensuring servicing costs stay on budget.
• Lead, coach and mentor the Commercial Partnerships team to deliver high performance.
• Build senior-level relationships across media, marketing, events, clubs and broadcast to coordinate seamless partner delivery.
• Generate insights and recommendations that help shape commercial strategy, including business cases and partner proposals.
• Identify and implement AI and technology-driven tools to improve reporting and operational efficiency.

What We're Looking For

• Significant experience in partnership management, sponsorship or commercial operations, ideally in sports, media or events.
• A proven track record leading high-performing teams and managing high-value, senior-level partner relationships directly.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to juggle multiple priorities at once.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Sound judgement and a solutions-focused mindset for resolving complex or sensitive partner issues under pressure.
• Confidence representing an organisation at a senior, public-facing level, including at major events and partner functions.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Our Values and What You Need To Succeed With Us:

At NBL, we Think Big, we're Accountable, we act with Integrity, we Show Respect, we're Fans too, and we're One Team.

To succeed you need to:

• Thrive in ambiguity and move fast, that's where you do your best work
• Champion change and bring ideas, not just execution
• Exercise good judgment, move decisively and adjust as you learn
• Have the stamina and hunger to keep pushing and delivering results
• Show resilience - overcome challenges and move on quickly
• Flex outside your remit when the business needs it
• Make feedback a habit - give it, seek it and act on it
• Take the ball, own the play, and communicate directly and honestly
• Win as one team - we succeed when we work together, not as individuals
• Care about growing basketball in Australia, New Zealand and around the world

How to Apply

If this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you. Submit your resume and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience.