Sports Marketing Manager

About Us

F31 is an award-winning marketing and sponsorship agency delivering high-impact campaigns for the world’s most visionary brands, destinations, and events. Our work spans continents, cultures, and industries - from sport to lifestyle and entertainment - blending strategic intelligence, creative excellence, and flawless execution.

What makes us different? We combine world-class creativity, global know-how, and deep MENA expertise. We don’t just work in the region - we were built here. We invest in it, understand it, and deliver work that resonates locally while protecting the integrity of global brand stories.

At our core, we believe in the power of experiences - from sport and entertainment to lifestyle and culture - to grow brands and destinations. We believe in great work, great people, and going the extra mile - always. And we believe the best results come when strategy, creativity, and collaboration work as one.


Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Sports Marketing Manager to lead and implement 360-degree marketing strategies that drive growth, engagement, and conversion across the MENA region, with a focus on the UAE and KSA.

This role will work across a stable of clients in the sports industry - including but not limited to global brands, ecomm platforms and apps, major events and community-led fitness concepts.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience managing full-scope marketing campaigns within the sports ecosystem, including social media, influencer programmes, digital content, athlete/influencer marketing, PR, events, and community engagement.


Key Responsibilities

  • 360 Marketing Strategy & Client Relations
    • Develop and execute comprehensive 360-degree marcomms strategies tailored to the needs of sports brands, online platforms and major events.
    • Provide region-relevant and culture-relevant input into global campaigns to ensure regional resonance while maintaining alignment with global strategy.
    • Build and maintain strong client relationships, acting as primary point of contact with global brand HQs, International Sports Federations, regional distributors, LOCs and government entities.
    • Ensure all content, activations, and campaigns align with brand voice, global guidelines, and the industry’s evolving consumer behaviours.
  • Account Management
    • Lead cross-functional internal teams (creative, community, content, events & performance) ensuring full alignment, clarity, and smooth delivery across all workstreams.
    • Build, own, and maintain detailed project timelines, budgets, and scope documents - ensuring projects stay on track and within agreed parameters.
    • Create clear, insight-driven reports for clients, providing thorough analysis of campaign performance alongside actionable recommendations to strengthen future activity and overall impact.
    • Work with F31 finance team to manage client budgets across markets and workstreams - both annual marketing budgets and tactical/event-specific budgets, ensuring accurate forecasting, reconciliation, and full documentation at all stages.
    • Support financial processes including invoicing, budget revisions, retainer tracking, and reconciliation.
  • Digital Strategy & Social Management
    • Develop and oversee social media strategies specifically tailored to niche sports audiences.
    • Manage regional social content calendars including scheduling, and community management for sports brands and major events.
    • Monitor global and regional platform trends within the sports space to ensure client social strategies stay ahead of the curve.
    • Manage with internal and external creative teams to produce high-performance digital asset. Provide strong creative direction, ensuring briefs are strategic, clear, and aligned with brand identity systems, tone of voice, and visual guidelines.
    • Manage F31 Digital team to deliver paid campaigns end-to-end, ensuring timelines, creative, and performance targets are met, and continuously analyse results to ensure campaigns are optimised and performing effectively.
    • Understand key performance metrics (CPM, CPC, ROAS, CAC, retention, funnel performance) and translate data into clear recommendations for optimisation.
  • Content Production & Live Coverage

    Work with F31 Creative to:

    • Plan and deliver high-quality brand and event content that drives engagement, supports campaign objectives, and captures moments in real time.
    • Develop and deliver brand content shoots, including concept development, briefing, location planning, talent coordination, and on-site direction.
    • Oversee real-time content delivery for major sporting events and brand moments - including briefing and managing international production teams (videographers, photographers, editors, and live content crews), ensuring fast turnaround, platform-ready assets, approvals by local and global stakeholders, and consistent brand storytelling across social and media channels.
    • Ensure all content is optimised for multi-channel use (social, paid media, PR, website, partners, and athlete/influencer amplification).
  • Influencer, Athlete & Community Marketing
    • Develop influencer strategies that tap into regional and global athletes, trainers, coaches, influencers and micro-communities.
    • Oversee partnerships with gyms, clubs, coaches, regional and global athletes, trainers, coaches, influencers and micro-communities to ensure impact within the regional community.
    • Track and optimise performance using metrics relevant to the sports category (attendance, lead gen, engagement, sign-ups, sentiment, content output).
  • Event & Activation Management
    • Conceptualise and execute cost effective, high-impact activations that drive awareness and consideration, finding creative, unconventional ways to bring brands to life in real environments.
    • Develop and manage fitness-centred events and activations such as community runs, functional fitness competitions, event sponsorships, product drops and experiential brand activations.
    • Ensure every activation delivers immersive, story-led experiences that deepen brand loyalty.
    • Report on outcomes, including attendance, engagement, content output, and impact on retention or sales.
  • PR, Partnerships & Advertising
    • Work with internal teams to activate PR efforts across digital, print, OOH, podcast partnerships, fitness platforms, and community channels.
    • Build and nurture relationships with fitness media, editors, creators, and community leaders to secure consistent brand coverage.
    • Ensure all campaigns deliver against brand KPIs and fitness industry trends.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field.
  • 5+ years' experience in brand and/or event marketing roles within the sports, fitness, wellness, active lifestyle, or sports industry.
  • Experience working with global brands and international sports federations.
  • Experience in the GCC, with a focus on the UAE and KSA markets.
  • Genuine passion for sports culture.

Skills & Competencies

  • Strategic thinker with excellent analytical capabilities, particularly across fitness-industry consumer metrics.
  • Strong understanding of digital fitness trends, community marketing, influencer/athlete ecosystems, and fitness-specific content.
  • Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills.
  • Creative mindset with a commercial approach to brand-building.
  • Experience working with fast-paced fitness clients, training content, digital-first fitness formats, and membership-driven brands.
  • Strong project management skills with the ability to lead multiple campaigns simultaneously.

Is this you?

Then email your CV to careers@factorthirtyone.com