General Manager - University of Illinois

About the role

Learfield is seeking an experienced, strategic General Manager to lead one of its high-profile sports properties and act as the primary liaison to the University of Illinois Athletics Department. The role stewards the school's athletics multimedia rights agreement, manages an advanced portfolio of corporate partners and drives financial performance and partnership strategy. It leads a team that may include both individual contributors and people managers.

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the main liaison between Learfield and the Athletics Department, Athletic Director and senior university leadership
• Lead the execution and optimization of the multimedia rights agreement
• Drive revenue growth through sponsorship sales and multi-platform partnerships
• Build and manage a portfolio of regional and national corporate sponsors
• Collaborate with university stakeholders and Learfield teams to deliver campaigns
• Own property-level financial planning, including budgeting, forecasting and performance analysis
• Represent the partnership at campus and community events and champion a high-performance culture

Required profile

• 10+ years of progressive experience in sponsorship sales, sports marketing, media rights or a related B2B revenue-generating role
• Proven success leading teams and driving revenue growth
• Ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships, including executive-level university contacts
• Preferred: experience in collegiate athletics or higher education; Bachelor's degree
• Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends

Required skills

• Marketing strategy across traditional, digital and experiential channels
• Budget management and data-driven decision-making
• Strong communication, presentation and influencing skills

What we offer

• Base pay range of $150,000 to $185,000, with possible annual discretionary bonus and/or sales compensation
• Medical, dental, vision, HSA, life insurance and other plans
• Flexible paid time off (at least 10 days), parental leave and 20 paid holidays
• 401(k) match and short/long term disability coverage