MARKETING MANAGER

We're looking for a Marketing Manager to lead the brand and commercial growth of both of our clubs — South Island United, which plays professionally in the OFC Pro League, and Christchurch United, one of the most successful clubs in New Zealand football.

This is a build, not a handover. There is no marketing function here to inherit — you would be the person who creates it, with the freedom and the responsibility that comes with that. It is a rare thing in football to get a blank page and a professional platform at the same time.

You would work directly with club leadership across sponsorship activation, digital content, community engagement, matchday experience and partner communications.

What You'd Be Doing

• Lead the marketing strategy across digital, social, community and partner channels
• Drive commercial revenue through sponsorship, merchandise and event marketing
• Develop and run content strategies that grow both clubs locally and internationally
• Manage partner and sponsor relationships — value delivery, reporting and communication
• Support the OFC Pro League's media and marketing compliance obligations
• Work with the academy, events and operations teams on campaigns that cross all of them
• Build and hold relationships with media partners, including NZME and broadcaster contacts
• Write and maintain the brand guidelines that keep both clubs consistent everywhere they appear

What We're Looking For

• At least 3 years in marketing, ideally with a sports, entertainment or lifestyle brand
• Strong digital and social capability — content creation, and the analytics behind it
• Commercial instinct, and experience working with sponsors or commercial partners
• Excellent written and verbal communication, across cultures and contexts
• A self-starter who works independently and can hold several priorities at once
• A real interest in football, and in what sport can do commercially and for a community
• Experience in or around a professional sports club is a strong advantage, not a requirement

TWO CLUBS, ONE ROOF

South Island United is New Zealand's only South Island-based professional club. The team competes internationally in the OFC Pro League — the premier club competition in the Oceania Football Confederation, and Oceania's route through to the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. It is a genuinely new thing for football in the South Island and across the Pacific.

Christchurch United is one of New Zealand's most historic and successful clubs, competing through the Southern League and into the National League, the country's Tier 1 competition. Six National League titles. Seven Chatham Cups. The club has been a benchmark in New Zealand football for a long time.

Both clubs run out of the United Sports Centre in Christchurch, alongside a youth academy from U4 through U20, social leagues, holiday programmes and one of the country's largest youth tournaments. The commercial side — sponsorship, events, merchandise and a growing partner ecosystem — is expanding fast, which is why this role exists.

WHY CHRISTCHURCH

• Affordable cost of living relative to Auckland and Wellington
• World-class access to skiing, hiking, surf and the Southern Alps
• A strong international community and a growing tech and creative sector
• Excellent schools, healthcare and family amenities
• Two to three hours from some of New Zealand's most iconic landscapes

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