Commercial Manager

Position: Commercial Manager

Location: The Valley, Floyd Road, SE7

Salary: Competitive, based on experience, with a strong commission and bonus structure

Hours: FTE Mon-Fri (+matchdays as needed)

About Us

Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Charlton, south-east London. The club was founded on June 9th, 1905 and has a very storied history from rising to the top-flight of English Football in the 1930s (First Division) and again in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, to winning the FA Cup in 1947 and to leaving their Valley home in the mid-1980s only to make an impassioned return in 1992. Historically, the women's team played under Charlton Athletic from 2000 to 2007 but were released to become an independently run team in 2007 following the men's team's relegation from the Premier League.

The women's team were originally formed as a non-professional team in 1991 and were highly successful in the early 2000s winning The FA Cup, the League Cup, and the Charity Shield, as well as coming runners-up in the top division in multiple seasons. In February 2021, the club acquired the Charlton Athletic Women's team, turning the team full-time professional, and integrating them to become one club again.

Currently, our men's first team competes in League One, the third tier of English football, and our women's team competes in the Women’s Championship, the second highest division of women's football in England. At Charlton, we are ‘one club’ and can be truly described as a ‘family club’.

Role Description

The Commercial Manager will play a crucial role in driving revenue growth across sponsorships, partnerships, hospitality, and events. This is a senior-level sales role where the ability to secure commercial deals and consistently hit targets is essential. The successful candidate will report to the Head of Commercial and, at times, step in for senior meetings, including with the club’s Senior Management Team (SMT).

The role requires a creative, commercially minded individual who understands marketing, sponsorship activation, and brand engagement. It demands a proactive approach to building relationships, securing new business, and ensuring existing partners receive top-class account management.

Key Responsibilities

• Revenue Generation: Proactively identify and secure new commercial partnerships, sponsorships, and hospitality sales.
• Business Development: Research and approach potential sponsors and partners with tailored proposals.
• Sales Execution: Develop and deliver compelling presentations to brands and businesses, negotiating and closing deals effectively.
• Account Management: Maintain and strengthen relationships with key partners, ensuring activation and delivery of all sponsorship rights.
• Strategic Commercial Support: Represent the commercial department in SMT meetings when required.
• Creative Campaign Development: Work closely with the marketing team to develop engaging commercial activations and branded content.
• Matchday & Event Engagement: Be present on matchdays to host corporate clients, entertain prospects, and oversee sponsorship activations.
• Collaboration with Internal Teams: Work alongside other departments (marketing, community, ticketing, and operations) to align commercial objectives with wider club initiatives.
• Reporting & Forecasting: Provide regular sales reports, pipeline updates, and revenue forecasts to the Head of Commercial.
  
  

Additional Requirements

• Full UK driving license & access to a vehicle (travel to meet partners and prospects is required).
• Willingness to work matchdays and events, including evenings and weekends.
• Right to live and work in the UK.
  
  

Abilities/Skills/Knowledge

• Proven track record in commercial sales (ideally in sports or sponsorship).
• Experience in business-to-business sales, with a strong network in London/Kent a plus.
• Ability to negotiate and close high-value deals.
• Strong marketing knowledge, particularly in sponsorship activation and brand partnerships.
• Exceptional presentation and communication skills to engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, target-driven environment.
• Ability to work autonomously while being a key team player.
• Creative thinker with a passion for bringing commercial partnerships to life.
• Experience with CRM systems and sales reporting.
  
  

Additional Information

• This a full time role that includes work on weekends and evenings (negotiable);
• Applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK;
• Charlton Athletic FC is committed to following relevant health & safety regulations and all members of staff are expected to be fully aware and adhere to, at all times, the Club’s H&S and fire safety procedures;
• Charlton Athletic Football Club are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff to share this commitment;
• CAFC is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and its policies for recruitment, selection, training, development and promotion are designed to ensure that no job applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, color, nationality, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, ethnic and national origin, disability or gender reassignment.
  
  

Safeguarding

Charlton Athletic Football Club are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. The successful candidate may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining a post, as all cases are mediated individually according to the nature of the role and the information provided.

Note: Please note that due to the high volume of applications we receive we regret that we are unable to respond to unsuccessful applicants.

To Apply: Please send a copy of your CV as well as a covering letter explaining why you want to apply for this placement to: [email protected]