Associate Director, Sponsorships - Remote - Remote Eligible

Associate Director, Sponsorships

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing Together.

UnitedHealth Group is seeking a strategic and creative Associate Director, Sponsorships to join our high-performing team. Reporting to the Vice President of Team Sponsorships, this role will help maximize the impact of various sponsorship investments to drive enterprise growth, elevate brand perception and trust, and demonstrate our commitment to the communities we serve.

The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking, solutions-based problem solving, relationship-building, and attention to detail. This role requires a deep understanding of how to: activate sponsorships to support business development, work cross-functionally to wield influence without ownership, and align with brand priorities to generate earned-media worthy activations.

This is a unique opportunity for a growth and brand-minded marketer to contribute to a best-in-class team within the Enterprise Marketing and Customer Office, helping shape how sponsorships drive measurable business outcomes.

You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office a minimum of four days per week.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Strategic Planning & Alignment
• Collaborate with the Director of Sponsorship Activation and various internal teams (brand, media, PR, digital) to ensure sponsorships are integrated across all relevant channels
• Partner with the Sponsorships Growth Lead and internal teams across growth operations and events to align sponsorship engagements with high-value growth opportunities and enterprise priorities
• Define KPIs and success metrics to measure sponsorship effectiveness and ROI
• Partnership Management
• Act as the primary liaison between internal stakeholders and external partners for the properties you will manage
• Manage delivery and execution of sponsorship assets, ensuring alignment with brand standards and timelines
• Growth Engagements & Execution
• Manage a high volume of ticket requests for assigned sponsorship properties, allocating based on highest-value growth opportunities and ensuring maximum utilization
• Proactively engage with growth leaders to identify and develop new opportunities for leveraging sponsorship assets
• Collaborate with marketing and event leads to plan and execute strategic events at sponsored venues
• Creative Activation & Execution
• Lead the development of creative campaigns leveraging sponsorship assets (e.g., I/P rights, in-stadium signage, appearances, hospitality, content)
• Oversee production of branded content, on-site activations, and experiential marketing initiatives
• Coordinate with internal teams, agencies, and vendors to ensure seamless execution
• Performance Measurement & Reporting
• Collaborate with the Operations Manager to analyze growth and brand engagement data to optimize future activations
• Develop post-activation reports and presentations for internal stakeholders
• Monitor industry trends and competitor activity to inform strategy and innovation
• Budget & Resource Management
• Manage sponsorship activation budgets, ensuring efficient use of resources
• Track and reconcile spend against planned activities
• Internal Communication & Advocacy
• Educate internal teams on sponsorship strategy, assets, and activation opportunities
• Champion sponsorship internally to drive engagement and alignment across the portfolio

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• 7+ years of sports sponsorship experience managing complex projects independently
• 7+ years of experience working for a sports marketing agency, team/league or within a brand's sponsorship marketing team
• 7+ years delivering results within matrixed organizations that require interactions with 5+ departments or decision-makers
• 7+ years of experience managing 5+ concurrent sponsorship programs in a fast-paced environment
• 7+ years of experience presenting to VP-level and above stakeholders or clients
• 7+ years of experience working with platforms such as Concierge Live or TicketManager to track asset utilization
• Ability to provide a portfolio of experience that includes:
• Cross-functional marketing initiatives led on-time, on-budget
• Examples of experience with multiple projects / deliverables managed concurrently and how they prioritized their time
• Presentations they created and delivered to senior leadership, as well as recaps or reporting of work they led
• Examples of when they took initiative to create a better process or solution for an organizational challenge
• Ability to work weekends and travel 20-30%

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in healthcare, B2B, or regulated industries
• Background in hospitality or experiential marketing
• Proficient in data analysis and reporting
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and shifting priorities
• Proven excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills
• Proven solid relationship-building skills across matrixed organizations
• Proven solid organizational skills and attention to detail
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate across teams
• Proven proactive, resourceful, and solution-oriented mindset
• Demonstrated passion for storytelling and creating meaningful brand experiences

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $110,200 to $188,800 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.