What are the responsibilities and job description for the General Manager - West Coast Conference position at Van Wagner?
General Manager, West Coast Conference
Van Wagner – College Division
About the General Manager Role:
About the General Manager Role:
The General Manager is a critical part of the Van Wagner team that operates in the NCAA conference, association and event vertical. We’re looking for an entrepreneurial self-starter that is driven, team-oriented, never shies away from a challenge, and has a can-do attitude to join our fast-growing team. This is a great opportunity to grow a career in sports marketing.
The position will lead partnership sales and service for our West Coast Conference partnership which has offices in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Bruno, CA). The West Coast Conference hosts its marquee basketball championship in Las Vegas, NV each March.
The West Coast Conference, founded in 1952, is a premier NCAA Division I conference with a longstanding history of national competitive excellence and institutions of great academic distinction. The conference is represented throughout the Western region’s largest cities with a pronounced coastal footprint. Conference membership includes the University of Denver, Loyola Marymount University, Pepperdine University, University of Portland, Saint Mary's College, University of San Francisco, University of the Pacific, Santa Clara University, Seattle University, and the University of San Diego. Future members include UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego in 2027-28.
The position will lead partnership sales and service for our West Coast Conference partnership which has offices in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Bruno, CA). The West Coast Conference hosts its marquee basketball championship in Las Vegas, NV each March.
The West Coast Conference, founded in 1952, is a premier NCAA Division I conference with a longstanding history of national competitive excellence and institutions of great academic distinction. The conference is represented throughout the Western region’s largest cities with a pronounced coastal footprint. Conference membership includes the University of Denver, Loyola Marymount University, Pepperdine University, University of Portland, Saint Mary's College, University of San Francisco, University of the Pacific, Santa Clara University, Seattle University, and the University of San Diego. Future members include UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego in 2027-28.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Overall revenue generation and cost containment for the business operation of the West Coast Conference (WCC) partnerships.
- Development and implementation of annual business plan that will allow each business unit to maximize revenue, exposure for the association/conference, and value to the corporate partners involved with the program.
- Oversee sales and fulfillment of sponsorships for the business units under the Vice President’s direct responsibility.
- Execution of regional conference business plan that is drafted and finalized in collaborations with the Vice President of Conference and National Sales that will be working with Van Wagner’s conference, association and event business units.
- Management of expenses of the venture according to an agreed-upon annual budget for the assigned business units.
- Management of the overall sponsorship fulfillment and execution, including direct client services duties for sponsor accounts, including creating new revenue generating sponsor and fan engagement opportunities around the basketball championships.
- Serve as primary point of contact for select current WCC sponsors. Work with decision-makers at these companies to extend and increase their commitment. Delegation with the sales staff of all sponsor accounts for the 3 business units.
- Manage the relevant reporting of financial information for sales revenue as well as operations of the program to all pertinent parties.
- Develop and maintain relationships with top WCC Administrators.
- Prospecting, scheduling, and conducting initial discovery meetings with new businesses that would benefit from associating with the WCC and potentially other Van Wagner College partners in collaboration with the Vice President of National Sales.
- Work with direct reports and Van Wagner corporate team to create and present top-notch proposals to new businesses that thoughtfully story-tell what the partnerships with the applicable business units can look like.
- Negotiate with new businesses to secure new sponsors for the WCC as well as regional and Division-wide opportunities.
- Work with direct reports and Van Wagner corporate team to draft and coordinate agreements, managing all relevant information in our database.
- Fulfill the terms of agreements that provide advertising, marketing, and promotional benefits to sponsor businesses. This can include platforms such as TV & Radio broadcasts, websites, social media, digital and fixed signage, print media, e-newsletters, fan experiences, event activations, and much more.
- Work with sales and fulfillment team to capture proof of performance examples and provide summaries to share with sponsors.
- Update new business development activities in the CRM system (currently Salesforce).
What We’re Looking For:
- Ideally, some experience working in marketing, advertising, sales, or events with a creative, solutions-based track record of success.
- Familiarity in prospecting and securing partnerships in the West and specifically the Las Vegas, NV market.
- Ability to work flexible hours, including some evenings, weekends and, on rare occasions, holidays.
- Great interpersonal communication skills.
- A willingness to talk to people you have never met before.
- Great listener who can appreciate the needs of different organizations and can suggest relevant ideas for how those organizations can partner.
- Demonstrated professionalism.
- Energetic and self-motivated attitude.
- Competitive response to challenges (A “Bring it on!” attitude).
- Hard work and persistence.
- Comfort with being uncomfortable (this is how we grow!).
- Coachability.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
- Proficient with Social Media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok).
- CRM experience (We use Salesforce.com).
Compensation
- Annual base salary range based on the experience expected with this role with the opportunity to earn additional compensation through a commission plan based on individual performance.
- The actual compensation will be determined based on a range of factors, including but not limited to skill set, experience, and geographic location.
About Van Wagner
Van Wagner is a leading sports advertising and entertainment agency, with global expertise in filmed and live entertainment, sponsorship sales, multi-media rights, and aerial advertising. Van Wagner creates, advises, and sells on behalf of world-class teams, leagues, brands, and properties. An innovator in the sports and media business, Van Wagner is a global leader in high-impact broadcast visible signage throughout the MLB, NBA, NCAA, and international soccer, sponsorships sales, college multi-media rights, and in-venue content production at the world's biggest sporting events. For more information, visit www.vanwagner.com.
Van Wagner is a leading sports advertising and entertainment agency, with global expertise in filmed and live entertainment, sponsorship sales, multi-media rights, and aerial advertising. Van Wagner creates, advises, and sells on behalf of world-class teams, leagues, brands, and properties. An innovator in the sports and media business, Van Wagner is a global leader in high-impact broadcast visible signage throughout the MLB, NBA, NCAA, and international soccer, sponsorships sales, college multi-media rights, and in-venue content production at the world's biggest sporting events. For more information, visit www.vanwagner.com.