Senior Manager, Global Sponsorship & Activation

The Company

PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. 

We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third-party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.

We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards.  Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade. 

Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day.  We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.

Job Summary:

PayPal is seeking a dynamic Senior Manager of Global Sponsorship & Activation to help drive the strategy and execution of our sports and music portfolio. This role will play a critical part in activating our premier partnerships—including our NFL league sponsorship, four NFL team deals, Liverpool FC global sponsorship, and Live Nation festival portfolio (Bonnaroo, BottleRock, Lollapalooza US, and Lollapalooza Germany)—with a particular focus on social-first activation strategies that drive engagement and business results.

Job Description:

Essential Responsibilities:

• Lead complex marketing projects and initiatives to drive business growth
• Resolve complex marketing problems and develop innovative solutions
• Determine methods and procedures for new marketing assignments
• Implement global process improvements to enhance marketing effectiveness
• Collaborate with senior leadership to align marketing strategies with business goals
• Provide thought leadership and expertise in marketing best practices

Minimum Qualifications:

• 8+ years relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

As a key member of our Global Sponsorship team, you'll bring deep expertise in social media activation within sports, entertainment, music, and culture, translating sponsorship assets into compelling digital experiences that resonate with audiences and drive measurable business outcomes. This role requires a proven track record of social campaign success, creative thinking, and the ability to collaborate across teams to deliver integrated activation programs.

Key Responsibilities

Partner Relationship Management

• Serve as primary day-to-day relationship owner for assigned partners within the portfolio (NFL teams, Liverpool FC, or Live Nation properties)

• Manage partner expectations, communications, and deliverable timelines to ensure seamless execution

• Conduct regular partner check-ins and business reviews to assess performance and identify opportunities

• Ensure partners fulfill contractual obligations and maximize value delivery against PayPal's business goals

• Escalate partner issues and negotiate resolutions in collaboration with Director and legal/business affairs teams

• Build strong relationships with partner marketing, activation, and content teams to unlock unique opportunities

Social-First Activation Strategy & Execution

• Lead the development and execution of social media activation strategies across assigned partnerships

• Create culturally relevant, platform-native content and campaigns that drive engagement, brand affinity, and business KPIs

• Identify and leverage trending moments, cultural insights, and fan behaviors to maximize sponsorship impact on social platforms

• Collaborate with creative and agency partners to develop breakthrough social content that amplifies sponsorship assets

• Stay ahead of platform trends, emerging formats, and best practices across TikTok, Instagram, X, YouTube, and other relevant channels

Partnership Activation & Campaign Management

• Support end-to-end activation planning and execution for assigned partnerships within the portfolio

• Develop integrated activation plans that connect sponsorship assets with product, brand, and business objectives

• Manage activation timelines, budgets, and deliverables to ensure flawless execution

• Coordinate with internal teams (Product, Brand, Content, Media) and external partners to bring campaigns to life

• Oversee on-site activation execution at events and experiences as needed

Agency Management

• Manage social and creative agency partners to deliver high-quality, on-strategy content and campaigns

• Brief agencies clearly on objectives, provide feedback, and ensure alignment with PayPal brand standards

• Monitor agency performance and budgets to ensure efficiency and quality

Performance Measurement & Optimization

• Define social and activation KPIs, tracking performance against established benchmarks

• Analyze campaign results, generate insights, and identify optimization opportunities

• Report on activation performance to senior leadership with clear recommendations

• Build learnings library to inform future activation strategies and improve ROI

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Brand, Product Marketing, Sales, and Communications teams to ensure activations support broader business initiatives

• Build strong working relationships across the organization to secure resources and drive alignment

• Represent Global Sponsorship in cross-functional planning sessions and working groups

Qualifications

Required:

• 8-12 years of experience in sports marketing, entertainment marketing, sponsorship activation, or social media marketing

• Proven track record of successful social media campaigns within sports, entertainment, music, or culture with demonstrable engagement and business results

• Deep understanding of social platforms, content trends, and fan behaviors across key demographics

• Experience managing partnerships with sports leagues, teams, entertainment properties, or cultural brands

• Strong project management skills with ability to manage multiple activations simultaneously

• Experience working with creative and social media agencies

• Excellent communication and presentation skills

• Creative thinker with ability to translate sponsorship assets into compelling social-first experiences

• Data-driven mindset with experience measuring and optimizing campaign performance

Preferred:

• Experience with NFL, Premier League/global football, live music festivals, or similar premium properties

• Background in fintech, payments, or digital commerce industries

• Experience creating influencer and athlete-driven content strategies

• Familiarity with paid social media amplification and media buying

• Understanding of Gen Z and millennial audience behaviors and preferences

• Experience managing budgets for activation programs

What Success Looks Like

In your first year, you will:

• Develop and execute social-first activation strategies that consistently outperform engagement benchmarks

• Deliver integrated campaigns across multiple partnerships that drive measurable business impact

• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners

• Create a portfolio of breakthrough social content that elevates PayPal's presence in sports and culture

• Establish yourself as the go-to expert on social activation within the Global Sponsorship team

Subsidiary:

PayPal

Travel Percent:

0

-

The base pay for this role will depend on where you work and the relevant experience and expertise you bring. The expected range of pay for this role by location is:

Primary Location | Pay Range:

New York City, New York | ($143,500.00 - $212,850.00 Annually)

Additional Location(s) | Pay Range:

No other locations are assigned to this requisition currently.

Additional compensation for this role may include an annual performance bonus, equity, or other incentive compensation, as applicable.

PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. When making an application directly, we will never ask you to share passwords, one-time passcodes (OTP), or verification codes.  Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam. All communication regarding your application will come from official PayPal email domains. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please report it immediately.  To learn more about how to identify and avoid recruitment fraud please visit https://careers.pypl.com/contact-us. 

For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.

Our Benefits:

At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset-you. That’s why we offer comprehensive, choice-based programs, to support all aspects of personal wellbeing—physical, emotional, and financial—delivering meaningful value where it matters most. We strive to create a flexible, balanced work culture with a holistic approach to benefits, including generous paid time off, healthcare coverage for you and your family, and resources to create financial security and support your mental health.

Who We Are:

Click Here to learn more about our culture and community.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion 

PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.  In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.  If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [email protected].

Belonging at PayPal: 

Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please Join our Talent Community.

We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don’t hesitate to apply.

Notice to Applicants and Employees who reside within New York City. Click here to view the notice.