Job Description

Company Description

At Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Partnership (MLSE), we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that is representative of our community and where all employees feel they belong and can reach their full potential. We are Canada\'s preeminent leader in delivering top quality sport and entertainment experiences and one of North America\'s leading providers of exceptional fan experiences. We are the parent company of the National Hockey League\'s Toronto Maple Leafs, the National Basketball Association\'s Toronto Raptors, Major League Soccer\'s Toronto FC, the Canadian Football League\'s Toronto Argonauts and development teams with the Toronto Marlies (American Hockey League), Raptors 905 (NBA G League), Toronto FC II (MLS NEXT Pro League) and Raptors Uprising Gaming Club, the Toronto Raptors Esports franchise in the NBA 2K League.

MLSE owns and/or operates all the venues our teams play and train in, including Scotiabank Arena, BMO Field, Coca-Cola Coliseum, Ford Performance Centre, BMO Training Ground, and OVO Athletic Centre. We also provide fans in Toronto with incredible live music and entertainment events, as well as exceptional culinary experiences through our restaurants (e11even and RS) and clubs (Hot Stove Club, ScotiaClub and Platinum Club). Through MLSE Foundation, we have invested more than $45 million into Ontario communities since 2009 and with MLSE LaunchPad, we provide a place where youth facing barriers use sport to recognize and reach their potential.

We achieve all of this through our Common Purpose - to unite and empower our employees to create extraordinary moments for our fans and each other. Come be a part of the team.



MLSE is looking for a mid-level Strategist with a passion for sports and culture to join the Commercial Strategy + Creative Group. Reporting to the Manager, Commercial Strategy, this role will focus on the strategic build of sports marketing programs for some of the country\'s biggest brands leveraging our teams.

Responsibilities:

• Lead brief intake sessions with MLSE partners, aligning on season-long or campaign-specific marketing objectives for us to tackle through our strategic and creative work
• Lead the development of a strategic direction for our campaigns by leveraging industry-standard strategic frameworks
• Lead the development of strategy presentations to sell our partners on a strategic direction before briefing in the creative teams
• Lead the development and delivery of inspirational creative briefs to our MLSE creative teams once the strategy is sold in
• Develop high-level campaign thought-starters as jumping off points for our MLSE creative teams
• Provide strategic feedback to our creative teams once they have gone through the creative development process to keep the campaign on-strategy
• Help connect our creative work back to the campaign strategy in full-team client/partner presentations once the campaign takes shape
• Lead research exercises across several areas to guide our strategies: fan research, category research, partner/brand research, cultural research
• Collaborate on post-campaign reports, clearly outlining how our campaign performed against the objectives/KPIs of our partners
• Collaborate with our Partnership Development team on pitches that require creative or strategic input
• Collaborate with our brand teams to determine how our partners strategically integrate to our sports teams\' marketing programs
• Work closely with other MLSE departments (Digital Labs, Ticketing, Game Ops, Foundation/ Community) for campaigns that require the input of those groups

Qualifications

Note: Before reviewing the qualifications listed below, we want you to know that we understand you may not meet all the qualifications described and have other relevant expertise and experience. We invite you to please share this with us in the "Message to the Hiring Manager" section of our online application.

• Proven experience working in a strategy role (agency, partnerships, or brand)
• Experience working across multiple business categories is a bonus but is not mandatory
• Sports or Partnerships experience is a bonus but is not mandatory
• Ability to serve as a highly motivated self-starter and collaborator
• Ability to work to deadlines in high-pressure situations
• Ability to apply strong time management skills across projects
• Experience in presenting campaign strategies and rationale to mid-level clients
• Experience working with creative teams in a collaborative way

Additional Information

Apply by: May 17, 2023

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

At MLSE, we are committed to building an equitable, diverse and inclusive organization. We are an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. MLSE will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in the job application process. If you have difficulty using our online application system and you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email Please note this email is only for accommodation requests. Resumes sent to this email address will not be considered.

Maple Leaf Sports