The San Jose Earthquakes have a mission to establish our home as the epicenter of American soccer by uniting Northern California with big dreams, big hustle, and big impact. We are seeking a Manager, Partnerships AI Operations who will support the Partnership Marketing and Sponsorship Sales teams through AI tools, technology, and process improvements.
About the Position:
The San Jose Earthquakes are seeking a proactive and resourceful individual to join our team as Manager, Partnerships AI Operations. As Manager, Partnerships AI Operations, you will improve how the department uses technology to support prospecting, sales preparation, internal communication, and partnership operations. This position is ideal for someone who enjoys figuring out how things work, solving problems, and turning manual tasks into efficient, repeatable processes. Coding experience is not required. Success in this role means shorter go-to-market timelines, fewer manual labor hours, cleaner data, and better internal communication across Partnership Sales, Partnership Marketing, and Partnership Strategy. This position reports to the Vice President, Sponsorship Sales.
Who You Are:
We are looking for people that want to hustle big.
- Hustle: Having the desire to authentically connect people, willing to always show up for our fans, and having an innate pride in their work.
- Big: Devoted to quality in all aspects of the job, not afraid to swing big, and own the result.
Successful Candidates:
A successful candidate for the Manager, Partnerships AI Operations position is an organized problem-solver with technical aptitude and an eye for detail. They should be able to learn new systems, identify opportunities to reduce manual work, and implement processes that improve accuracy and efficiency. They should also possess strong communication skills, enabling them to explain tools clearly and help teammates adopt new ways of working. They must be process obsessed and willing to take on a variety of complex problems and taking ownership of the outcome.
Job Competencies include:
- Initiative
- Flexibility
- Strategic Thinking
- Detail-oriented
- Problem Solving with an eye toward process improvement
- Technology & Data Usage Aptitude
- Building Collaborative Relationships through effective communication
- Resourcefulness
- Growth-mindset
- Curiosity
Responsibilities:
· Identify manual or repetitive tasks across the partnership lifecycle and implement AI-assisted workflows that save time and improve consistency.
- Own Apollo and build out our CRM workflow within Salesforce and ensuring that the evolving processes are properly implemented, tracked, stored, and utilized. Ensuring we are maximizing the value of each program
- Build research and prep tools that help reps enter meetings with a clear understanding of each prospect’s business and brand objectives
- Lead data cleansing and maintain accurate, organized data across Salesforce and other partnership systems, including contact records, inventory, revenue forecasting, and budgeting.
- Ingest new and proposed deal details and contact information into inventory, revenue forecasting, and budgeting systems.
- Evaluate, configure, and introduce new tools, documenting processes and helping teammates use them effectively.
- Improve internal communication, approval workflows (including routing based on department deal guidelines), and sales-to-Partnership Marketing handoffs so teams have timely, complete information.
- Collaborate with the Manager, Partnership Content Strategy to streamline presentation requests, build an intake system that turns rep requests into a startable Idea Deck draft, and create an automated term sheet system.
- Support the brainstorm process by building a templated pre-brainstorm intake and a shared brainstorming prompt, and partner with the Manager, Partnership Strategy on a dashboard of sales and renewal conversations and pitched assets.
- Test automated outputs, troubleshoot issues, and refine workflows as department needs and technology evolve.
Qualifications:
· Technology, consulting, partnerships or a related background (or equivalent experience) preferred; entry-level and career-in-transition candidates are welcome.
· Familiarity with AI tools, digital platforms, or no-code automation, with the ability to learn new systems quickly.
· Experience with Salesforce (administrator or power-user level) and prospecting tools such as Apollo or ZoomInfo preferred.
· Experience with no-code automation tools or writing effective prompts for AI tools preferred.
· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with an interest in implementing and improving processes.
· Ability to organize information, maintain accurate data, and manage competing priorities with careful attention to detail.
· Strong communication and collaboration skills, including the ability to explain, effectively, technical concepts to nontechnical teammates.
· A proactive, adaptable approach to unfamiliar challenges and ownership of work from investigation through implementation.
· Sound judgment when handling confidential business and partner information.
· Interest in sports, sponsorship, or the business of soccer is a plus.
· Flexible schedule with the ability to work nights, weekends, and holidays as the Quakes event calendar requires, including attending home matches and supporting game-day staffing needs.
Salary range: $70,000 - $80,000
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.