Manager, Partnership Operations

About This Role

We have an urgent requirement for Manager, Partnership Operations for the client in Dubai, UAE Role Overview

The Manager, Partnership Operations plays a central role in ensuring that all commercial partnerships are operationally deliverable, integrated, and compliant across Dubai Fitness Challenge 2026. The role acts as the primary operational interface between the Commercial team, Marketing team, delivery agencies and internal/external stakeholders. Ensuring that partner rights, branding assets, and activations are executed smoothly and consistently across all DFC fitness villages and mass events.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the operational coordination of all commercial partnerships across DFC events and Fitness villages.
• Translate partner contractual rights into clear, deliverable operational requirements.
• Act as the primary liaison between Commercial, Operations, delivery agencies, andstakeholders.
• Oversee branding, activations, signage, and partner touchpoints across all sites.
• Ensure all partner deliverables are approved, documented, and implemented in line withagreed timelines and brand guidelines.
• Identify, escalate, and resolve commercial-operational risks.
• Support post-event reconciliation, reporting, and partner close-out.

Deliverables/Milestones

May

• Complete onboarding and alignment with the Head of Operations andCommercial team.
• Review all existing partnership agreements, benefit matrixes, brandingcommitments, and post-event commercial delivery reports from previouseditions.
• Establish the partnership operations framework, governance structure,approval pathways, and escalation protocols.
• Initiate operational coordination with the Fitness Villages delivery agency. (already onboarded).
• Define master timelines for partner asset delivery, branding lock-ups, and activation approvals.

June

• Formal operational onboarding with Mass Events delivery agency.
• Translate commercial agreements into clear, deliverable operational scopes for agencies and internal teams.
• Support early development of entertainment, experiential, and activation concepts from a partner-integration perspective.
• Weekly coordination with Commercial team.

July

• Coordinate detailed partner requirements across all mass events and Fitness Villages.
• Lead alignment between Commercial, Operations, agencies, and marketing on partner deliverables.
• Support refinement and validation of partner-linked entertainment and experiential concepts.
• Own the master partner delivery tracker, identifying risks, dependencies, and approval bottlenecks.
• Ensure branding guidelines, approval processes, and documentation are clearly communicated.

August

• Oversee finalisation of all partner branding layouts, activation formats, and asset schedules.
• Coordinate integration of partner deliverables into operational plans, site layouts, and production schedules.
• Support authority submissions and approvals related to branding and commercial activations.
• Conduct partner delivery readiness reviews with agencies and internal stakeholders.

September

• Lock all partner operational deliverables across events and villages.
• Confirm production quantities, placement plans, and installation timelines.
• Participate in final readiness and risk review sessions.

October

• Oversee implementation of partner branding and activations during site builds.
• Ensure partner activations are delivered as contracted.
• Resolve partner-related issues and escalations during build and pre-live phases.

November

• Oversee live delivery of partner branding and activations throughout the DFC live period. (31 Oct – 29 Nov).
• Ensure partner commitments are delivered in line with contractualagreements and approvals.
• Support decommissioning, asset removal, and site reinstatement related topartner elements.

December

• Lead commercial operational close-out and reporting.
• Consolidate partner and agency post-event reports and deliveryconfirmations.
• Document lessons learned and handover to line manager.
• Document commercial-operational learnings and recommendations forfuture editions.
• Formally hand over close-out documentation to the Head of Operations.

Candidate Profile

• Minimum 6–8 years’ experience in large-scale event operations or partnership delivery.
• Strong background in commercial operations, branding delivery, or sponsor servicing.
• Proven experience coordinating between commercial, agency, and operational teams.
• Excellent organisational, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.
• Comfortable working under pressure during live event periods.

Skills: operations,manager,partnership