Brand Media & Sports Innovation Principal

Brand Media & Sports Innovation Principal

We are PMG

Named Ad Age Best Places to Work for 10 years in a row and Fast Company Best Workplaces for Innovators since 2022, PMG is a global independent marketing services and technology company that seeks to inspire people and brands that anything is possible. Driven by shared success, PMG leverages business strategy and transformation, creative, media, and insightsas well as its proprietary operating system, Allito deliver cutting-edge digital solutions and innovative media strategies.

Our team comprises over 900 employees globally, and our work for ambitious brands like Apple, Nike, Sephora, Experian, Therabody, Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Creed Fragrances, BNY, Intuit, CKE Restaurants, Travelex, and Whole Foods spans 85+ countries.

Who You Will Be Working With :

As a Principal in Brand Media and Sports Innovation, you will join a team of forward-thinking media professionals who are passionate about shaping how world-class brands connect with culture. This role is dedicated to leading breakthrough partnership and innovation work for Nike, one of the most iconic and culturally influential brands on the planet.

You'll work at the intersection of media, sports, culture, and creativity, collaborating closely with PMG teammates across strategy, creative, data, brand media, and partnerships. You will serve as a senior thought partner to Nike's leadership, helping the brand stay ahead of where fandom, technology, and cultural storytelling meet.

If you love pioneering what has never been done before, building transformative partnerships, and inspiring both clients and teams with bold ideas, this is a unique opportunity to shape how Nike shows up across the North America sports and media landscape.

What You Will Do :

Lead innovation that has never been done before, developing partnerships and ideas that fuse sport, culture, and brand storytelling in powerful ways for Nike.

Drive proactive, forward-looking creative thinking, helping Nike move beyond the traditional RFP cycle to pursue bold, culturally resonant ideas.

Stay deeply immersed in the sports media ecosystem, keeping a constant pulse on live sports distribution, emerging fan behaviors, and evolving audience platforms.

Identify and cultivate emerging opportunities, especially those that connect with Gen Z, Gen Alpha, young athletes, and the shifting sports rights landscape.

Guide campaign-aligned partnership strategy, leading innovation work tied to campaign briefs and ensuring recommendations are strategic, on-brief, and culturally impactful.

Take ideas from concept through execution, ensuring every phase, from brainstorming to delivery, aligns with Nike's objectives while bringing clarity, creativity, and craft.

Negotiate high-value partnership opportunities, using PMG's scale and relationships to unlock premium access, competitive advantages, and breakthrough visibility.

Serve as a trusted advisor to senior Nike stakeholders, delivering inspiring POVs, surfacing whitespace opportunities, and helping the brand move faster than the marketplace.

Bridge disciplines across creative, strategy, partnerships, and media, ensuring innovative concepts show up seamlessly across channels and activations.

Execute across all environments, from digital, social, and broadcast to experiential and live events, tailoring ideas to where audiences are most engaged.

Mentor and elevate PMG teammates, encouraging curiosity, collaboration, and a culture of excellence across the brand media and sports innovation discipline.

Champion data-driven insight, leveraging performance learnings and cultural research to shape more impactful partnership and media strategies.

What You Will Bring :

10+ years experience in brand media, sports marketing, or partnership strategy, ideally within an agency, league, network, or rights-holder environment.

Strong understanding of how sports fandom, cultural movements, and athlete communities shape modern audience engagement.

A proven track record of concepting and activating innovative partnership ideas that drive attention, relevance, and measurable brand impact.

Deep personal passion for sports, league culture, rising talent, and the future of fan experience.

Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills, comfortable inspiring senior-level clients and external partners.

Advanced ability to navigate fast-moving environments with agility, curiosity, and strategic discipline.

Expertise across channels, with fluency in digital, social, linear, experiential, and IRL activations.

Strong analytical, negotiation, and storytelling skills that bring clarity and confidence to partnership recommendations.

A people-first leadership style grounded in collaboration, mentorship, and leading by example.

Ideal Candidate :

You're deeply tapped into sports and culture, with an instinct for where audiences and innovation are heading next. You bring creative rigor and media expertise to the tablebalancing bold, fast-moving ideas with strategic discipline to help Nike connect authentically with fans around the world.

What We Offer :

• Professional Development : Take advantage of our learning and development programs, mentorship opportunities, and career advancement support.
• Generous Time Off : Enjoy generous paid time off and holiday allowances to recharge and spend time with loved ones.
• Parental Leave : We provide paid parental leave to support your family during important life events.
• Retirement & Pension Plans : Plan for your future with competitive retirement or pension programs, including contribution matching.
• Fertility and Family Support : Access fertility benefits for all team members and their spouses.
• Healthcare : Coverage and support for everyday medical expenses and routine care, tailored by geography.
• Pet Insurance : Protect your pet's health and your finances.
• Lifestyle Spending Accounts : Enjoy 100% company-funded accounts to promote healthy habits and well-being.
• Commuter Benefits : Access support for travel and commuting needs, where available.
• Annual Bonus : All employees are eligible for an annual bonus.
• Volunteering Opportunities : Receive 8 give-back hours to volunteer in your local communities.
• AI Enterprise License : Access AI Enterprise accounts and participate in weekly AI training sessions to empower and ensure AI safety.

Benefits vary by country, location, and geography to reflect local laws, norms, and expectations.

What Sets Us Apart :

Being part of PMG means joining a company culture that's unmatched in digital. We're dedicated to working hard to serve our employees and clients, delivering value, results, and innovationwhich often requires true grit and agility. We believe in taking care of ourselves and each other to continuously improve in every way.

In alignment with our core values to be inclusive and always change for the better, PMG is committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive culture, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We believe that we only change for the better by bringing diverse perspectives to our company. PMG recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.