Are you a natural relationship builder with the drive to turn conversations into commercial outcomes? Do you love the challenge of opening doors, creating opportunities and building something with real impact?
WAIS is looking for a confident, strategic and commercially minded Partnerships Manager to elevate our brand, secure partnerships and grow the revenue that supports Western Australia’s elite athletes.
This role is a chance to shape and grow the Partnerships space and build a program you’re proud of.
About Us
The Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) is the peak high-performance sporting organisation in Western Australia, proudly supported by the State Government and a member of the National Institute Network. Since 1984, WAIS has enabled Western Australian athletes to achieve success on the national and international stage, producing Olympic, Paralympic and World Champions who inspire community pride and the next generation.
We operate in partnership with National Sporting Organisations, State Sporting Associations, VenuesWest and the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport to deliver a high-performance training environment for athletes and sports.
At WAIS, success means winning well. While winning is important, how we win matters just as much. Our culture is built on excellence, teamwork and respect, ensuring that athletes and staff thrive in an environment that values integrity and shared achievement.
Role Overview
As our Partnerships Manager, you’ll be the driving force behind WAIS’s commercial partnerships strategy. Your focus will be on identifying, pitching and securing partnerships with organisations that share our values and want to support high performance sport in WA.
This is a full time position, offered through to 31 December 2028.
You will:
- Lead the development and growth of WAIS’s commercial partnership program
- Identify new prospects and take them from first conversation to signed agreement
- Build strong, enduring relationships with partners and stakeholders
- Create compelling partnership proposals and pitch materials
- Deliver high quality servicing and ensure agreed outcomes are met
- Work closely with internal teams to align partnership opportunities with organisational needs
- Provide clear reporting to senior leadership and the Board
This is a role for someone who thrives in a growth environment, enjoys building relationships and is energised by achieving commercial results.
About You
You’re a people person and deal maker – someone who knows how to create value, build trust and close opportunities.
You’ll bring:
- Proven success in partnerships, sponsorship or commercial sales
- Confidence pitching and presenting to senior decision makers
- A proactive, self-starter mindset - you don’t wait for leads, you create them
- Strong networking ability and genuine comfort initiating new conversations
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to build trust quickly
- Strong organisational skills and confidence managing multiple opportunities at once
- Resilience - you can handle knockbacks, stay focused and keep moving forward
- A collaborative approach and alignment with our values: United, Care, Lead, Inspire
- A genuine interest in sport and the high performance environment
