Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) one of the world's premier sports and entertainment companies, owns the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto FC (MLS), Toronto Argonauts (CFL), Toronto Marlies (AHL), Raptors 905 (NBA D-League), TFC II (USL) and Raptors Uprising Gaming Club, the Toronto Raptors Esports franchise in the NBA 2K League. Its charitable arm, MLSE Foundation, focuses on funding initiatives to support youth through sport and recreational programs. In 2017 MLSE Foundation, with support of community and corporate partners, built MLSE LaunchPad, a 42,000-sq. ft. space dedicated to programming that support its four Pillars: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Ready For School and Ready For Work.

MLSE also owns and operates Scotiabank Arena, Canada’s premier sports & entertainment venue hosting more than 200 events each year, as well as two digital channels (Leafs Nation Network and NBA TV Canada), and has a partnership with Live Nation (the biggest concert promoter in the world). MLSE has also invested in and operates five of Toronto's sports facilities – Coca-Cola Coliseum, BMO Field, BMO Training Grounds at Downsview Park, home of Toronto FC's Academy and the First Team's practice facility, the Toronto Raptors’ training facility and the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence, the practice facility for the Maple Leafs and Marlies.

MLSE’s common purpose is to unite and empower employees to deliver extraordinary moments to our fans and each other.

Who We Are: 

We celebrate the diversity, individuality, and personality of our peers, striving to be the best in class, in every class. We believe in Respect, Resilience, Commitment, and Ambition. We work for, with, and around the people that inspire us to try, persist, and achieve more. 

Our work goes beyond games, seasons, trophies, and tours. Our success is measured by more than a scoreboard. Our team is stronger when we stand united. We create, we celebrate, we build, and we become better! 

What we choose to do next, means everything! It defines greatness, builds character, makes history, and brings the world to its feet. 

In a nutshell

As Director, Strategy & Growth Marketing, you will be responsible for leading a cross-function marketing team in the development and maintenance of long-term brand strategy, annual planning and go-to-market plans associated with tentpole brand programs tied to your properties of focus. You will be an insight & performance driven marketer, who will bridge the world of business, creativity and technology. You will be accountable for creating a culture of collaboration driven by fan growth + engagement, social impact and commercial growth. You understand purpose is realized, and potential achieved, through empowerment of a diverse team, voice and fanbase. You are a leader who gives themselves up for others and understands how to initiate all elements of a high performing team.

Why this role is important

MLSE’s mission is to bring the world to its feet. We can’t achieve this without a team committed to creating premier sports and entertainment experiences, who are inspired by growth, diversity and innovation across all areas of our business. Marketing plays an integral role in mobilizing the organizations commercial targets, uniting communities well beyond the playing surface and shaping the future of our business.

Once you are here you will

• Lead a high performing team towards long term, annual and tent-pole program planning including direct brand reports and business partners across creative, content and digital functions within the Marcomm business.
• Liaise with leaders across the business including Global Partnerships, Digital Labs and EDI to position Marcomm as enablers of business connectivity, strategic planning and individual business targets.
• Work as a strategic business partner with team operations to empower role as cross-functional property lead (brand, creative, content, digital) and ensure culture, personality and team objectives are woven into all elements of brand planning and execution.
• Work with Marcomm CMO and Leadership Team on a series of specialty projects focused on long term growth and innovation of the MLSE business & properties.
• Manage a Brand team with the following responsibilities:
  • Develop and execute go-to-market plans for a variety of initiatives including tentpole events and key brand moments.
  • Oxygenate the creative process by iterating on value proposition and developing new ideas that resonate with fans and propel the business forward.
  • Drive awareness and meaning by leading 360 campaigns from strategy to execution.
  • Build the brand to deliver for Global Partnerships with integration into the business development, commercial creative and execution process.
  • Work with ticketing executives to deliver on season long membership, group and single game ticketing objectives.
  • Partner with MLSE’s business intelligence team to deliver ongoing performance updates and associated impact to inform the health of our business.

What does MLSE offer you?

An opportunity to lead a roster of elite sports + entertainment brands alongside best in-class talent. A purpose centred around winning championships, making substantial impact in the community and being recognized for global leading marketing/ creative performance. The chance to excite and unite a county.

You’re a fit for this role if you are

• A leader with 10+ years of strategic marketing experience including time managing teams within innovation and performance driven environments.
• A strong leader of vision and people committed to development and growth of their team.
• Capable of establishing business priorities and mobilizing cross-functional teams towards one shared goal.
• Hyper aware of cultural and category trends.
• A thought leader able to think at 50,000 ft and quickly mobilize a team to dive into the details to make it real.
• A customer (fan) obsessed marketer interested to understand how all touchpoints + barriers impact experience and growth potential.
• Able to assess the impact of various media channels and optimize to achieve campaign results.
• Performs well under pressure and never loses sight of the end goal.
• Comfortable in front of a crowd, able to create and sell a story to bring others along.
• Quick on your feet, highly adaptive and proactive.
• Winning attitude essential; self-starter with insatiable curiosity.
• Hyper analytical, comfortable using data to drive marketing recommendations and report impact.
• A cultural builder focused on injecting energy, intellect and vision into the Marcomm team; driven by helping to build the career of others while playing any number of roles on a high performing team.

What’s Next

If you’re inspired and you have what it takes, please submit a resume and cover letter - in your cover letter, tell us what it means to you to be an active member of a high performing team.

Apply by: December 10th, 2021

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

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Partnership 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 [email protected]. Please note this email is only for accommodation requests. Resumes sent to this email address will not be considered.