Senior Partnership Manager
The Senior Partnership Manager in betting is responsible for the bookmaker's strategic partnerships: affiliates, media, suppliers and B2B integrations that bring in players and revenue.
What a Senior Partnership Manager does
The Senior Partnership Manager oversees the bookmaker's external partnerships that bring in players and open access to new markets. In betting, the main acquisition channel depends heavily on partners: affiliate networks, media, tipster sites, streamers, lead generators, as well as integrations with content suppliers and payment providers. The senior manager builds this portfolio, selects partners, agrees on terms and monitors their quality.
Within the company, the role usually sits in business development or the partnerships function. The senior manager reports to the Head of Partnerships or the head of business development and may lead one or more managers who handle smaller partners. They work closely with the affiliate team, marketing, the risk department, legal and finance, because every partnership must be checked for regulatory compliance, brand requirements and economics.
The value of the role lies in connecting sales, compliance and product. A strong Senior Partnership Manager does not simply sign contracts but builds long-term relationships with partners who follow advertising rules, avoid prohibited traffic sources and deliver a predictable volume of customers with clear LTV.
Responsibilities
- Finding, qualifying and onboarding new partners: affiliates, media, streamers, B2B clients and suppliers.
- Managing a large partner portfolio: regular calls, performance reviews, and planning of campaigns and promotions.
- Negotiating commercial terms: revenue share, CPA rates, bonus programs, exclusivities and minimum guarantees.
- Agreeing contracts, creatives and advertising materials with legal and compliance so they meet licence and regulator requirements.
- Vetting partners for reputation, traffic sources and rule compliance: due diligence before onboarding and monitoring afterwards.
- Coordinating with marketing and product on special offers, landing pages and tracking so partner traffic converts.
- Analysing the economics of partner channels: ROI, player quality, retention and contribution to GGR, and adjusting terms in time.
- Resolving disputes with partners: unapproved advertising activity, payment delays and reporting discrepancies.
- Mentoring and methodological support for junior managers, and taking part in shaping the partnerships strategy.
- Preparing reports for management and the planning board: volume forecasts, channel contribution and concentration risks.
Skills
- Negotiation of commercial terms and the ability to find compromises without losing margin.
- Understanding betting mechanics: odds, margin, stakes, GGR, NGR, and how bonuses affect economics.
- Knowledge of partner marketing: CPA, RevShare and hybrid models, and an understanding of traffic quality.
- Partner risk assessment: checking traffic sources, spotting unethical practices and spam schemes.
- Working within regulatory limits on gambling advertising and communication requirements.
- Analytical thinking: reading channel reports, building forecasts and explaining deviations.
- Managing several complex relationships at once and prioritising tasks.
- Mentoring and delegation skills, and the ability to build processes within a team.
- Presenting ideas and results to management and preparing commercial proposals.
- Understanding the legal framework of contracts and readiness to work closely with lawyers.
Tools
- Partner CRM (for example HubSpot or Pipedrive, or an in-house partner relationship system)
- Partner tracking platforms and affiliate platform admin panels
- Google Analytics and BI tools for channel analysis
- Google Sheets and Excel for modelling economics and terms
- Jira or Asana for coordinating tasks with other teams
- Slack or Telegram for quick communication with partners and within the team
- E-signature and contract storage systems
How performance is measured
- Volume of new players and deposits brought in through the partner channel.
- GGR and NGR from partner traffic over the period.
- Retention and LTV of players acquired through partners.
- Share of active partners in the total portfolio and the percentage lost per quarter.
- Meeting deadlines for onboarding and approving new partners.
- Number of advertising rule violations and partner incidents (the fewer, the better).
By vertical
Betting
In betting, the role is built around affiliates, tipster sites and sports media. The key questions are player quality and margin on sports markets, along with strict compliance with gambling advertising rules in every country of operation.
Levels
Senior
The senior level is responsible for the partnerships strategy and major partnerships. It independently negotiates complex terms, agrees decisions with management and often mentors managers. The senior decides on onboarding large partners and is accountable for the channel's contribution to revenue.
How to get there
People usually enter the profession from partner sales, account management, affiliate management or B2B sales in digital. Experience with affiliate networks, media or suppliers is useful, as is an understanding of how traffic and monetisation work. To enter betting, it is important to know the basic economics of the gambling business and the regulator's requirements for advertising.
Things to study: CPA and RevShare models, GGR, NGR, LTV and retention metrics, the basics of tracking and attribution, and gambling advertising rules in key jurisdictions. It is also useful to understand partner due diligence and how to work on contracts with lawyers. Practice in affiliate teams or in partnership negotiations builds a foundation faster than theory alone.
Growth comes from managing a small portfolio to handling large partners, and then to leading a area or a group. To reach senior level, you need to show relationships you have built yourself, a steady contribution to revenue, the ability to make decisions with incomplete information, and support for colleagues.
Next steps: Head of Partnerships, Head of Affiliate Management, Business Development Director, Head of Business Development, Director of Partnerships
FAQ
How does a Senior Partnership Manager differ from a regular partnership manager?
The senior manager is responsible for large and strategic partnerships, leads complex negotiations independently and influences the direction of the strategy. A regular manager usually works with a smaller portfolio and operates within approved terms. The difference also lies in the depth of analysis and the level of responsibility for channel revenue.
Do I need betting experience to take this role?
Betting experience helps a lot, since understanding odds, margin and regulatory limits is needed every day. However, a move from related fields, such as affiliate marketing, iGaming or B2B sales in digital, is possible if the person learns the specifics of the industry quickly.
What determines income in this role?
Income usually consists of a base salary and a bonus tied to meeting plan targets for the partner channel. The size and stability of the portfolio, the company, the market of operation and the work format all matter. Specific figures depend on the company and region, so it is best to rely on current job postings and the market.
What risks are involved in working with partners in betting?
The main risks are violations of advertising rules, low-quality traffic, spam schemes and partners who may harm the brand's reputation or licence. That is why partner vetting and creative control are an important part of the job. A mistake in a contract or in communication can lead to a fine or a suspended campaign.
How can I move into this role if I work as a sales manager?
Start by studying partner marketing and the CPA or RevShare model, then look for projects where you negotiate with partners or affiliates. It helps to show results in numbers: closed deals, channel revenue growth and quality of relationships. The move usually happens through a partnership manager position.
What matters more to employers: sales or analytics?
Employers want both, but at senior level the ability to link commercial decisions to economics and compliance matters most. Being able to build a partner profitability model and explain it to management is valued as highly as closing deals. Balancing these skills is what makes a candidate strong.
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