Sports Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Visa sponsorship in the sports industry is uncommon for most roles but does exist in specific niches. P-1 visas cover internationally recognized athletes, while O-1 visas work for those with extraordinary achievement in athletics. For business-side roles like analytics, marketing, or sports management, H-1B is possible at professional teams and leagues but highly competitive. Coaching and training positions rarely get sponsored unless you have exceptional credentials. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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We are seeking an experienced sports marketing professional to play a key role on the Global Sports Marketing team at AWS. As a Sports & Entertainment Partner Marketing manager, you will operate as a General Manager for a marquee global sports League within the AWS Sports Marketing portfolio. You will own the League relationship, drive the technical roadmap, and create storytelling opportunities aligned to AWS marketing priorities. Leveraging your expertise in technology, campaign planning and sports marketing, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams around the world to drive brand awareness, lead generation, and customer engagement. This role offers an exciting opportunity to merge the power of AWS solutions with the dynamic world of sports, shaping innovative marketing campaigns that resonate with audiences globally. This League partnership is leveraged across the AWS business globally and requires day to day interaction with diverse stakeholders both internally and externally. Your work will be highly visible and impactful, and a key driver in delivering against AWS Marketing priorities.
Key job responsibilities
Strategy Development: Own the technical roadmap and lead marketing plans for assigned global League within AWS Sports Marketing portfolio. This includes establishing goals and driving alignment on global and regional integrated marketing strategies aligned with AWS business objectives.
Partnership Management: Serve as single-threaded owner of marketing relationship with partner. Manage contract and all contractual assets. Serve as key AWS contact for the League. Cultivate League relationships, influence co-marketing initiatives, and dive deep to find incremental, impactful marketing activation opportunities.
Marketing Management: Enable end-to-end execution of marketing initiatives and campaigns leveraging Partnership benefits. Expertly storytell around the innovation and initiatives driven through the partnership through various channels, developing scalable artifacts that amplify the impact of the partnership.
Analytics and Optimization: Monitor campaign performance metrics, conduct data analysis, and derive actionable insights to optimize marketing strategies. Prioritize utilization of benefits to drive maximum business output, weighing against AWS Marketing priorities, ability to measure and deliver ROI, and make tradeoffs when needed.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with internal teams, including global marketing teams, sales, hospitality, professional services and public relations to align messaging and ensure consistent brand representation across all marketing touchpoints.
Market Research: Stay abreast of industry trends, competitor activities, and customer insights to inform Partnership marketing strategy.
A day in the life
In this new role, scalable success requires deep ownership, cross-functional collaboration and influence to drive the marketing business rhythm, mechanisms and synergies – unifying all aspects of marketing communications around the Partnership.
As a global team member, you’ll integrate AWS sports partnerships with cross-functional colleagues globally. This includes detail-oriented project management, information sharing, aligning on plans and goals, building joint and bespoke campaigns, and establishing business relationships.
In addition to working with marketers, this candidate will work with engineers, data scientists, sports leagues, teams, and athletes to create multi-channel campaigns to deliver a steady cadence of coverage, conversations, engagement, and awareness.
About the team
The Strategic Partnerships team manages AWS's portfolio of Sports and Entertainment Partners, including the NFL, Formula One and Live Nation. Our team is responsible for the global portfolio strategy, portfolio management, contract negotiations, integrated marketing planning and GTM execution and measurement.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 9+ years of professional non-internship marketing experience
- 7+ years of developing and managing acquisition marketing or channel programs experience
- Experience building, executing and scaling cross-functional marketing programs
- Experience with Excel or Tableau (data manipulation, macros, charts and pivot tables) and using data and metrics to drive improvements
- Experience building, executing and scaling cross-functional marketing programs including developing and executing campaigns across a multitude of timezones and languages
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience driving direction and alignment with large cross-functional teams and agency partners
- Experience designing and executing joint marketing plans with strategic alliance partners with global footprint
- Experience working cross-functionally with partner teams to drive adoption and usage of brand assets and messaging
- Experience in strategic marketing management and market analysis and demonstrated ability to build and execute a strategy with clear goals and objectives to align to business and service objectives, and support portfolio objectives
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
LOCATION
USA, CA, San Francisco - 130,000.00 - 185,000.00 USD annually
USA, NY, New York - 130,000.00 - 185,000.00 USD annually
USA, TX, Austin - 118,200.00 - 160,000.00 USD annually
USA, VA, Arlington - 118,200.00 - 160,000.00 USD annually
How to Get Visa Sponsorship in Sports
Distinguish between athlete visas and business-side visas
If you are a competing athlete or coach, research the P-1 and O-1 visa categories, which are designed for individuals with demonstrated excellence in athletics. For business-side roles like sports marketing, analytics, or operations, the H-1B visa is the standard pathway and requires a relevant bachelor's degree and a specialty occupation role.
Target league central offices for business operations roles
The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS central offices in cities like New York and Los Angeles employ hundreds of professionals in marketing, data analytics, finance, legal, and operations. League offices tend to have more structured HR processes and larger budgets for visa sponsorship than individual franchise teams.
Leverage sports analytics and data science credentials
A master's degree in sports analytics, data science, or statistics positions you for roles that have a clear specialty occupation argument. Programs at universities like Northwestern, Columbia, and Syracuse offer sports analytics concentrations that align with the quantitative roles teams and leagues are hiring for.
Explore roles at sports technology and media companies
Companies like ESPN, DAZN, Sportradar, and Genius Sports operate at the intersection of sports and technology, often sponsoring H-1B visas for roles in data engineering, content strategy, and product development. These companies may offer more visa sponsorship flexibility than traditional sports franchises.
Build your profile through U.S. sports industry networking events
Events like the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and Sports Business Journal conferences are where hiring managers and recruiters actively seek talent. Building relationships at these events during your OPT period can lead to sponsorship opportunities that are not publicly advertised.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
What visa options exist for working in the U.S. sports industry?
The visa pathway depends heavily on the specific role. Athletes and coaches may qualify for P-1 visas (for internationally recognized athletes or members of internationally recognized teams) or O-1 visas (for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement). Business-side roles in sports management, analytics, and marketing typically use the H-1B visa pathway. Each visa type has distinct eligibility criteria and application processes.
Can sports analysts and data scientists get H-1B sponsorship from professional teams?
Yes, professional sports teams and leagues increasingly hire data analysts, performance scientists, and sports analytics professionals who can qualify for H-1B visas. Organizations in the NFL, NBA, and MLB, as well as leagues' central offices, have sponsored analysts whose roles require specialized degrees in statistics, data science, or sports science. The growing sophistication of sports analytics has strengthened the specialty occupation argument for these positions.
What is the P-1 visa and who qualifies for it?
The P-1 visa is designed for internationally recognized athletes competing individually or as part of a team, as well as members of internationally recognized entertainment groups. For athletes, the P-1A requires a high level of achievement demonstrated through participation in major competitions, significant awards, or rankings. Team athletes must be coming to compete for a U.S.-based team in a league or competition of distinguished reputation.
Do sports marketing and management roles at leagues or teams get sponsored?
Major professional leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS) and their affiliated teams do sponsor H-1B visas for business operations roles including marketing, finance, partnership sales, and operations management. League central offices and larger franchise organizations with substantial business operations are more likely to sponsor than smaller minor league or development league teams.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Sports jobs?
When a U.S. employer sponsors a foreign worker for a work visa, they are legally required to pay at least the "prevailing wage" — the average wage paid to workers in the same occupation, in the same geographic area, with similar experience. This is set by the Department of Labor to prevent employers from hiring foreign workers at below-market rates. The prevailing wage varies significantly by role, location, and experience level — for example, a sports in New Hampshire will have a different prevailing wage than the same role in a smaller state. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search.
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