Manager, Entertainment and Sports Relations

Who We Are: 

Our vision is to grant the wish of every eligible child. Through our mission, we are uniting communities to grant life-changing wishes. As the world’s largest wish-granting organization, we strive to create a sense of community and an environment where we warmly embrace our wish families, volunteers, and colleagues.

Joining Make-A-Wish means becoming part of a mission that believes in the power of a wish.  

Location:

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We do not sponsor employment visas or other immigration processes to attain or maintain employment eligibility.

Remote positions are open to applicants based anywhere in the continental U.S. Hybrid positions are open to applicants based in the Phoenix, Arizona area. 

Position Summary:

The Manager, Entertainment & Sports Relations serves as a key liaison between the sports and entertainment industries and Make-A-Wish chapter representatives, managing the end-to-end coordination of celebrity and sports-related wishes experiences.  With experience in project management and a strong background in entertainment, sports, or event planning, this role requires a high level of professionalism, emotional intelligence, and commitment to providing world-class customer service to internal and external partners and wish families. 

Core Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated success in managing complex projects and coordinating logistics in fast-paced environments. 
• Exceptional customer service and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to build trust across diverse stakeholders. 
• Ability to work collaboratively with high-profile industry professionals, talent representatives, and nonprofit chapter staff. 
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and meet critical deadlines. 
• Sound judgment and discretion when working with sensitive information or high-visibility individuals. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manages the fulfillment of celebrity and sports-related wishes, acting as a primary point of contact between Make-A-Wish chapters and talent representatives, including agents, publicists, and team PR managers. 
• Delivers high-touch customer service to Make-A-Wish chapters and international affiliates, ensuring all logistics are handled with empathy, professionalism, and responsiveness. 
• Coordinates multiple aspects of the wish experiences, including scheduling, talent communication, onsite support (where-needed), and contingency planning. 
• Builds and maintains relationships with key entertainment and sports contacts to support ongoing and future wish opportunities. 
• Ensures that wish experiences are tailored to the unique needs and preferences of each wish child and family, with close attention to medical, mobility, or scheduling requirements. 
• Leads cross-functional planning and logistics for wishes involving athletes, celebrities, influencers, or media properties, ensuring alignment with Make-A-Wish brand values. 
• Maintains and updates Salesforce CRM records, tracking wish statuses, follow-ups, and industry engagement; generates reports to support planning and workload management. 
• Attends select events and wish experiences, providing onsite support and relationship management when appropriate; identifies and deploys local volunteers when travel is not feasible. 
• Collaborates with internal and external teams to gather stories and visuals from wish experiences for potential media and promotional use, obtaining all necessary approvals and releases. 
• Creates and maintains celebrity and talent contact profile database.
• Performs other related duties as assigned to support the Entertainment & Sports Relations team and broader organizational goals. 

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Event Planning, or a related field required. 
• Minimum of 5 or more total years of professional experience 
• 3+ years  of specialized experience working in the sports, entertainment, event production, or talent management industries
• Proven project management responsibilities and experience. 
• Experience working in or alongside nonprofit organizations is highly desirable. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite is required; experience with Salesforce or other CRM tools is strongly preferred. 
• Ability to work independently and thrive in a remote-first environment with a collaborative, mission-driven team. 

Working Environment:

• This is a remote-first role; candidates must reside in the U.S. and be able to work across multiple time zones. 
• Occasional travel to attend annual all-staff meetings and to host wishes or events (up to 15%).  
• May require work outside a traditional Monday – Friday work week, including nights and weekends.

What We Offer:

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefit package, effective day 1: Medical, Vision*, Dental*, Wellness
• Competitive compensation with annual incentive potential    
• Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account Options    
• Health Reimbursement Account fully funded by Make-A-Wish America
• Short Term Disability*, Long Term Disability* and Life Insurance 
• Additional Insurance Plans: Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance through Figo 
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with 5% match after one year of service
• Eligibility for student loan forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program   
• The organization will send a laptop, 24” monitor, and a docking station/adaptor to new hires 

Time Off

• Competitive PTO starting at 15 days, with enhanced time off for senior roles
• 10 Sick Days 
• 11 Paid Holidays 
• 2 Volunteer Days after one year of service 
• 2 Personal Days accrued annually   
• Parental Leave      

Also... 

• Employee Awards and Recognition Programs    
• Individual and Leadership Development     
• Discounts and special offers for theme parks, events, hotels, concerts, and movie tickets   

*Monthly premiums paid for the employee for vision, dental, and short/long term disability.