Both clubs run out of the United Sports Centre in Christchurch, alongside a youth academy from U4 through U20, social leagues, holiday programmes and one of the country's largest youth tournaments. The commercial side — sponsorship, events, merchandise and a growing partner ecosystem — is expanding fast, which is why this role exists.

Why Christchurch

Christchurch is New Zealand's second-largest city — around 400,000 people, in a region of roughly 700,000 — and the gateway to the South Island. It is modern and liveable, with a serious sport culture and a football community that punches above its weight.

• Affordable cost of living relative to Auckland and Wellington
• World-class access to skiing, hiking, surf and the Southern Alps
• A strong international community and a growing tech and creative sector
• Excellent schools, healthcare and family amenities
• Two to three hours from some of New Zealand's most iconic landscapes

How To Apply

We welcome applications from anywhere in the world. Great marketing minds exist in every city and every culture, and we intend to find the best person for this role regardless of geography. If you're applying from outside New Zealand, tell us — we'd rather talk through work rights and relocation early than late.

There Are Three Parts To An Application

1. Your CV — your experience, qualifications and the achievements that matter.
2. A cover letter — a page at most. Why you're the right person, and what interests you about SIU and New Zealand football.
3. A marketing plan for South Island United — the key requirement. The brief is below.

A note on files. Our form takes links rather than attachments, so put your CV and marketing plan somewhere we can open them — Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, your own site — and paste the links in. Check the sharing is set so we can actually view them. If you'd rather send files, email the lot to info@cufc.co.nz with the subject line "Marketing Manager Application — [Your Name]".

The Marketing Plan

This is the part that matters most, and it's why we ask for it up front. It isn't a test with one right answer. It's an invitation to show us how you think, what you'd prioritise, and how you'd approach building a football brand in an unusual market.

Research the club, New Zealand football and the wider Pacific context before you write it. The depth of that research shows in the work, and it matters to us.

Context Worth Knowing

• SIU competes in the OFC Pro League, the only South Island-based club at that level.
• Our vision is to become a sports tourism destination for international travellers and sports fans, to lift the game across the South Island, and to represent South Island grassroots football.
• We want to tell raw stories about our people — honest, real and informative. Real stories about our fans, staff and players, about the club and about the region.
• Our home base is Christchurch, a city of roughly 400,000 with a strong community sport culture.
• Alongside the elite campaign we run a growing youth academy, social leagues and a range of community football programmes.
• Commercial operations include sponsorship, events, merchandise and a developing partner ecosystem.
• New Zealand is a sport-passionate nation and football is its largest participation sport — but the professional space here, and in the South Island especially, has long been dominated by rugby, netball and cricket.

What Your Plan Should Cover

Your plan doesn't need to be exhaustive. We're looking for strategic clarity and creative thinking.

• Brand positioning — how should SIU position itself in New Zealand football, and to a Pacific and global audience? What story should the club be telling?
• Audience and community — who are the key audiences, local, national and international, and how should the club engage each of them?
• Digital and social — what platforms, formats and publishing cadence would you prioritise? What does success look like?
• Commercial marketing — how would you support the club's commercial objectives across sponsors, merchandise and events?
• Matchday and fan experience — how would you grow the supporter base and build a matchday culture worth turning up for?
• Key priorities — if you started on day one, what would your first 90 days look like?

Format

• Recommended length 6 to 12 pages — a document or a presentation, either is fine
• Any format: PDF, PowerPoint, Word or equivalent
• Supporting visuals, data references or case studies from comparable clubs are welcome
• No budget constraint is implied. Be ambitious, but be realistic about what matters most

What Makes a Strong Plan

• Evidence of genuine research into SIU, CUFC and the New Zealand football context
• Original thinking, rather than a generic sports marketing template
• Clear priorities — we don't expect everything, we expect good judgement
• Honesty about the challenges and the opportunities specific to a South Island club
• An understanding of the commercial pressure alongside the community mission

What Happens Next

Shortlisted candidates are invited to a video interview with club leadership. We read every application and every marketing plan ourselves, and the quality and ambition of your plan weighs heavily in who we shortlist.

We review applications as they arrive and will close the role once we've found the right person, so applying early genuinely helps.