Director, Partnership Development

The Director, Partnership Development is a senior, cross‑functional leader responsible for developing innovative, insight‑led partnership strategies that drive revenue growth, partner retention, and long‑term brand value. This role serves as a strategic architect and storyteller – translating partner objectives into transformative, integrated marketing platforms across live sporting events, media, digital, community, and experiential channels.

As a thought leader within the Corporate Partnerships department, this individual will collaborate closely with Corporate Sales, Partnership Marketing/Activation, Business Intelligence, Marketing, and other internal stakeholders to fuel new business pitches, renewals, and upsell opportunities while elevating the organization’s overall go‑to‑market approach.

• Lead the development of partnership strategies supporting new business, renewals, and upsell initiatives.
• Identify monetization opportunities across existing and emerging inventory, including new platforms, media assets, and experiential initiatives.
• Own and evolve the organization’s partnership value proposition, ensuring consistency and quality across all sales materials and presentations.
• Support pricing, rate card evaluation, category strategy, and inventory optimization in collaboration with Partnership Operations and Business Intelligence.

• Develop breakthrough, 360‑degree partnership platforms that align brand objectives with fan passion and organizational priorities.
• Lead ideation and creative concepting for custom proposals, serving as a strategic resource for Corporate Sales and Partnership Marketing/Activation teams.
• Oversee the creation of best‑in‑class sales materials, including pitch decks, one‑sheets, case studies, recaps, and sizzle content.
• Translate data, insights, and research into compelling narratives that clearly articulate partner ROI and impact.

• Partner with internal teams including Marketing, Creative, Digital & Social, PR/Communications, Community Relations, Retail, Arena/Venue Operations, and Analytics to ensure feasibility, alignment, and excellence in execution.
• Serve as a connector across departments to streamline proposal development, approvals, and project timelines.
• Act as a liaison with league offices, agencies, and external vendors to ensure compliance, best practices, and innovation.
• Develop and operationalize departmental legal needs, including contract management process, prospect vetting, executive approvals, and more.
• Manage corporate hospitality initiatives and sponsored events.

• Conduct and source brand, category, and marketplace research to inform partnership strategies and proposals.
• Track partnership, sponsorship, and media trends across sports, entertainment, and culture.
• Leverage third‑party measurement tools and insights (e.g., Sponsor United, Trajektory, Blink Fire, etc.) to support valuation, storytelling, and performance measurement.
• Regularly share best practices and innovative case studies internally to inspire creativity and continuous improvement.

• Manage and guide a team, fostering professional development and high‑quality output.
• In collaboration with Partnership Operations, manage and maintain partnership inventory documentation, asset catalogs, and internal strategy resources.
• Support CRM and pipeline processes related to proposal tracking, inventory usage, and sales enablement.
• Participate in weekly department meetings to provide updates on active projects and strategic initiatives.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Sports Management, or a related field.
• 7‑10+ years of experience in partnership strategy, brand solutions, sponsorship sales support, or related roles within sports, entertainment, media, or agency environments.
• Proven ability to develop creative, revenue‑driving partnership platforms and go‑to‑market strategies.
• Strong understanding of how brand objectives translate into integrated marketing and commercial outcomes.
• Exceptional storytelling,…