Director, Business Development & Partnerships, Minecraft

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic negotiations and partner relationships.
• Lead franchise-defining deals: economics, rights, term, territory, exclusivity, approvals, KPIs, and exit.
• Lead and develop the Business Developement team.
• Manage and grow a team of Managers of Business Development, each owning a category and partner portfolio.
• Hire, level, and retain talent; run the team operating rhythm (1:1s, deal and pipeline reviews, performance, career development); and set a consistent standard for diligence, structuring, and execution across the pipeline.
• Set deal strategy and own the portfolio with Business pillar leads.
• Translate franchise priorities into a multi-year deal roadmap with Brand, Franchise, Product, and Marketing.
• Own end-to-end execution across content collaborations, IP licensing, brand integrations, and new businesses, including pipeline, structure, and economics.
• Run the deal process and cross-functional execution.
• Own the pipeline, approval governance, deal-review cadence, and post-signature handoff, and build the templates and playbooks that let the team scale.
• Partner closely with Legal, Finance, Brand and Product, Franchise Enforcement, and Marketing / Live Ops.
• Manage risk and brand stewardship.
• Balance commercial ambition against player trust, franchise integrity, and compliance, and escalate the right issues to senior leadership at the right time.

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree in Business, Liberal Arts, Sciences, or related field AND 10+ years relevant work experience (e.g., investment banking, consulting, finance, marketing, corporate strategy, sales, venture capital, legal, business development, product management, project management, software development, or related field) OR equivalent experience.
• 3+ years people management experience.
• Preferred Qualifications: Gaming industry experience with a publisher, platform, developer, or gaming-adjacent entertainment company. Experience structuring, negotiating, and executing complex commercial agreements involving licensing, partnerships, content collaborations, or strategic business initiatives. Demonstrated experience managing a portfolio of strategic partnerships and driving measurable commercial outcomes. Experience managing consumer entertainment, media, licensing, or IP-driven businesses. Experience influencing senior executives and driving decisions in a highly matrixed organization. Expertise in licensing, brand partnerships, content collaborations, promotions, and commercialization strategies.