Director, Key Partnerships

Responsibilities

• Manage team to achieve annual revenue goals by successfully executing renewals, driving upsells to cover for attrition, and ensuring all contractually obligated deliverables are provided to secure contracted revenue
• Collaborate with property stakeholders and company leadership on priorities and approach to the market
• Work with sales leadership to develop annual Go To Market analysis and strategy, including identifying opportunities for upsales and leveraging new property assets
• Maintain relationships with brand decision makers and affiliated agencies by leveraging relationships, networking, and implementing targeted outreach
• Ideate, develop, and pitch strategic marketing platforms to existing partners
• Manage ticketing tracking, distribution, and cost controls
• Engage in consultative sales strategies that focus on objective-based programming and exceed the needs of the client
• Negotiate and close sponsorship deals and work with management through contract execution
• Represent the Property at community and networking engagements
• Collaborate with New Partnerships and property leadership for seamless transition of relationships from first year to subsequent years of partnership relations
• Participate in Partnership Activation, including managing the development and presentation of professional activation execution plans to deliver on contract obligations, coordinating with partners, University, venue, and Athletic Department staff, managing activation and fulfillment of all deliverables on behalf of the Property to satisfy partnership contractual terms, identifying opportunities to expand partnerships, and leveraging bonus assets and relationships to further increase revenue growth across the Property’s portfolio of existing partners
• Manage ticketing tracking, distribution, and cost controls
• Manage the management, coordination, and implementation of hospitality events and gameday initiatives
• Manage development and distribution of year-end recap decks and renewal/upsell presentations
• Manage the management, coordination, and implementation of hospitality events and gameday initiatives
• Recruit, train and manage Key Partnerships sales staff
• Monitor direct reports’ progress to goal and coach as needed to ensure revenue targets are achieved

Qualifications

• 5 - 7 years relevant experience in sports marketing, event planning, sales, or a related field
• Interest in and working understanding of college athletics
• Experience implementing events and/or sponsor activations
• Understanding of sponsorship sales, event marketing and activation, as well as media/advertising buys that include content development and distribution for radio, television, websites, digital and social media
• Experience in developing, pricing and managing sales of bundled assets
• Excellence in pitching, negotiating and closing six and seven figure sponsorship deals
• Success quickly earning trust, developing strong peer level relationships and working in a team environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office
• Great attention to detail and accuracy
• Applicants with experience using a comprehensive CRM system, particularly KORE, are preferred