Director of Sponsorship Sales

Accountabilities:

The Director of Sponsorship Sales will own the sponsorship and partnership revenue strategy, building the relationships, commercial processes, and infrastructure needed to establish a scalable sales function. Key responsibilities include:

• Build and lead the sponsorship and partnership revenue function for a major sports and entertainment venture.

• Develop a targeted pipeline of potential sponsors, brands, agencies, media companies, and strategic partners.

• Create and execute proactive outbound sales strategies to generate qualified opportunities and accelerate revenue growth.

• Leverage an established professional network to secure introductions and build relationships with senior executives and key decision-makers.

• Design sponsorship packages, partnership opportunities, pricing models, and commercial strategies tailored to prospective partners.

• Manage the complete sales cycle, from initial outreach and relationship development through presentations, negotiations, and deal closure.

• Identify opportunities beyond traditional sponsorship arrangements, developing broader strategic partnerships that create long-term value.

• Establish and nurture lasting relationships with sponsors and strategic partners to support retention and future commercial opportunities.

• Collaborate closely with executive leadership, Finance, and other internal teams on commercial strategy, deal structuring, revenue forecasting, and partnership execution.

• Develop the processes, pipeline management systems, forecasting methods, and internal infrastructure required to make sponsorship sales a repeatable and scalable function.

• Contribute to the broader commercial strategy and development of the partnership ecosystem.

Requirements:

The ideal candidate is a commercially driven sales leader with 8–10+ years of experience in sponsorships, partnerships, advertising, media, sports, entertainment, or a related field. They combine a strong professional network and proven business development capabilities with financial acumen, negotiation expertise, and the entrepreneurial mindset needed to build a function independently. Additional qualifications include:

• 8–10+ years of experience in sponsorship sales, partnerships, advertising, media, sports, entertainment, or a related commercial function.

• Proven track record of generating revenue through sponsorships, partnerships, advertising, or other high-value commercial relationships.

• Established network across brands, agencies, media, sports, entertainment, or relevant industries.

• Strong hunter mentality, with demonstrated success creating opportunities through proactive outbound sales rather than relying solely on inbound leads.

• Experience building relationships and negotiating directly with senior executives and key decision-makers.

• Excellent negotiation, deal-making, and relationship management skills.

• Strong commercial and financial understanding, including revenue models, deal economics, forecasting, and return on investment (ROI).

• Strategic mindset and ability to turn individual sponsorship agreements into broader, long-term commercial partnerships.

• Ability to thrive in a lean, entrepreneurial environment, taking ownership of a function and making decisions quickly.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to balance high-level strategy and the practical work required to close and execute deals.

• Experience in sports, entertainment, media, or adjacent industries is strongly preferred.

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship.

• Must be willing to travel to New York City occasionally if working remotely.

Benefits:

• Annual base compensation of $240,000–$280,000, depending on experience.

• Additional commission-based compensation.