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.