The Director of Partnerships will be responsible for leading our sponsorship and premium seating department at the property with a focus on generating revenue from local, regional, and national companies through the sale of integrated sponsorship, naming rights, premium seating, and hospitality packages throughout the venue.  The Director is responsible for managing and on-site sales and service team and overseeing the entire sales process from prospecting new business, presenting to prospective clients, negotiating and then implementing contractual agreements with all partners.

The position reports to the facility General Manager and regionally through the Global Partnerships Regional Director and Vice President, West Region.

• Develop and build strong relationships in the local market serving as the venue’s liaison with the corporate sector
• Lead, manage, support and develop the local partnership and premium seating sales team
• Identify, source, and develop new partnerships on a national, regional, and local scale through research and business intelligence across the market. 
• Create and manage high-value, fully-integrated advertising and sponsorship packages that are in line with a partner’s marketing objectives. 
• Develop compelling premium seating pricing and value offering
• Participate in premium seating strategy development and lead execution to deliver successful sale or premium seating and an enhanced guest experience
• Set appointments, meetings, and presentations with C-suite executives to secure sponsorship contracts in order to meet and exceed revenue goals. 
• Draft sales proposals, negotiate terms, and develop partnership agreements for prospective partners. 
• Proactively identify assess partnership opportunities while establishing new client relationships utilizing various sales strategies, including but not limited to, research, cold calls, site visits, and in-person meetings
• Provide partners with proof of performance reviews to assist retention and upsell opportunities. 
• Lead the development of sales collateral as required for both OVG and property. 
• Identify strategic growth opportunities for your property or other properties through non-traditional inventory, platforms and partners. 
• Meet and exceed sales revenue quota plus other goals set by your manager.  
• Collaborate internally with other venue departments (Marketing, Operations, Food & Beverage) to build and execute creative and unique sponsorships.
• Deliver sales forecast and performance reporting to management
• Effectively communicate client expectations and contractual obligations to appropriate internal departments to properly execute contracted agreements. 
• Establish and maintain complete, efficient records of all partner/prospect contacts, sales activity and lead generation through the company CRM software
• Conduct business during non-traditional hours, taking advantage of opportunities to interact with clients and prospects during games, events and off-site gatherings. 
• Day of event responsibilities such as sponsorship activation setup, coordination, entertaining clients, premium seating preparation and fulfilling necessary sponsorship contract obligations. 
• Sell the full suite of OVG Global Partnerships assets on a local and national scale incorporating your property and other OVG Global Partnerships’ opportunities. 
• Conduct yourself in a mature, respectful manner internally and externally with all stakeholders. 

• Ideally, 7-10 years of sponsorship sales experience, preferably in the sports and entertainment or advertising and brand sales industries  
• 3 plus years managing and leading people/teams
• Connected to a prominent network of top-tier decision makers in the market.   
• Ability to assess a prospective client's needs through conversation and research and effectively create a sponsorship proposal that meets those needs and objectives. 
• Entrepreneurial mindset to take ownership of your role and improve those around you. 

• Knowledge of the sport/event sponsorship sales and advertising industry  
• Excellent communication, organizational, and presentation skills     
• Ability to quickly establish personal relationships through trust, knowledge, and empathy.    
• Ability to adapt your style or messaging to the needs of the client.    
• Strong competitive spirit – Driven to succeed, win, and overcome obstacles through hard work and determination. 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university    
• Must be available to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays.  
• A self-starter that has the ability to multitask, reacts well under pressure and is able to work in a fast-paced environment.  
• A hard worker who values integrity and respect for others and a team player who understands how to lead.  
• Exceptional organizational skills with an ability to handle multiple assignments in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.  

• Ability to exercise sound business judgment generating effective solutions quickly and raising issues to management as necessary.  
• Strong working knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams)  
• A valid Driver’s License.