Director, Global Market Development

X Games

1d•Remote

About The Position

X Games is looking for a strategic, commercially-minded leader to report to and work in close partnership with the SVP, Global Market Development. You'll drive work across all pillars of the global host market development function, identifying and evaluating new markets, developing bid strategy and proposals, managing key stakeholder relationships, and coordinating post-event delivery. In this role, you'll engage government, tourism boards, resorts & venue partners, and internal teams (live event operations, commercial, marketing, league operations, finance, legal) to ensure X Games continues to expand its global footprint and executes best-in-class events.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in strategy consulting, sports business, global events, or entertainment
Bachelor's degree required
Strategy or consulting background strongly preferred with the ability to build rigorous business cases, financial models, and market assessments
Strong project management skills; able to manage multiple workstreams, markets, and stakeholders simultaneously
Exceptional stakeholder management, credible with senior government officials, tourism boards, and commercial partners
International business experience, ideally including exposure to deal-making or partnerships in non-US markets
Entrepreneurial and adaptable and very comfortable building process from scratch in a fast-moving, high-ambiguity environment
Excellent written and verbal communication; confident presenter to senior audiences

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced degree preferred
Experience in sports, particularly growth properties, international leagues, or action sports, preferred
Multi-language skills
financial modeling
live event operations experience
familiarity with AI tools are all a plus

Responsibilities

Drive the development and execution of X Games' global market strategy — evaluating new markets, prioritizing opportunities, and shaping the competitive roadmap.
Research and evaluate potential host markets, assessing event fit, funding potential, and long-term strategic value
Build market analysis, feasibility assessments, and scenario models to support decision-making
Track global events, competitor properties, and tourism economics to keep X Games ahead of the market
Partner with the SVP to shape the X Games event schedule, identifying the right markets, venues, and formats for future seasons.
Lead scouting and evaluation of new host markets, venues, and event formats across winter and summer seasons
Contribute to multi-year schedule development, balancing strategic priorities, market demand, and operational feasibility
Coordinate feasibility reviews with event operations, finance, and production teams
Build and manage the processes that drive X Games' host city deal pipeline — from first contact to signed agreements.
Develop and document best-practice processes for host market identification, outreach, proposal, and contract execution
Lead creation of bid presentations, pitch materials, and financial models for prospective host cities
Coordinate across internal teams to structure compelling & compliant offers
Manage post-agreement delivery: economic impact reports, milestone tracking, and host market partner engagement