Director of Business Development and Special Program Operations, Combat U

California State University, Sacramento•Sacramento, CA

11d•$4,135 - $12,888

About The Position

Under the general direction of the Athletic Director, the Director of Business Development and Event Operations provides administrative leadership and strategic oversight for business operations, revenue generation, event operations, external partnerships, marketing, communications, fan engagement, sponsorship fulfillment, and assigned club sport or special program initiatives for Combat U and/or related Athletics priorities. The position manages the business and event infrastructure needed to support Combat U as a self-sustaining, externally visible program. This includes operational budget management, event budget development, revenue-generating event planning, sponsorship and partnership coordination, external event operations, donor and hospitality support, marketing and communications alignment, fan engagement strategy, event staffing, facility coordination, event compliance, and operational controls for on-campus and off-campus activities. The position also manages assigned club sport or special program operations as directed by the Athletic Director or President. Responsibilities may include administrative operations, budget planning, event and competition logistics, facility scheduling, external partner coordination, revenue-generating opportunities, staffing support, and coordination with Athletics units and campus partners. The incumbent supervises staff responsible for marketing, communications, and fan engagement and directs promotional strategy, event visibility, storytelling, attendance-building efforts, sponsorship recognition, partner visibility, and community engagement. The position collaborates with the Director of Combat Sports, Athletics leadership, coaches, campus departments, external partners, sponsors, donors, vendors, governing organizations, community stakeholders, and event staff to ensure programming is financially responsible, operationally sound, revenue-focused, and aligned with University and Athletics priorities. This is a full-time, 12-month, exempt position. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with frequent work outside those hours to meet operational needs, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and other non-traditional hours. Travel to on-campus and off-campus locations and events is required as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, or an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible administrative experience.
Progressively responsible experience in business operations, event operations, revenue generation, athletics administration, sport program administration, external relations, marketing, sponsorships, community engagement, or a related field.
Experience managing and providing oversight of complex programs, events, or operations involving multiple stakeholders, competing deadlines, financial considerations, public-facing responsibilities, and external partners.
Experience with budget management, fiscal planning, revenue and expense tracking, financial reporting, or resource allocation.
Experience developing, managing, or supporting revenue-generating events, partnerships, sponsorships, community programs, clinics, camps, ticketed or registration-based activities, or external engagement activities.
Experience supervising, directing, or providing work direction to staff, student assistants, casual workers, interns, volunteers, or event personnel.
Experience coordinating events, programs, or activities involving internal departments, external partners, vendors, sponsors, community organizations, or other stakeholders.
Ability to manage administrative operations, business workflows, event operations, staffing plans, budgets, revenue projections, and program resources.
Ability to develop, implement, and evaluate revenue-generating events and partnership opportunities, including on-campus and off-campus activities.
Ability to manage operational and event budgets, including revenue projections, expense tracking, budget reconciliation, event settlements, and financial reporting.
Strong organizational, analytical, communication, problem-solving, project management, and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to work collaboratively with Athletics leadership, the Director of Combat Sports, coaches, staff, campus partners, external organizations, donors, sponsors, vendors, community partners, and students.
Ability to exercise independent judgment, discretion, and sound decision-making in a complex, public-facing, fast-paced environment.
Ability to interpret, apply, and communicate University policies, procedures, business practices, event requirements, risk management expectations, procurement processes, and compliance-related processes.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, anticipate operational needs, and resolve issues affecting program operations, revenue, events, partner relationships, or University reputation.
Ability to support a welcoming and inclusive environment for students, staff, partners, community members, and program participants.
Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and non-traditional hours based on event, program, operational, and community engagement needs.
Ability to travel to on-campus and off-campus locations, event sites, partner facilities, and community engagement activities as needed.
Ability to pass a background check.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in sport management, business administration, public administration, higher education administration, marketing, communications, recreation administration, kinesiology, or a related field.
Experience working in collegiate athletics, club sports, campus recreation, combat sports, event operations, business development, revenue generation, or a university-based program environment.
Experience managing business operations, revenue-generating events, sponsorship fulfillment, external partnerships, donor engagement, or community-based programming.
Experience managing or providing oversight of marketing, communications, fan engagement, brand visibility, social media strategy, promotional campaigns, or event storytelling.
Experience developing and implementing event budgets, revenue projections, sponsorship packages, partnership deliverables, post-event financial reports, or event settlement processes.
Experience managing events involving ticketing, registration, vendors, facility coordination, staffing, hospitality, sponsorship activation, public-facing communication, or external partner coordination.
Experience with club sport, emerging sport, or special initiative program administration, such as rugby or similar sport program operations.
Experience supervising full-time staff, temporary staff, casual workers, student assistants, interns, volunteers, or event staff.
Knowledge of University procurement, fiscal, event, risk management, facility use, sponsorship, external partnership, or contract coordination processes.
Demonstrated ability to build and maintain productive relationships with campus departments, donors, sponsors, vendors, external partners, community organizations, youth-serving organizations, and sport-related organizations.

Responsibilities

Provide administrative leadership and strategic oversight for business operations, revenue generation, event operations, external partnerships, marketing, communications, fan engagement, sponsorship fulfillment, and assigned club sport or special program initiatives.
Manage operational budgets and develop event budgets, including revenue projections, expense tracking, budget reconciliation, event settlements, and financial reporting.
Plan and support revenue-generating events and coordinate sponsorships, partnerships, external events, donors, and hospitality.
Oversee event infrastructure, staffing, facility coordination, compliance, and operational controls for on-campus and off-campus activities.
Manage assigned club sport or special program operations, including administrative operations, budget planning, event and competition logistics, facility scheduling, partner coordination, revenue opportunities, and staffing support.
Supervise staff responsible for marketing, communications, and fan engagement.
Direct promotional strategy, event visibility, storytelling, attendance-building, sponsorship recognition, partner visibility, and community engagement.
Coordinate with Athletics units and campus partners and collaborate with the Director of Combat Sports, Athletics leadership, coaches, external partners, sponsors, donors, vendors, governing organizations, community stakeholders, and event staff.
Interpret and communicate University policies, procedures, business practices, event requirements, risk management expectations, procurement processes, and compliance-related processes.
Manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and operational issues affecting program operations, revenue, events, partner relationships, or University reputation.