Director of Partnership Success

Wings Credit Union•Apple Valley, MN

15h•$136,000 - $158,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Dir-Partnership Success coordinates across the organization for the successful activation and management of Wings corporate sponsorships, community-facing partnership events, and service center grand openings. They coordinate and collaborate closely with Business Development, Commercial Banking, Marketing, Public Relations, Retail, Philanthropy, Legal, Human Resources, Product, Lending, and Internal Communications teams as needed to drive successful outcomes. They build and foster relationships with prospective and current partners and talent. They lead a team of high-performing events and sponsorship professionals. This leader recommends Wings sponsorship investment and strategy. With aligned goals and stakeholder input from Brand & Campaign Strategy, Philanthropy, and Internal Comms, they identify and design a strategic mix of sponsorships, sports partnerships, sports talent and activations. They secure and manage an optimal mix of partnerships and talent to drive marketing, member, community, and employee engagement, and philanthropic goals. This leader is expected to demonstrate strong financial and business acumen, including operational enablement, goal-setting, tracking and monitoring success measures, and successful fulfillment. Additional responsibilities include delivering strategic insights, project management, contract negotiation, and best-in-class service and support internally and externally to maximize sponsorship opportunities and corresponding revenue goals. This role demands a blend of problem-solving, strategic thinking, and business acumen and the individual serving in the role must have proven skills as a relationship builder and negotiator, and be self-directed, purpose-driven, and community-minded.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Communications, Office Administration or similar field of study Required
8+ Years' experience leading and/or managing sponsorships, brand partnerships, sports marketing, or similar areas with an emphasis on strong collaboration to drive corporate and marketing goals Required
3+ years' management experience Required
Strategic Planning: Proven ability to develop and implement sponsorship, partnership, and engagement strategies that align with organizational goals and drive measurable business outcomes.
Negotiation Skills: Demonstrated expertise in negotiating complex contracts, sponsorship and partnership agreements, finding mutual positive outcomes, and balancing organizational objectives and stakeholder needs.
Relationship Management: Proven success building and maintaining strong relationships with executive leaders, sponsors, community organizations, spokespeople/talent, and external partners.
Project Management: Ability to lead and manage multiple large-scale projects, events, activations, and grand openings concurrently while meeting timelines, budgets, and performance expectations.
Analytical Skills: Strong ability to analyze data, assess performance metrics, identify trends, and make data-driven recommendations to enhance partnership and sponsorship effectiveness.
Communication Skills: Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of the organization.
Sponsorship Acquisition: Demonstrated experience identifying, securing, activating, and managing sponsorships and strategic partnerships and talent that support brand, business, and community objectives.
Market Research: Ability to evaluate market trends, competitive landscapes, consumer insights, and partnership opportunities to inform strategic decision-making.
Financial Management: Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, forecasting expenses, evaluating return on investment, and ensuring responsible stewardship of resources.
Team Leadership: Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Operational Excellence: Proven ability to oversee, build and implement systems and processes that meet compliance, legal, and operational expectations.
Valid Colorado or Minnesota driver's license Required

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree in Business Administration, Communications, Office Administration or similar field of study Preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as convener of and collaborator with, key leaders and departments to plan and implement the activation, including related events, of Wings' sponsorships.
Deliver exceptional service to our sponsors and partners and ensure all contractual obligations are fulfilled.
Find ways to use the portfolio of relationships and philanthropic partnerships to build upon one another for maximum impact and return.
Foster a deep knowledge of our partners' business and align resources to best work with these partners to help drive mutually beneficial activation programs.
Ensure cross-functional teams are engaged and managed throughout activation planning and implementation.
Identify new opportunities that deliver value to our members, team members, and community partners.
Develop methods and reporting processes to measure success post-activation. Leverage insights to inform future strategies.
Build materials (proposals and presentations) that engage appropriate audiences for opportunity analyses and activation.
Manage and deepen relationships with existing partners, exploring opportunities for expanded collaboration and revenue.
Co-create unique, brand-aligned experiences that engage our members and team members, and enhance brand visibility.
Represent Wings, developing and expanding key relationships.
Conceptualize and execute an aggressive multi-year events program that reinforces the business and marketing objectives of the credit union.
Work with internal stakeholders and departments to ideate and propose new events that are aligned with Wings' strategic priorities and drive the organization's mission.
Consult with internal stakeholders, departments, and partners on the strategy and vision for each event, ensuring a clear purpose, defined audience, business objective, and vision for the user experience.
Develop scalable and repeatable processes that make event planning and promotion more efficient and effective.
Develop, in partnership (as needed) with the PMO and other leaders, detailed activation plans.
Form, launch, and manage operational plans for a sustainable business model.
Manage sponsor-related events.
Partner with various event owners, internal departments, and external vendors to ensure dates, roles, responsibilities, and cohesive planning are considered across the organization in advance of decision-making.
Prepare and present regular sponsor and event reports, including thoughtful recommendations based on data-backed insights and qualitative feedback.
Effectively lead a small team focused on support, coordination, and delivery.
Provide guidance to ensure alignment of responsibilities and efforts to support business objectives and support future credit union leadership development.
Provide coaching and team alignment for all direct reports.
Handle supervisory duties such as approving time off, performance reviews, and disciplinary actions.
Remains cognizant of and adheres to Wings policies and procedures, and regulations pertaining to the Bank Secrecy Act.