Director of Sales & Partnerships

Team Liquid•Santa Monica, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Team Liquid is looking for a Director of Sales & Partnerships, NA to lead our Sales & Partnerships function by driving partnership revenue, developing and expanding strategic partner relationships, and ensuring the successful execution of partnership commitments. In this role, you will be responsible for setting sales and partnership strategy, leading and developing the team, managing key partner relationships and negotiations, and collaborating across the organization to maximize commercial growth and long-term partner value.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in sales, partnerships, business development, sponsorships, or a related commercial function, ideally within gaming, esports, sports, media, entertainment, or a related industry.
Proven experience leading and developing high-performing sales and/or partnerships teams, including coaching, mentorship, and performance management.
Demonstrated success developing and executing sales and partnership strategies that drive revenue growth and achieve commercial targets.
Strong track record of managing, growing, and renewing complex, high-value strategic partnerships.
Experience leading complex partnership negotiations and building relationships with senior executives and key decision-makers.
Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to identify new business opportunities, expand existing partnerships, and maximize long-term partner value.
Experience overseeing partnership campaigns and deliverables across multiple internal teams and stakeholders.
Strong strategic thinking, with the ability to translate organizational goals, market trends, and commercial insights into actionable strategies.
Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship management skills.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with executive leadership and cross-functional teams.
AI fluency, with demonstrated ability to effectively use tools such as Gemini and Claude to enhance sales and partnership workflows, including research, analysis, strategic planning, presentations, and operational efficiency.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and make sound decisions in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
Willingness and ability to travel as needed and occasionally work outside standard business hours, including evenings and weekends, based on partner and event requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience within gaming, esports, sports, media, entertainment, or other sponsorship-driven industries.
Existing network of relationships with brands, agencies, and/or industry decision-makers.
Experience developing global or multi-market partnerships and working across international teams.
Experience with integrated partnerships spanning digital, social, content, events, creators, and other brand activations.
Familiarity with CRM, sales pipeline management, reporting, and forecasting tools.
Strong understanding of the gaming and esports ecosystem, including relevant market trends, audiences, brands, and commercial opportunities.

Responsibilities

Lead and oversee the Sales & Partnerships team, actively supporting their growth and development within the department and across Team Liquid.
Manage, coach and develop the Senior Manager, Sales & Partnerships, including goal-setting, regular one-to-ones and performance reviews to company policy.
Allocate account and pipeline responsibility clearly, so ownership is never ambiguous.
Review work before it reaches a partner, and raise the standard of proposals, reporting and written communication across the team.
Contribute to the development of departmental processes and best practice.
Provide updates to management on deal flow across sales and partnership opportunities, including deliverable execution, campaign reporting, and relationships established at events.
Contribute to strategic projects and initiatives focused on the department and broader organization.
Lead major strategic initiatives aimed at advancing the Partnerships department and supporting organizational goals.
Drive the development and implementation of departmental strategies, policies, and procedures in alignment with overall business objectives.
Collaborate closely with executive leadership to provide strategic insights and recommendations for organizational growth and development.
Represent the Partnerships department in cross-functional leadership meetings and initiatives.
Oversee the ongoing management and execution of all projects and deliverables associated with Team Liquid's partners, ensuring high-quality execution and timely delivery.
Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key client stakeholders at partner companies, from brand and product marketing through to senior leadership.
Lead the full lifecycle of partnership deliverables — activation planning, product integration, content, live events, training facilities and team naming rights — ensuring execution to a standard that justifies the relationship's tenure.
Build and pursue a structured upsell plan: new titles, new territories, new inventory, product co-development, player and creator rights, facility and venue components, and cross-business-unit opportunities across Liquid Media, Liquipedia and Talent.
Plan, forecast and execute renewals well ahead of term, with a business case grounded in performance data rather than relationship goodwill.
Own reporting to the partner: campaign performance, KPIs, audience and media value, delivered on a predictable cadence.
Monitor and manage COGS on the account, maintaining margin standards and flagging variance early.
Serve as the primary point of contact for high-level partnership discussions and negotiations, representing Team Liquid's interests and driving outcomes aligned with organizational goals and objectives.
Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders to develop and execute partnership strategies that drive growth and innovation across Team Liquid platforms.
Travel as needed to execute partner deliverables and fulfill responsibilities, which may occasionally require work outside of normal business hours and on weekends based on partner requirements and project demands.
Lead the development and execution of the sales strategy for Team Liquid's partnership portfolio in North America, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives.
Carry a personal new-business target alongside the account and direct the sales teams in setting and achieving ambitious revenue targets, providing guidance, support, and mentorship to drive performance.
Maintain an accurate, weekly-updated pipeline view for yourself and your direct reports.
Represent Team Liquid at industry events and build the network that feeds the pipeline.
Develop customized proposals aligned to partner objectives, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to develop integrated proposals that deliver maximum value to partners and enhance overall partnership outcomes.
Oversee the negotiation of high-value partnership agreements, ensuring terms align with organizational goals and objectives while maximizing value for all parties involved.
Drive revenue growth by identifying new business opportunities and expanding existing partnerships through strategic initiatives.
Foster strong relationships with key stakeholders at partner organizations, including C-suite executives and decision-makers, to facilitate successful partnership negotiations and agreements.
Stay current on industry trends and market developments, leveraging insights to inform sales strategy and decision-making and maintain a competitive edge.
Work with Brand, Marketing & Content, Talent Management, Athletics, Finance, Operations and Legal to ensure what is sold can be delivered.
Support the SVP on departmental and organizational priorities as needed.