Director, Partner Development

LEARFIELD•Dallas, TX

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Partner Development leads a portfolio of Power 4 partnerships, working closely with the Vice President of Partner Development to drive growth, retention, and long-term partner satisfaction across the organization’s most strategic accounts. This role includes direct management of a team member responsible for a portfolio of accounts and requires close collaboration with the Directors of Partner Intelligence and Partner Monetization to deliver a unified, high-impact partner experience. This is a senior, consultative position designed for a strategic leader who thrives in complex, relationship-driven environments. The Director partners with premier athletic departments nationwide, advising on key priorities such as fanbase growth, digital monetization, data-driven decision-making, and engaging the next generation of fans. The role owns a defined book of Power 4 partnerships, drives renewals and expansion opportunities, and ensures the full capabilities of the organization are brought to every partner interaction.

Requirements

8+ years of client-facing experience in partner development, account management, or consultative sales, preferably within sports, media, SaaS, or similar long-cycle B2B environments
Demonstrated success growing six- and seven-figure partnerships through renewals and expansion
Proven ability to present, influence, and close business with both prospective and existing clients
Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to translate partner needs into actionable outcomes across product, operations, intelligence, and monetization teams
Prior people management or team leadership experience
Analytical mindset with experience leveraging data to monitor and improve client satisfaction and performance metrics
Exceptional communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to craft compelling narratives for senior stakeholders, including athletic directors and executive leadership
Strong ownership mentality with a proactive approach to identifying opportunities and mitigating risks
Proficiency with AI tools and a solid understanding of their application within sports and digital strategy
Experience with digital platforms or sports technology

Nice To Haves

Established relationships within collegiate athletics—particularly with athletic directors, digital/technology leaders, or conference offices is a strong differentiator

Responsibilities

Own renewal, retention, and revenue growth across a portfolio of Power 4 partnerships
Lead, coach, and develop a direct report responsible for account management, ensuring consistent execution and high-quality partner engagement
Invest in long-term relationships with Power 4 partners through senior-level engagement, consultative partnership, and deep subject matter expertise across the SIDEARM platform
Represent SIDEARM’s strategy and capabilities in senior-level partner conversations and executive forums
Promote awareness and adoption of new platform features and solutions, including cross-company offerings, across all partner relationships
Serve as the primary escalation point for partner issues within the portfolio, collaborating with the VP of Partner Development as needed
Partner with the Director of Partner Intelligence to integrate insights, analytics, and AI-driven reporting into account strategy and decision-making
Collaborate with the Director of Partner Monetization to ensure effective delivery of sponsorship packages and revenue strategies
Monitor and improve client satisfaction metrics, including NPS, CSAT, and CES
Identify and close expansion opportunities by aligning partner needs with emerging capabilities such as Partner Intelligence, gamification, mobile strategy, and OAS
Contribute to partner-facing deliverables, including renewal proposals, executive presentations, on-campus engagements, and conference participation