General Manager - Southern Methodist University (SMU)

Learfield Sports Properties • Dallas, TX

10d

About The Position

Learfield is seeking a proven General Manager (GM) to lead our Sports Properties team and serve as the primary Learfield liaison to the university’s Athletics Department. This position plays a central role in overseeing the school’s comprehensive athletics multimedia rights agreement and corporate partner platform, while building and sustaining trusted relationships across campus. As a highly visible leader, the GM is responsible for driving results, growing revenue, and ensuring a successful, long-term partnership between Learfield and the university. In this role, you will lead a high-performing team to deliver innovative, client-focused solutions that align with both Learfield’s goals and the university’s strategic vision. You’ll manage day-to-day operations of the property, coach and develop staff, and foster a collaborative, accountable team culture. Success in this role requires a strong command of sponsorship sales, university partnerships, and operational excellence. You’ll partner closely with regional and corporate stakeholders, university leadership, and brand partners to maximize revenue opportunities, uphold Learfield standards, and support the mission of college athletics.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in sponsorship sales, sports marketing, or a related B2B revenue-generating role, with a strong track record of driving results.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams and manage others, including experience hiring, coaching, and developing high-performing talent.
• Proven success managing complex partnerships and serving as a strategic liaison to executive-level stakeholders, ideally within sports, media, or higher education.
• Strong understanding of integrated marketing solutions, including traditional, digital, social, and experiential channels.
• Financial acumen to manage budgets, interpret performance metrics, and drive profitability.
• Comfortable navigating change and ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent relationship-building, presentation, and communication skills — able to influence and collaborate effectively across internal and external groups.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and sound judgment.

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience working with or around collegiate athletics
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary liaison between Learfield and the university’s Athletics Department, Athletic Director, and university leadership.
• Oversee the execution of the multimedia rights agreement and ensure alignment with the university’s values, brand standards, and strategic priorities.
• Lead the property team, including sales and activation staff, providing coaching, performance feedback, and professional development.
• Achieve individual and team revenue goals by selling integrated sponsorship packages using traditional, digital, social, and experiential platforms.
• Cultivate and sustain strong relationships with local, regional, and national sponsors as well as key university stakeholders.
• Collaborate with the Team S/VP and corporate support teams (e.g., marketing, research, digital, legal) to optimize sales strategy and execution.
• Develop and manage annual budgets, business plans, and forecasts that ensure property-level accountability and financial performance.
• Represent Learfield in key meetings, campus initiatives, and local events to promote partnership visibility and university engagement.
• Model and foster a positive, inclusive, and team-first culture across the property and broader organization.

Benefits

• Learfield offers a full spectrum of benefits for eligible employees including Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account, Life Insurance and Other Insurance Plans, Flexible Paid Time Off (minimum 10+ days annually), including Parental Leave, 20 Paid Holidays, 401(k) + Match, and Short/Long Term Disability.
• Leave benefits are consistent with state and local laws, including the Colorado Health Families and Workplaces Act.
• Learfield is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race; color; sex; gender identity; sexual orientation; religious practices and observances; national origin; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; status as a protected veteran or spouse/family member of a protected veteran; or disability.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees