National Account Manager - Olympic Sponsorships

BDA•Los Angeles, CA

5h•$110,000 - $125,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As a National Account Manager – Sports Sponsorships at BDA, you will be the primary driver of large-scale client success. You’ll lead internal teams, mentor up-and-coming talent, influence supplier partnerships, and steer brand direction, all while ensuring smooth, scalable delivery for Olympic sponsors. Your ability to guide through change with positivity and resilience will help maintain and evolve a strong, results-driven culture through periods of company growth and transformation. You will focus on understanding clients’ needs and objectives, recommending suitable merchandise solutions and programs, and ensuring the successful execution and on-time delivery of projects. You will collaborate with various internal teams to meet customer expectations and contribute to the overall growth and success of BDA while meeting your client’s needs. This role requires prior experience in the sports industry, including working with or within professional teams, leagues, collegiate athletics, or sports sponsors. A strong understanding of how sponsorship impacts fan engagement, branding, and merchandise strategy is essential. The role of National Account Manager at BDA is dynamic and customer focused. Success in this position requires a combination of sales acumen, relationship building, creativity, project management, product knowledge, and the ability to consistently deliver excellent service to clients. It requires sharp strategic thinking, inspiring leadership, and polished executive presence—along with the agility to thrive in an extremely fast-paced, high-growth environment. By fostering strong relationships and providing valuable promotional solutions, the National Account Manager significantly contributes to the growth and success of BDA and the client’s marketing and branding goals.

Requirements

10+ years of positive enterprise account management, sales leadership, or national program oversight in the Sports Sponsorship category
5-8 years, proven success leading or mentoring teams through periods of rapid company growth and organizational change
Experience in sales, marketing, or account management capacity supporting sports teams, leagues, events, or sponsors
Demonstrated experience executing or supporting branded merchandise and sponsorship activations
Proven track record of increasing sales and business opportunities through client development
Strong knowledge of supplier relationship management, particularly across merchandise and brand strategy initiatives
Executive-level presentation skills with a commanding, polished presence and a strategic, creative communication style
Financial acumen including margin analysis, forecasting, and sales performance tracking
Proficiency with CRM and order management systems (Salesforce preferred) and Microsoft Office Suite

Nice To Haves

Experience in promotional merchandise is highly preferred

Responsibilities

Own the day-to-day relationship and strategic direction of Olympic sponsorship accounts
Manage, mentor, and inspire a team of 1-2 account management professionals, creating a collaborative culture focused on delivery and development.
Guide clients through customized promotional merchandise solutions that reflect their goals, brand, and evolving market needs.
Will travel to various customer sites and for various events -- as much as 25% travel.
Drive change management efforts, maintaining team morale and positive outcomes during growth, restructuring, or evolving priorities.
Represent BDA with polish and credibility in executive-level presentations, business reviews, and strategy discussions.
Deliver business insights and performance results through compelling proposals and data-driven storytelling.
Serve as an escalation point for both clients and internal stakeholders, resolving issues with urgency and professionalism.
Collaborate across internal teams (logistics, production, design, etc.) to ensure timely and high-quality program execution.
Analyze financial reports, gross margins, and client sales performance to inform smart, scalable decision-making.
Support hiring, performance management, and ongoing development of your direct reports.
Partner with the Director on forecasting, business planning, and revenue growth for your account portfolio.
Manage contact and opportunity database
Build and develop and nurture relationships with current clients, opening up organic opportunities within portfolio
Assist in developing proactive strategy, presentation and pitches for Client and large opportunities
Ability to execute Strategic Account Plans
Translate client sponsorship objectives into compelling merchandise programs that drive fan engagement and brand visibility
Understanding our client’s financial needs from revenue, costs to margin
Monitor competitive products and marketing activities