Planner, Athlete Partnerships- NIL/MLS

Fanatics Collectibles•New York, NY

2d•$70,000 - $80,000

About The Position

The NIL/MLS Athlete Partnerships Planner manages autograph procurement, athlete relationships and payments, and signing schedules. The role coordinates with athletes’ talent representatives and external vendors to gather required information within deadlines, and collaborates with internal teams including Accounts Payable, Finance, Social, and Athlete Marketing. It also coordinates shipments for sticker and card signings and maintains relationships with players, agents, families, and other representatives. The planner ensures deal obligations are fulfilled, autograph procurement and payments are completed, and timelines are maintained while helping athletes feel part of the Fanatics family. The role also supports NIL/MLS events and partnership tasks involving schools, universities, and clubs; researches new initiatives and developments in the NIL/MLS landscape; and acts as a liaison across internal teams and third parties to support contractual requirements, payments, marketing, and product timelines.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
Experience or interest in a related field such as business, athlete or agency relationships, sports, or finance.
Strong organization and attention to detail, with an open-minded approach to learning.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, meet tight deadlines, and adapt to changing circumstances.
Exceptional written and oral communication.
Ability to travel and work late hours and weekends when needed.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience using Oracle, Microsoft, Slack, and Airtable.
Previous experience in sports or entertainment.

Responsibilities

Manage relationships with players, families, agents, school partners, marketing representatives, and third parties.
Ensure sticker and card signing deadlines are met and deal obligations are fulfilled.
Assist with NIL/MLS events and partnership tasks related to schools, universities, and clubs.
Conduct agent outreach and research new NIL/MLS initiatives and important developments in the business landscape.
Create suppliers and auto IDs, and manage purchase orders from creation through payment completion.
Work with Accounts Payable to keep athlete documents, supplier addresses, and payment information current in the system.
Keep Airtable updated with athlete autograph status, supplier and purchase order information, and links between completed autographs and the athlete’s purchase order in the correct database.
Liaise with Finance, Social, and the Athlete Marketing NIL & MLS team to fulfill contract requirements and payments.
Maintain autograph agreement databases and individual player contracts.
Ensure compliance with contractual obligations and that all services in agreements are executed.
Provide regular updates to Athlete Partnerships, College Licensing, internal teams, and third parties about business needs relating to relics, autographs, the College Rep Program, and social media activations.
Provide marketing support in conjunction with Product and Athlete Marketing teams.
Share insights and feedback on products, timelines, and deadlines.