Senior Director, Corporate Partnership Sales

Detroit Lions•Detroit, MI

21h

About The Position

The Detroit Lions are looking for a Senior Director of Corporate Partnership Sales to lead the growth of their corporate partnerships portfolio. This role involves managing the full sales cycle, from identifying prospects to closing deals and deepening relationships with existing partners. The position requires cross-functional collaboration to develop data-backed creative assets and programs that demonstrate the value of a Lions partnership to sponsors, advertisers, and corporate allies, shaping the commercial future of the franchise.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with emphasis in Business, Communications, Marketing, or Management required.
Minimum seven (7) years of sponsorship sales experience with a major league professional sports team or high-profile entertainment entity.
Experience leading and coaching a team of sales professionals in a competitive environment.
Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to handle multiple assignments in a fast-paced environment.
Strong verbal and written communication skills with proven interpersonal aptitude.
Ability to exercise sound business judgment and generate effective solutions quickly.
Strong working knowledge of MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).

Responsibilities

Creating, developing, and selling fully integrated partnerships with local, regional, and national clients/markets and establishing effective pursuit strategies to secure partnerships.
Identifying and collaboratively assessing partnership opportunities while establishing new client relationships utilizing various sales strategies, including research, cold calls, site visits, and outside sales calls.
Initiating contracts and developing mutually beneficial strategic relationships with partners to drive additional revenue generation.
Managing the sustained development and management of partner relationships with a focus on plans which accomplish strategic objectives and a measurable return on investment.
Working with internal departments to develop and execute programs that support partnership elements.
Executing meetings, calls, and presentations with high-level corporate executives.
Participating in the Integrated Sales & Marketing committee to enhance asset ideation and contribution from concept to deployment.
Working in conjunction with Business Strategy & Analytics, Marketing, and all critical departments to develop presentations that include measurable elements.
Researching prospect brands and their competitors to identify opportunities and solution-based programs.
Creating and managing high-value, fully-integrated advertising and sponsorship packages that are in line with the partner’s marketing objectives.
Participating in the development, ideation, evolution, implementation, and fulfillment of service and activation platforms.
Selling NFL Corporate Sponsors and working with NFL Business Development colleagues to maximize partner investment levels.
Managing departmental budget expenses.
Developing, writing, and presenting corporate sponsorship sales proposals to key clients.
In coordination with the Executive Director of Corporate Partnership, creating new sales collateral or modifying existing collateral as required for both the Detroit Lions and Ford Field.
Working cross-departmentally to develop new sellable marketing, community, NFL initiatives, and digital platforms for the sales team to monetize business opportunities.
Managing client programs as they relate to billing/accounting, promotions/marketing, ticket office, broadcasting, community outreach, etc.
Collaborating with the Executive Director of Corporate Partnership with the identification of prospective opportunities.
Maintaining weekly reports for personal sales pipeline, revenue achievements, and prospecting.
Incorporating appropriate market research into sponsorship proposals and sales presentations.
Utilizing NFL SABR data to maximize category opportunities for the Detroit Lions.
Effectively communicating client expectations and contractual obligations to appropriate internal departments.
Working as a team with partnership service coordinators to provide excellent customer service and to ensure fulfillment of client deliverables with the account base.
Working in partnership with the assigned partnership marketing team to form a 1:1 team responsible for revenue generation consistent with expectations for new business, renewals, and contracted accounts.
Developing strong, long-term relationships with both clients and co-workers.
Utilizing business aptitude to understand and manage client needs and organizational goals to create unique and innovative revenue-generating programs.
Gameday responsibilities include managing staff, activation setup, entertaining clients, and fulfilling sponsorship contract obligations.
Conducting business during non-traditional hours, taking advantage of opportunities to interact with clients and prospects during games, events, and away game trips.
Event planning and execution for partner-sponsored events or meetings.
Working with NFL sponsorship colleagues to grow and develop partnerships.