Senior Director of Business Development

University of Virginia•Charlottesville, VA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Virginia (UVA) Department of Athletics is seeking a Senior Director of Business Development to manage and grow Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) partnerships. This role is crucial for generating new NIL opportunities for UVA student-athletes and executing the UVA NIL revenue model. The position reports to the Deputy Athletic Director, External Operations and UVA NIL General Manager, and will be responsible for pitching and closing strategic NIL partnership agreements, generating incremental sponsorship revenue, and meeting NIL revenue goals. The Senior Director will act as a key enterprise connector within the Revenue Generation vertical, collaborating with Front Office leadership on commercial opportunities and Athlete Services for seamless fulfillment and brand activation. This role will also spearhead non-traditional revenue concepts and special event integrations to enhance the department's commercial ecosystem.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
At least three years of experience
Ability to generate and present ideas/concepts succinctly and provide creative solutions to prospects/clients.
Outstanding communication skills are essential for interactions with clients, operational leaders, and other senior executives.
Demonstrated professional sales presentation skills.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience navigating complex sports ecosystems, with a strong understanding of how revenue generation directly impacts roster management (cap/budgeting) and athlete-facing services.
Proven history of conceptualizing or executing large-scale special events, non-traditional facility monetization, or alternative commercial joint-ventures.
Experience with integrated and “conceptual” sales

Responsibilities

Develop and execute strategic NIL sales presentations to generate new NIL opportunities in alignment with Virginia Sports Properties, Playfly Max, and UVA Athletics’ goals.
Identify, pitch, and execute non-traditional revenue streams to diversify the athletic department's funding model, including leveraging facility utilization for special events, public-private ventures, and innovative corporate activations beyond standard inventory.
Identify, research, and cultivate NIL relationships with local, regional, and national brands that align with UVA Athletics’ mission, values, and fan demographics.
Support and manage existing NIL corporate partners.
Collaborate with UVA Athletics, Playfly Max, and Virginia Sports Properties to create new NIL marketing assets for UVA student-athletes.
Partner closely with Front Office leadership (including GMs and Capologists) to ensure corporate NIL initiatives align seamlessly with roster planning and compliance frameworks.
Coordinate directly with the Athlete Services division to streamline partner activations, brand education, and student-athlete fulfillment.
Conduct annual needs assessments to understand client NIL goals and objectives.
Build compelling sales presentations that leverage data, fan insights, and integrated marketing opportunities to maximize student-athlete marketing opportunities.
Maintain strong relationships with NIL partners, campus stakeholders, and community leaders through consistent communication and in-person engagement.
Represent UVA Athletics, Playfly Max, Virginia Sports Properties and UVA NIL with a high level of integrity and positive attitude at designated home games, NIL events, and university functions.