Head of Partnerships

About Us: Unrivaled Sports (“Unrivaled”) is a leading provider of youth sports programming dedicated to delivering world-class experiences, development opportunities, and platforms for young athletes to excel both on and off the field. Unrivaled Sports is the parent company overseeing a diverse portfolio of properties and programming across baseball, softball, football, action sports and more. As we expand, we are looking for a dynamic Head of Partnerships to join our leadership team and help us build strong partnerships that elevate our brand(s).

Position Overview: The Head of Partnerships at Unrivaled Sports will be responsible for developing and managing a robust partnerships strategy that drives new revenue while unlocking new marketing and media channels to animate and amplify our brands and properties. This role is integral to our growth, collaborating closely with the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and each sport CEO to shape and execute our partnership strategy at both the sport vertical level and across Unrivaled. The Head of Partnerships will lead and develop a high-performing team overseeing at least three team members, including a Director of Partnership Marketing, and will be expected to elevate our partnership capabilities, foster creativity, and ensure world-class partnership experiences.

Key Responsibilities:

Partnership Strategy & Development

• Develop and lead the overall partnership strategy, including identifying new opportunities and managing existing relationships to drive incremental value for Unrivaled Sports.
• Grow strategic partnership revenue across all venues and programming by acquiring new partners through fully integrated, customized sponsorship programs.
• Research and understand prospective partner business objectives, aligning assets and customer insights to objectives to create compelling partnership opportunities.
• Prospect, pitch, negotiate, and close new national and regional partnership opportunities in both endemic and non-endemic brand categories.  
• Develop event, media and marketing partnerships to enhance the value of our partnership programs.
• Work closely with the Director of Partnership Marketing and marketing teams to create new assets and entitlements to be sold across venues and programming.
• Stay ahead of sponsorship/marketing trends and knowledge of the marketplace, bringing innovative ideas to enhance partnership offerings.

Partnership Relations & Management

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with sponsors, partners, and key stakeholders, ensuring seamless communication, activation, and high levels of satisfaction.
• Oversee the Partnerships Team including all account management, partner relations and activation, identifying opportunities for enhancement and maximizing ROI for partners.
• Develop and maintain a status report and scorecard of opportunities and prospects.

Collaboration & Cross-Functional Support

• Collaborate closely with the Chief Commercial Officer, each sport vertical CEO, and other senior leaders to align partnership initiatives with the broader commercial strategy and business objectives.

• Collaborate with the Marketing department and Partnerships team to craft presentations, storytelling, and collateral that effectively communicate Unrivaled Sports' value proposition.
• Represent Unrivaled Sports within the sports industry and develop meaningful relationships with key stakeholders to facilitate growth.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop the Partnerships team including identifying resource needs, structural design of the function, and fostering a culture of collaboration, creativity, and accountability.
• Support special projects and initiatives as needed.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 12 years of related experience in partnership management, business development, sponsorship sales, or strategic alliances.
• At least 7 years of experience in leading a team, with a demonstrated track record of building and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong background in partnership strategy/sales and relationship management, preferably in sports, entertainment, or experiential environments.
• Proven experience in selling, negotiating and managing large, complex partnership deals.
• Results-oriented and competitive approach, with the ability to build strong internal and external relationships and goodwill.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and engage at all levels.
• Strong analytical skills and a data-driven mindset to measure partnership effectiveness and return on investment.
• Ability to work collaboratively across functions and with senior leadership to drive business outcomes.

Unrivaled Sports is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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