Senior Director of Partnerships

Position Overview The Senior Director of Partnerships will lead strategy, partnerships, and activation across sports, entertainment, and culture. This role sits within the Global Media & Partnerships team and will oversee a portfolio spanning athletes, teams, leagues, celebrity talent, entertainment content, and cultural partnerships. Sports & Entertainment Strategy Define and lead Lilly’s global sports and entertainment marketing strategy, identifying how partnerships across athletes, teams, leagues, entertainment talent, and cultural platforms can advance Lilly’s brand and business priorities. Establish a significant role for the Lilly brand within sports and entertainment, ensuring partnerships align with Lilly’s purpose, reputation, and strategic priorities. Identify and evaluate new partnership opportunities across sports leagues, teams, athletes, entertainment platforms, streaming content, and cultural moments that support Lilly’s enterprise objectives. Develop long‑term partnership frameworks that improve impact across brand building, disease awareness, and business growth. Talent & Partnership Leadership Oversee Lilly’s global athlete, celebrity, and talent engagement strategy, ensuring partnerships reflect authentic storytelling and align with Lilly’s brand values. Lead negotiations and strategic management of partnerships with athletes, sports leagues, teams, entertainment talent, studios, and cultural organizations. Ensure talent collaborations balance brand intent with authentic voice and lived experience, building trust and cultural relevance. Collaborate with teams to develop talent storytelling strategies that reinforce Lilly’s mission to improve health outcomes and advance understanding of disease. Cultural Activation Collaborate with creative, media, and PR teams to bring partnerships to life through content, experiential marketing, media integrations, and storytelling platforms. Oversee creative integration of sponsorships and talent into sports programming, entertainment content, and cultural moments. Team Leadership & Organizational Development Lead and develop a team responsible for sports partnerships, talent management, and entertainment marketing initiatives. Provide strategic direction and mentorship to ensure high‑performing execution across partnership portfolios. Develop a culture of collaboration, creativity, and operational excellence across the team. Agency & Stakeholder Management Oversee relationships with sports marketing agencies, entertainment agencies, talent representation firms, and creative partners. Serve as a senior leader coordinating with internal collaborators including Media, PR, Legal, Privacy, Ethics & Compliance, Regulatory, and Brand teams. Ensure cross‑functional alignment and seamless execution of partnership initiatives. Measurement & Business Impact Develop measurement frameworks to evaluate the brand and business impact of sports and entertainment partnerships, including brand lift, engagement, and contribution to business outcomes. Partner with analytics teams to track performance and continuously optimize partnership investments. Financial & Operational Excellence Supervise budgets and financial planning across sports and entertainment partnerships, ensuring strong fiscal accountability. Partner with procurement and finance teams to ensure compliance with Lilly’s contracting and financial processes. Maintain operational rigor in contract management, partnership governance, and compliance with regulatory requirements. Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business, or related field. 10+ years of experience in sports marketing, entertainment marketing, partnership development, or talent management. 5+ years of leadership experience managing teams. Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis. Lilly will not provide sponsorship for any work authorization or visa. Preferred Qualifications Experience leading partnerships across athletes, sports leagues, teams, entertainment talent, and cultural platforms. Deep understanding of sports marketing, entertainment partnerships, and talent‑led storytelling. Experience leading integrated brand partnerships and large‑scale sponsorships. Experience running agency relationships and external partners. Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence across a complex global organization. Excellent critical thinking and relationship leadership skills. Demonstrated ability to lead in a fast‑paced, matrixed, and global environment. Additional Information Role based in Indianapolis. Relocation assistance provided. Compensation and Benefits Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $154,500 – $226,600 . Full‑time employees will also be eligible for a company bonus, depending in part on company and individual performance. Lilly offers a comprehensive benefits program, including eligibility for a company‑sponsored 401(k), pension, vacation, medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, leave benefits, and well‑being resources. Accommodation Request If you require accommodation to submit a resume for this position, please complete the accommodation request form at for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process; other correspondence will not receive a response. Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. #J-18808-Ljbffr