Director of Corporate Partnerships

Director Of Corporate Partnerships

The Director Of Corporate Partnerships is responsible for leading the organization's corporate partnerships and sponsorship business and delivering results aligned to the Company's stated goals. This senior leadership role owns partnership revenue, expenses, margins, and profit targets and is accountable for executing against approved plans. Success in this role is measured by achievement of defined revenue and profitability goals, the strength of the partnerships portfolio, and the ability to build a high-performing team that consistently delivers results. This individual is expected to drive innovation in partnership offerings while maintaining commercial discipline and operational excellence.

Key responsibilities include:

• Own and deliver the Corporate Partnerships department's annual revenue, expense, margin, and profit targets
• Operate the partnerships function with full P&L accountability
• Develop and manage departmental budgets, forecasts, and sales pipelines
• Measure performance against plan and take corrective action when goals are at risk
• Provide clear, outcome-focused reporting to executive leadership
• Translate Company-level goals into clear departmental priorities and execution plans
• Align team efforts to the organization's strategic and financial objectives
• Measure success by outcomes and goal achievement, not activity or effort
• Proactively identify risks to performance and implement solutions
• Maintain transparency around progress, challenges, and results
• Develop and execute partnership strategies designed to achieve or exceed approved revenue and profit targets
• Identify, pursue, and close new corporate partnerships and sponsorships
• Maintain personal involvement in high-value and strategic sales opportunities
• Lead the development of proposals, pricing, and rate cards
• Ensure consistency in value proposition, deal structure, and partner expectations
• Drive innovation in partnership models, assets, and offerings
• Challenge legacy approaches and continuously evaluate how partnerships can create greater value
• Identify and test new categories, platforms, and activation concepts
• Use data, market insights, and industry trends to inform strategy and investment decisions
• Ensure innovation efforts result in measurable revenue and profitability impact
• Lead, mentor, and develop the Corporate Partnerships team
• Set clear individual goals that ladder up to departmental and company objectives
• Coach team members to improve selling effectiveness, account management, and renewal performance
• Build a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement
• Multiply individual performance by developing others to drive revenue
• Oversee the Partnership Activation team and own the fulfillment of all contracted sponsorship assets
• Ensure partnership deliverables are executed accurately, on time, and in alignment with client expectations and contractual commitments
• Work proactively with partners to review, align on, and secure approval of assets, concepts, and execution plans well in advance of activation
• Establish clear processes, timelines, and accountability between sales, activation, marketing, and operations
• Ensure partners receive measurable value and a consistent, high-quality experience throughout the partnership lifecycle
• Lead renewal, upsell, and long-term retention strategies grounded in strong execution and documented results
• Oversee development of renewal, recap, and performance reporting materials
• Maintain senior-level relationships with key partners to support retention, growth, and long-term value
• Work closely with the Director of Ticket Sales to align partnership and ticketing strategies and drive shared revenue opportunities
• Partner with Marketing to align partner messaging, campaigns, and lead generation
• Collaborate Operations and Game/Event Experience teams to ensure flawless execution
• Coordinate with Merchandise and other departments on integrated partnership opportunities
• Support organization-wide planning and execution
• Ensure disciplined use of CRM, pipeline tracking, and sales reporting tools
• Analyze performance data to improve forecasting, conversion, and revenue outcomes
• Identify and implement tools and processes that increase efficiency and effectiveness
• Establish scalable systems that support growth

Qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, sales, sports management, or related field preferred
• 5-8+ years of experience in corporate partnerships or sponsorship sales
• Proven track record of delivering revenue and profit targets
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams
• Strong financial and analytical skills
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills
• Experience in sports, entertainment, or live events strongly preferred
• Willingness to work non-traditional hours, including nights, weekends, and events

What success looks like:

• Partnership revenue and profitability goals are consistently achieved
• The partnerships pipeline is healthy, diversified, and aligned to growth targets
• Innovation results in new, scalable revenue opportunities
• Team members clearly understand expectations and consistently deliver results
• Cross-functional partners view Corporate Partnerships as aligned, accountable, and effective

What we're looking for:

• A leader who measures success by outcomes, holds themselves and others accountable to goals, and continuously raises the bar for performance and innovation
• A revenue-driven executive who owns results
• A strong seller who knows how to multiply impact through others
• A collaborative leader who works effectively across teams

Compensation structure includes:

• Competitive base salary
• Commission earned on corporate partnership sales. Total earnings are performance-based, with upside for high achievers.
• Incentive compensation tied to additional individual and company performance goals.
• Benefits package

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Carolina Core FC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.