Director of Partnership Strategy and Solutions

The American Athletic Conference is accepting applications for the position of Director of Partnership Strategy and Solutions. The position reports directly to the Chief Commercial Officer.

The American is seeking a self-motivated, organized, and strategic thinker. The position will be responsible for conceptualizing and executing sellable programs, assets, and sponsorship ideas that align with brand objectives and provide tangible value for conference partners. This role will work closely and collaboratively with other internal departments, to ideate, develop, and refine marketable platforms that create mutual benefit for the organization’s functions and events.

THE ROLE AND CANDIDATE PROFILE

• A minimum of four years of experience in sponsorship strategy, brand partnerships, or sports/entertainment marketing. 
• Proven success in developing and executing sponsorship platforms and revenue-generating ideas. 
• Experience working with CRM systems (Salesforce, KORE preferred) in managing sponsorship assets and deal flow.
• Expert knowledge of digital, social media, and experiential marketing trends. 
• Exceptional presentation and communication skills spearheading the development of sales narratives through engaging and innovative presentations that include sizzle videos and storytelling design elements. 
• Ability to analyze sponsorship performance metrics and provide data-driven insights. 
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously while managing requests with cross-departmental teams to achieve our goals. 
• A true self-starter that excels in environments where you need to be nimble and resourceful.  
• Passion for sports, entertainment, and fan engagement, with a creative and entrepreneurial mindset.
• The individual must have the ability to work well with a variety of constituents, including conference staff, and administrators and staff at member institutions. Night and weekend work will be required. 
• Bachelor’s degree required. 

SPECIFIC AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Research, conceptualize, and evaluate innovative partnership opportunities, including branded content, experiential marketing, activations, and digital/social platforms. 
• Proactively look at industry trends in sports partnerships, marketing activations, and fan engagement strategies to continually innovate sellable assets. 
• Create, package, and present marketable sponsorship platforms that maximize revenue opportunities. 
• Work with internal teams to identify and develop sponsorship opportunities that drive engagement and value. 
• Develop compelling sales narratives, decks, and presentation materials that illustrate the benefits and return of investment (ROI) of sponsorship assets to potential brand partners. 
• Manage asset inventory to ensure availability, accurate documentation, and optimized effective usage for partnership sales. 
• Work with the Business and Data Strategy team to utilize insights, analytics, and fan data to inform and refine partnership platforms, ensuring they align with audience interests and brand objectives. 
• Assist in long-term planning for partnership growth, helping the team expand its’ commercial portfolio and revenue opportunities. 

APPLICATION PROCESS

A letter of application, resume, examples of work as appropriate, and a list of at least three professional references should be forwarded via email to:

Bryan Calka

Chief Commercial Officer

bcalka@theamerican.org

Compensation is commensurate with qualifications and experience and includes participation in the conference's employee benefit plan.

The American is an equal opportunity employer. The conference does not discriminate against applicants for employment on the basis of their membership in any protected class under federal or state law.