About the Louisville Bats:
The Louisville Bats, Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, combine rich baseball tradition with a lively game-day experience at Slugger Field. With a focus on player development and community pride, the Bats continue to be a key part of Louisville’s sports culture. As part of Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), the Bats are supported by a network of clubs focused on innovation, collaboration, and long-term success. DBH provides employees with opportunities for professional growth, development, and career advancement within a supportive and team-oriented environment.
Position Overview:
The Louisville Bats are seeking a results-oriented sales professional to generate and develop new sponsorship sales revenue across multiple products including but not limited to, entitlement and naming rights, stadium signage & experiences, in-game promotions, digital, print, radio, hospitality and promotional nights. Working closely with the broader DBH Sales organization, the Director will take a hands-on approach to selling & managing Bats' sponsorship and advertising products while providing some strategic and analytical support to the broader team.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Serve as department liaison with National Sales & Marketing team, other DBH member clubs and MiLB as it relates to sharing ideas, best practices, and sales strategies
- Strategize on overall direction of department to include sales, service, analytics, and development
- Charged with securing and renewing club’s cornerstone partners in partnership with the GM
- Research, identify, and track sponsorship prospects locally with a view to grow regionally, and nationally, within target industries and segments
- Work closely with the DBH National Partnerships organization to leverage and optimize sales on an individual and multi-property basis
- Prospect, pitch, and close new sponsorship deals in support of individual and department revenue goals
- Build and maintain a robust list of prospective sponsorship targets
- Develop a full suite of assets and packages for sale
- Lead and direct ongoing sponsorship sales presentations with internal and external partners; develop positive relationships with prospects to execute against short and long-term strategic sponsorship sales plans
- Lead contract negotiations for new business
- Renew & upsell/expand existing client base where applicable
- Lead the activation and execution of all sponsorship deliverables pre-game, in-game and post-game
- Responsible for ensuring property/local sales is up to date and accurate in CRM
- Provide weekly reporting of sales metrics including pipeline generation, account status, revenue and quota attainment, and relevant sponsor interaction
- Ensure execution of all contracts and other documents associated with partnerships. Oversee accurate fulfillment of sponsor benefits as appropriate to their respective agreements
- Ensure the Club’s sales efforts are being communicated and supported throughout the organization
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree preferred
- 5-8 years in sales and business development role; ability to demonstrate consistent history of exceeding sales goals preferably within professional sports organizations
- Demonstrable experience of developing and selling fully integrated sponsorship packages utilizing a variety of assets including
- Experience developing engaging and impactful sales plans and presentations, promotional campaigns, proposals and associated contract negotiations
- Proven ability to be a leader and generate revenue in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to provide exceptional customer service to varying levels of clients
- Strong understanding of strategic analysis as it pertains to the sales process
- Ability to think “outside of the box” when customizing a sales proposal
- Strong internal drive and work ethic; willing to go above and beyond to deliver for the organization
- Relentless dedication to consistently building meaningful business relationships
- Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to collaborate, influence and build positive relationships within a multitude of business environments
- A creative problem solver and strategic thinker
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and CRM software, preferably KORE
- Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and efficiently lead and prioritize multiple projects at once
- Ability to attend all Louisville Bats home games and special events; minimal travel also required
- Passionate about baseball!
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree
- 5-8 years in sales and business development
- Proven history of exceeding sales goals
- Experience developing and selling fully integrated sponsorship packages
- Experience developing sales plans, presentations, promotional campaigns, proposals and contract negotiations
- Ability to secure and renew cornerstone partners and upsell existing clients
- Lead activation and execution of sponsorship deliverables pre-game, in-game and post-game
- Experience with CRM software and maintaining accurate pipeline data
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
- Strong customer service and relationship-building skills
- Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills
- Ability to work independently, prioritize multiple projects and meet deadlines
- Ability to attend all home games and special events; minimal travel required
- Creative problem solver and strategic thinker
- Familiarity with KORE CRM (preferred)
- Experience in professional sports organizations (preferred)
- Passion for baseball
What We Do
Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH) is a leading American sports ownership and management group that owns and operates a growing portfolio of Minor League Baseball teams across the United States. The company focuses on elevating fan experiences, modernizing stadium operations, and strengthening local community engagement through professional management, innovation, and investment, aiming to preserve the national pastime while driving the future of the sport.
