Director, Partner Development

The Director of Partner Development leads a portfolio of Power 4 partnerships, working closely with the Vice President of Partner Development to drive growth, retention, and long-term partner satisfaction across the organization’s most strategic accounts. This role includes direct management of a team member responsible for a portfolio of accounts and requires close collaboration with the Directors of Partner Intelligence and Partner Monetization to deliver a unified, high-impact partner experience.
This is a senior, consultative position designed for a strategic leader who thrives in complex, relationship-driven environments. The Director partners with premier athletic departments nationwide, advising on key priorities such as fanbase growth, digital monetization, data-driven decision-making, and engaging the next generation of fans. The role owns a defined book of Power 4 partnerships, drives renewals and expansion opportunities, and ensures the full capabilities of the organization are brought to every partner interaction.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Own renewal, retention, and revenue growth across a portfolio of Power 4 partnerships
• Lead, coach, and develop a direct report responsible for account management, ensuring consistent execution and high-quality partner engagement
• Invest in long-term relationships with Power 4 partners through senior-level engagement, consultative partnership, and deep subject matter expertise across the SIDEARM platform
• Represent SIDEARM’s strategy and capabilities in senior-level partner conversations and executive forums
• Promote awareness and adoption of new platform features and solutions, including cross-company offerings, across all partner relationships
• Serve as the primary escalation point for partner issues within the portfolio, collaborating with the VP of Partner Development as needed
• Partner with the Director of Partner Intelligence to integrate insights, analytics, and AI-driven reporting into account strategy and decision-making
• Collaborate with the Director of Partner Monetization to ensure effective delivery of sponsorship packages and revenue strategies
• Monitor and improve client satisfaction metrics, including NPS, CSAT, and CES
• Identify and close expansion opportunities by aligning partner needs with emerging capabilities such as Partner Intelligence, gamification, mobile strategy, and OAS
• Contribute to partner-facing deliverables, including renewal proposals, executive presentations, on-campus engagements, and conference participation

Minimum Qualifications:

• 8+ years of client-facing experience in partner development, account management, or consultative sales, preferably within sports, media, SaaS, or similar long-cycle B2B environments
• Demonstrated success growing six- and seven-figure partnerships through renewals and expansion
• Proven ability to present, influence, and close business with both prospective and existing clients
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to translate partner needs into actionable outcomes across product, operations, intelligence, and monetization teams
• Prior people management or team leadership experience
• Analytical mindset with experience leveraging data to monitor and improve client satisfaction and performance metrics
• Exceptional communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to craft compelling narratives for senior stakeholders, including athletic directors and executive leadership
• Strong ownership mentality with a proactive approach to identifying opportunities and mitigating risks
• Proficiency with AI tools and a solid understanding of their application within sports and digital strategy
• Experience with digital platforms or sports technology
• Established relationships within collegiate athletics—particularly with athletic directors, digital/technology leaders, or conference offices is a strong differentiator

Learfield offers a full spectrum of benefits for eligible employees including Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account, Life Insurance and Other Insurance Plans, Flexible Paid Time Off (minimum 10+ days annually), including Parental Leave, 20 Paid Holidays, 401(k) + Match, and Short/Long Term Disability. Leave benefits are consistent with state and local laws, including the Colorado Health Families and Workplaces Act.

Learfield is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race; color; sex; gender identity; sexual orientation; religious practices and observances; national origin; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; status as a protected veteran or spouse/family member of a protected veteran; or disability.