Director, Corporate Partnerships (56788)

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!