Director, Partnerships - Fanatics Events

Job Description

About Fanatics Events

Fanatics is a global leader in licensed sports merchandise, collectibles, and fan experiences. Our newest platform, Fanatics Events, creates large-scale consumer festivals and live experiences that bring fans, athletes, and partners together.

Our flagship productions include Fanatics Fest– a first-of-its-kind multi-day fan festival currently hosted in New York City, combining sports, collectibles, athlete appearances, and immersive activations; and WWE World– a multi-day consumer event produced in partnership with WWE, bringing fans closer to superstars, storylines, and experiences during major tentpole weekends.

As we scale our live events business, we’re seeking a Partnerships Director to help architect and oversee sponsorship programs for our brand partners.

The Role

The Partnerships Director will lead sponsorship deal making from early-stage program design through post-sales fulfillment, with a primary focus on Fanatics Fest. This role will partner with operations, creative strategy, and advertising teams during the pre-sale process to confirm deal feasibility, then oversees fulfillment with a strict eye on margin. Beyond Fanatics Fest, the Director could also lead sponsor coordination for events such as WWE World and other partner-driven events, ensuring consistency and excellence across the Fanatics Events portfolio.

What You'll Do

• Pre-Sale Support
• Partner with operations, creative strategy, and advertising teams to qualify sponsorship opportunities.
• Create and enforce Deal Term Outlines to ensure operational alignment and profitability.
• Fulfillment Leadership
• Oversee execution of sponsorship deliverables.
• Lead fulfillment planning with strict attention to cost efficiency.
• Define and enforce deadlines for asset collection, approvals, and trafficking.
• Cross-Functional Management
• Coordinate with Ops, Marketing, Talent, Legal, and Finance to ensure feasibility and deal term alignment.
• Lead communications with vendors and contractors (agencies, Javits Center etc.)
• Team Leadership
• Coach & mentor Partnerships Manager(s) and other support staff.
• Influence scalable fulfillment processes and tools (dashboards, trackers, comms protocols).
• On-Site Leadership
• Oversee Partnership Manager(s) and assigned sponsor integrations/activations on-site; resolve issues in real time.
• Continuous Improvement
• Capture event learnings to improve/inform future Event strategy.
  

What We're Looking For

• 8–12 years of experience in brand partnerships, sponsorship fulfillment, or live event operations; experience leading multi-million-dollar event portfolios required.
• Proven ability to translate commercial deals into operational reality
• Strong background in live event production or large-scale experiential activations; experience with major convention centers (e.g., Javits Center) strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing cross-functional teams and agency/vendor relationships under tight timelines.
• Skilled in budget planning and margin management, with a history of delivering projects on time and on budget.
• Excellent communicator with executive presence; able to represent Fanatics with external partners, vendors, and clients.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office/Google Workspace.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment and motivated by solving complex logistical challenges.
• Willingness to travel and work on-site during major event weeks (including weekends, as needed).
  
  

The salary range for this position is $145,000 to $155,000, which represents base pay only and does not include short-term or long-term incentive compensation. When determining base pay, as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training.

About Us

Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally.