Director, Partnership Development

Position Summary:

The Director, Partnership Development works as a member of the Business Development team to develop and execute innovative partnership strategies that drive consumer sentiment, trust, and dairy consumption across Florida and Michigan. This role leads the development, activation, and optimization of strategic partnerships across professional and collegiate sports teams, and other organizations that align with strategic priorities.

The Director is responsible for identifying high-impact partnership opportunities, negotiating and managing partnership agreements, and ensuring integrated execution across internal teams and external stakeholders. This individual will oversee partnership programs within assigned work segments and is expected to supervise staff, agency partners, interns, and/or cross-functional project teams as applicable. The role requires strong leadership, budget management, relationship development, and the ability to align partnership investments with measurable business outcomes and organizational objectives.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Identify, cultivate, negotiate, and manage strategic partnerships with professional and collegiate sports organizations, and other partners to improve consumer sentiment and drive dairy consumption.
• Lead the development and execution of partnership activation strategies that align with the FDF|UDIM strategic plan and organizational priorities.
• Analyze partnership performance, audience engagement, and activation effectiveness to optimize partnership mix and maximize ROI across key consumer segments and strategic outcomes.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for assigned sports and strategic partnerships, ensuring contractual deliverables, promotional assets, hospitality opportunities, and community activations are executed effectively.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal and external teams to ensure consistent messaging, integrated programming, and seamless execution of partnership initiatives.
• Supervise assigned staff, interns, agencies, vendors, and/or project teams involved in partnership development and activation efforts, providing direction, coaching, accountability, and performance oversight.
• Manage partnership budgets, timelines, and resources to ensure efficient allocation of funds and maximum organizational impact.
• Monitor industry trends, emerging partnership opportunities, and consumer engagement strategies to identify innovative ways to elevate dairy relevance and visibility.
• Represent the dairy checkoff at industry events, conferences, sports and community partner meetings, and stakeholder engagements.
• Develop and present partnership recaps, performance reports, and strategic recommendations to internal leadership and external stakeholders.

Key Competencies:

• Program & Project Management - Leads the strategic development, execution, evaluation, and continuous improvement of programs while proactively identifying opportunities, managing priorities, and driving operational efficiency.
• Planning & Integration - Collaborates across teams and executive leadership to align program vision, strategic planning, evaluation, and organizational priorities.
• Budget Management - Oversees budgeting, resource allocation, and fiscal accountability within area of responsibility.
• Communication - Communicates clearly and professionally while building consensus, handling sensitive information with discretion, and presenting effectively to diverse audiences.
• Strategic Thinking - Anticipates market trends, drives innovation, prioritizes high-impact initiatives, and motivates teams to achieve ambitious organizational goals.
• Partnership Management - Develops, manages, and strengthens partner and agency relationships, contracts, and strategic collaboration opportunities.
• Board & Executive Engagement - Maintains effective working relationships and routine engagement with executive leadership and board members.
• Supervisory & Leadership Responsibilities - Leads, mentors, and supports teams and contractors while fostering accountability, collaboration, and professional development.
• Teamwork - Builds collaborative, high-performing teams by resolving challenges, supporting staff needs, and promoting cross-functional partnership.
• Judgment & Decision Making - Exercises sound judgment, integrity, transparency, and accountability when making complex organizational decisions.
• Achieving Results & Technical Expertise - Establishes performance goals, monitors outcomes, provides subject matter expertise, and promotes continuous learning and best practices.
• Change Management & Resilience - Leads organizational change initiatives with resilience, adaptability, innovation, and commitment to achieving results in challenging environments.