Director of Partnerships, Greensboro Swarm

The Greensboro Swarm, the NBA G League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, is seeking a Director of Partnerships to lead and grow the organization’s corporate partnership strategy. This role serves as a senior leader within the Swarm’s business operations team and is responsible for generating revenue through the development of innovative, customized, and fully integrated marketing partnerships. The Director of Partnerships will focus exclusively on corporate partnerships, driving new business development while cultivating long-term strategic relationships that align with partner objectives and organizational goals. This position will oversee the Partnerships team and collaborate cross-functionally to deliver best-in-class activation and service for all corporate partners and report to the President of the Greensboro Swarm.

Core Values

The Charlotte Hornets organization embodies the following core values

• Integrity
• Teamwork
• Competitiveness
• Candor
• Accountability
• Resilience

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the overall corporate partnerships strategy for the Greensboro Swarm, driving significant year-over-year revenue growth.
• Develop and close new business through customized, solution-based partnership platforms including sponsorships, media, digital, community, and experiential assets.
•  Build, manage, and grow a robust pipeline of prospective partners across key business categories within the Greensboro and greater Triad market.
•  Oversee the day-to-day management of the Partnerships team, including hiring, training, coaching, and performance management.
• Establish annual sales goals, revenue targets, and strategic objectives for the Partnerships department.
•  Collaborate with Marketing, Ticket Sales, Game Presentation, Community Impact and Operations to ensure seamless execution and fulfillment of partnership agreements.
• Lead the creation of compelling partnership proposals, presentations, recaps, and mid-season reports that clearly demonstrate measurable return on investment.
•  Maintain accurate records of partner activity, deal terms, and pipeline status within CRM systems.
• Develop long-term renewal strategies and upsell opportunities to maximize partner retention and lifetime value.
• Represent the Greensboro Swarm at networking events, league meetings, and community engagements to strengthen the organization’s corporate presence.
• Assist in budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning processes related to partnership revenue.
•  Ensure compliance with NBA G League and Hornets Sports & Entertainment partnership guidelines and reporting requirements.
• Other duties as assigned by leadership.

Required Skills, Experience and Abilities

To perform the job successfully, you should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management, Business Administration, Marketing, or related field from an accredited college or university.
•  Minimum of three (3) years of professional experience in corporate partnerships, sponsorship sales, or integrated marketing, preferably within professional or collegiate sports.
• Demonstrated success in generating and closing six- and seven-figure partnership agreements.
• Proven leadership experience with the ability to build, mentor, and motivate high-performing sales teams.
•  Strong understanding of integrated marketing platforms including digital, social, broadcast, in-arena, and community-based assets.
•  Exceptional presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and CRM systems such as Kore or Microsoft Dynamics.
• Ability to develop creative, data-driven partnership solutions that align with brand objectives.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Willingness to work evenings, weekends, and select holidays as required by the team schedule
•  High level of professionalism, integrity, and discretion when handling confidential information.

Additional Information

Hornets Sports & Entertainment is dedicated to creating and upholding a welcoming environment that celebrates diversity. HSE provides valuable benefits and competitive time off policies to help you and your family lead healthy, balanced lives.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.