VVEAVE is hiring: Director of Sports Brand Partnerships in New York

Director of Sports Brand Partnerships

North America / Europe • Full-time

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Director of Sports Brand Partnerships to lead our strategic partnership initiatives and drive revenue growth through high-value client acquisition. This role will focus on securing partnerships with major sports teams, associations, and players. The ideal candidate will leverage deep industry relationships and a proven track record in sports and entertainment to position our production infrastructure technology as the go-to solution for premium clients.

What You'll Do

Strategic Partnership Development

• Develop and execute comprehensive partnership strategies targeting sports franchises associations, platforms and players
• Lead negotiations for multi-million dollar technology licensing and service agreements
• Create customized partnership proposals that demonstrate ROI and competitive advantages of our production infrastructure platform
• Establish long-term strategic relationships that extend beyond transactional engagements

Client Acquisition & Revenue Generation

• Own and exceed annual partnership revenue targets
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of enterprise-level prospects across target verticals
• Coordinate with product and engineering teams to ensure client needs drive platform development roadmap
• Structure creative partnership models including revenue sharing, equity partnerships, and co-innovation agreements

Industry Relationship Management

• Leverage existing network and build new relationships with key decision makers in sports organizations, talent agencies and media companies
• Represent the company at major industry events including sports business conferences, and entertainment industry summits
• Serve as primary external spokesperson for partnership initiatives and thought leadership content

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build and lead a high-performing Sports partnerships team
• Collaborate closely with Sales, Marketing, Product, and Customer Success teams to ensure seamless partner onboarding and retention
• Establish partnerships operations processes, KPIs, and reporting mechanisms

Required Qualifications

Experience & Background

• 8+ years of progressive business development, partnerships, or sales leadership experience
• Minimum 5 years in senior roles within sports, entertainment, or related industries
• Proven track record of closing partnerships worth $5M+ annually
• Experience working with C-suite executives, management teams, and sports organization leadership

Industry Knowledge & Networks

• Established relationships within sports business ecosystem (leagues, teams, agencies, sponsors)
• Knowledge of celebrity brand development, licensing, and merchandise operations
• Familiarity with media and entertainment industry partnership models

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional negotiation and deal structuring capabilities
• Strong presentation skills with ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Strategic thinking with ability to identify non-obvious partnership opportunities
• Experience with CRM systems, partnership management tools, and data-driven decision making

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience at sports business agencies, or entertainment industry platforms
• Track record of successful partnership integrations and long-term relationship management
• International business development experience

Location

Based in North America or Europe with regular travel required (30-40%) for client meetings, industry events, and team management.

What We Offer

• Competitive base salary and commission structure
• Equity package with significant upside potential
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Professional development opportunities
• Work with cutting-edge technology and premium brand clients
• Shape the future of an industry

About VVEAVE

VVEAVE is transforming the apparel manufacturing landscape through AI-driven fashion production. Seamlessly connecting brands to a global network of integrated factories. We\'re building the future of fashion supply chains with transparency, efficiency, and sustainability at our core.

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences.