Director of Sports Partnerships

THE JOB: The Director of Sports Partnerships is responsible for managing and activating a strategic segment of MGM Resorts' sports sponsorship portfolio to deliver on key organizational initiatives and commercial business goals. This role requires an agile relationship builder with a proven track record of activating and maximizing high-value sports partnerships who takes hands-on ownership of partnership value creation- from deal evaluation and collaborative negotiation to multi-platform activation, VIP hospitality execution, and comprehensive ROI tracking. Serving as a key day-to-day liaison between the organization, designated sports leagues, franchise partners, athletic talent, agencies, and cross-functional teams, the Director ensures every partnership operates at premier standards and drives long-term brand affinity.

THE DAY-TO-DAY: Execute a focused sports sponsorship strategy for an assigned portfolio of properties, aligning activations with core commercial targets and brand growth priorities. Directs the over-arching activation and hospitality frameworks for brand marketing, omnichannel media, premier hospitality, and experiential onsite activations to maximize brand affinity and drive customer engagement. Act as a subject-matter expert on sports business trends, competitive benchmarking, and emerging activation platforms within assigned categories. Support partnership consideration pipeline development by identifying, vetting, and building business cases for new partnership opportunities. Build and maintain strong day-to-day relationships across assigned sports leagues, franchises, athletic talent, and agency partners. Partner with internal and external stakeholders to unlock cross-promotional value, support world-class events, and accelerate sports visitation and brand loyalty. Track, analyze, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) and contractual delivery across assigned partnerships. Coordinate post-campaign valuations, ROI analyses, and recap reports in partnership with analytics teams and external agencies, translating performance data into clear, actionable growth opportunities and executive summaries for department leadership. Owns the negotiation and commercial structuring of sponsorship agreements to maximize return on partner investments. Manage contract lifecycle workflows and direct inventory allocation and fulfillment for marketing and media, premium ticket inventory, and create and maintain core account documentation and executive presentation materials. Establishes, forecasts, and manages the operational budget. Maintains fiscal oversight of allocated activation budgets and contract-related expenses, ensuring efficient resource allocation and strict cost control across all assigned programs. Lead, manage, and develop a junior team, establishing performance targets, conducting performance evaluations, and overseeing workload allocation across assigned sports properties.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE: 4+ Years of Prior Relevant Experience in entertainment, sports, events, or prior relevant experience Required Bachelor's Degree required Experience working in partnership management or similar sport, resort, entertainment or sponsorship setting Experience with Invite Manager and KORE Konnect

THE PERKS & BENEFITS: Prioritize your wellness, access programs crafted to nurture your mental and physical health. Enjoy unbeatable discounts on hotel stays, dining, retail, entertainment, and exclusive partner perks for travel, tech, and beyond! Park with ease-whether you're on or off shift, it's free! From healthcare to financial support and generous time-off options, we've got you covered. Elevate your career with development programs, connect through networking events, and make a difference with community volunteer opportunities.