Partnerships Director
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 bring to life sponsorship programs for our brand partners.
The Partnerships Director will lead sponsorship deals from design through fulfillment, with a primary focus on Fanatics Fest. This role will partner with Advertising & Studios counterparts during the pre-sale process to validate deal feasibility and margin, then manage cross-functional fulfillment through to delivery. 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 :
- Partner with Advertising & Studios to validate feasibility and Events team alignment during design.
- Co-create and enforce Deal Term Outlines to ensure operational alignment and profitability.
- Oversee execution of sponsorship deliverables across Fanatics Fest and secondary events (e.g., WWE World).
- Lead fulfillment planning with strict attention to cost efficiency.
- Define and enforce deadlines for asset collection, approvals, and trafficking.
- 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.)
- Manage and mentor a Partnerships Manager and other support staff.
- Create scalable fulfillment processes and tools (dashboards, trackers, comms protocols).
- Oversee Partnership Manager and assigned sponsor integrations / activations on-site; resolve issues in real time.
- Capture event learnings to improve / inform future Event strategy.
What We're Looking For :
812 years of experience in brand partnerships, sponsorship fulfillment, or live event operations; experience leading multi-million-dollar event portfolios preferred.Proven ability to translate commercial deals into operational reality, partnering across Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Finance.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.