The Corporate Partnerships Development Manager will play a key role in driving sponsorship revenue for the St. Louis Cardinals, with a primary focus on new business development. This role is responsible for identifying, negotiating, and securing corporate partnerships by engaging local, regional, and national companies. The ideal candidate will excel at selling fully integrated partnerships, including marketing rights, entitlements, promotions, media (digital, social, radio, and print), permanent and digital signage, hospitality/suites, community programs, special events, and Ballpark Village marketing assets.

Additionally, this role will maintain and grow senior-level relationships with new and existing corporate partners by developing new revenue opportunities and mutually beneficial market activation programs. The Corporate Partnerships Development Manager will report to the Director, Corporate Partnerships and work closely with other internal stakeholders to maximize revenue potential.

Key Responsibilities:

Business Development & Sales

Proactively research and prospect corporate leads to secure new sponsorships through a consultative sales approach.
Develop and present compelling custom sponsorship proposals tailored to corporate decision-makers.
Negotiate and execute multi-year partnership agreements, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and maximizing revenue potential.
Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including marketing, ticketing, community relations, and events, to develop innovative and fully integrated sponsorship opportunities.

Creative Sponsorship Development

Develop customized, integrated sponsorship proposals that achieve partner business objectives leveraging club assets and intellectual property.
Partner with marketing, creative, and production teams to ensure sponsorship activations align with the Cardinals' brand and deliver compelling fan experiences.
Work closely with the Corporate Partnerships Strategy team to ensure data-driven recommendations that maximize partnership effectiveness.

Relationship Management & Partner Engagement

Establish and maintain strong working relationships with C-suite level executives and key brand decision-makers.
Oversee select existing partnerships, ensuring activation elements are executed successfully while identifying opportunities for upsell and contract renewals.
Work closely with Corporate Partnership Account Services to ensure contractual fulfillment and maximize cross-promotion opportunities.
Develop measurable success metrics for each partnership and collaborate with brands to assess ROI and long-term growth potential.

Strategic Planning & Revenue Growth

Contribute to the development of overall sponsorship strategy, identifying category opportunities and revenue-driving initiatives.
Maximize category yield by strategically identifying and securing brands within high-value sponsorship categories.
Stay informed on industry trends, competitive sponsorship landscapes, and emerging marketing strategies to drive innovation in partnership development.
Participate in weekly sales reporting and forecasting meetings to track sales activities, progress, and goal attainment.

Qualifications & Experience:

3-4 years minimum, 7+ years recommended of experience in corporate partnerships, sponsorship sales, or business development, preferably within sports or entertainment.
Proven track record of achieving individual and team revenue goals and negotiating and closing multi-year, high-value partnership deals.
Expertise in sponsorship sales, brand marketing strategy, and activation planning.
Strong networking and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage corporate executives and brand marketers.
Creative mindset with the ability to develop unique, engaging sponsorship activations that resonate with fans and drive value for partners.
High-impact negotiation skills, with a focus on revenue growth and net profit bottom-line mentality.
A solutions-oriented, self-motivated team player with an exceptional work ethic.
Ability to operate under pressure and meet time-sensitive deadlines.
Experience with sponsorship valuation platforms (e.g., Relo Metrics, Zoomph) to assess media value and brand exposure.
Experience using a CRM tools (KORE, Salesforce, etc.) to track prospecting, pipeline development, and partnership activation.
Familiarity with the Midwest sponsorship landscape is preferred; experience working with regional, national, and international brands is a plus.
Ability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays based on business needs and events.
Willingness to travel as needed for client meetings, industry events, and sales opportunities.

Success Metrics

Achievement of individual annual sales goals and contribution to department revenue targets.
Growth of the sponsorship pipeline and category development.
Development of innovative, high-value sponsorship solutions that drive measurable ROI for partners.
Long-term relationship retention and expansion of existing sponsorships.