Job Title: Director, Partner Activation

Department: Corporate Partnerships

Reports to: Vice President, Corporate Partnerships

Position Summary: The Director, Partner Activation role will oversee the planning, execution, and day-to-day responsibilities for all aspects surrounding fulfilling sponsorship agreements. The ideal candidate is highly motivated and focused on developing the team, driving our overall Activation strategy, and is a thought-partner to grow the Lakers’ portfolio. The Director, Partner Activation, leads the Corporate Partnership Activation staff and continually identifies processes that enhance team productivity, while ensuring our sponsors are serviced at a high-level. This role is a trusted leader to Account Managers and Account Coordinators, providing information, coaching, guidance, and ideas; allowing the Corporate Partnerships Sales staff to heavily focus on selling and renewing. The Director will drive departmental communication, operational efficiency, support the development of new tools, and ultimately serve as a resource to help achieve department goals.

Key metrics used to evaluate performance: 

• Renewal rate
• End of year Coordinator survey
• Feedback from Sales staff

Essential Functions (Duties & Responsibilities**): 

Leadership

• Actively coach, develop, and train current staff through the following, but not limited to:
• One-on-ones, performance feedback, celebrating wins, support, and training/development huddles
• Serve as a resource to troubleshoot and solve problems in real time 
• Coaching staff to communicate with greater clarity, quickness, and executive-level influence across the organization
• Ensuring all processes are followed, and contractual elements are executed 
• Ideate with team members to present ideas and opportunities to help grow the business of each corporate partner by keeping up-to-date with the goals, objectives, and competition of each corporate partner
• Centralize the overarching activation strategy and manage phases of the activation process (onboarding, activation, measurement, etc.), creating short and long-term measurable plans that are in sharable formats; for both internal and external communications
• Develop strong relationships with Sponsors to aid in their renewal and retention 
• Lead and foster cross-departmental collaboration throughout the organization to streamline processes and approvals for partner activation fulfillment and accuracy (ticketing, game entertainment, game operations, community, social, digital, legal, media relations, broadcast, etc.)   

Activation Department

• Supporting and assisting the activation staff as they navigate the sponsorship lifecycle and aid in their development of executing contractual partnership obligations while providing a high quality of service to sponsors
• Develop and manage the activation calendar as a whole and deliverables to create a more efficient flow to the account servicing approach, including the tracking to ensure all elements are delivered each season 
• Oversee onboarding of all new corporate partnerships department staff, develop formal process around their induction into the team, and year-long touchpoint plan
• Provides direction and execution of high-value programs. Achieve activation goals and measure against metrics to define success. Constantly evaluate and improve activations.
• Drive new and innovative means to recap and promote team elements (i.e. recaps, partner case studies)
• Manage delegation of accounts and activation responsibilities across team members to provide activation talent growth opportunities while ensuring best-in-class account servicing
• Assist with analytic reports with Business Analytics in relation to sponsor activations, brand exposure performance valuations, and fan data

Sales Integration

• Collaborates with Business Solutions and Business Strategy & Analytics to safeguard CRM ecosystem within Microsoft Dynamics/EngageRM and ensure a streamlined sales process, which includes but is not limited to:
• Reviewing all potential deal sheets for structural accuracy and availability/feasibility of assets proposed
• Collaborating with legal and key department stakeholders prior to being finalized 
• Oversee full calendar year of reviewing assets, adjusting and implementing new rate card for each season and post-season, rolling over accounts and inventory, spot checking deals, revenue reporting for league (TPRR)
• Have a strong understanding of all accounts, category exclusivities, any building restrictions that impact ability to sell certain assets at the arena, and NBA guidelines
• Integrate into the sales process when necessary, which may include joining sales meetings as an activation voice 
• Assist in the creation and deployment of departmental revenue strategies, including but not limited to category, content development & monetization, inventory creation, etc.

**Responsibilities subject to change based on organizational needs and direction from management.

Education (required/ preferred): Bachelor’s Degree

Previous experience: 

• A minimum of five (5) years’ work experience in professional sports sponsorship activation
• A minimum of one and a half (1.5) years managing people

Technology Capabilities: CRM, Microsoft Office, Adobe Suite, Nielsen Scarborough Custom Analytics

Knowledge, skills, abilities:

• Must have a proven track record of exceptional people management, interpersonal, and leadership skills
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, follow-through, and coachable
• Possesses a strong sense of ownership, pursues excellence, and a sense of urgency; proven ability to meet goals, deadlines, and adapt along the way
• Ability to implement processes and ensure standards are upheld with the goal of elevating operational efficiencies
• Solutions-oriented mentality: Must be able to identify and address issues or problems which may arise
• Demonstrated track record of cross-functional leadership and breaking down barriers of communication
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, and presentation skills

Physical Demands: Ability to lift up to 25 lbs. and walk significant distances in the arena on game day

Location: El Segundo (offices M-F), downtown Los Angeles (Crypto.com Arena for select Laker’s home games), and other off-site client meetings

Travel: Up to 5% of the time for league meetings, conferences, and pre-season games

The pay range for this role is $115,000 to $130,000 annually. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience and certifications. In addition to those factors, we consider the relative pay of our current employees in similar positions when making a final offer.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.