Los Angeles - Major League Volleyball
Head of Corporate Partnerships
Los Angeles - Major League Volleyball - Senior
Los Angeles, CA · Hybrid
Corporate Partnerships · Sales · Corporate Sponsorship Sales
$135,000 - $150,000 / year
0
1
day ago
About MLV LA
We are seeking a Head of Corporate Partnerships for our brand-new professional women's volleyball franchise as part of Major League Volleyball (MLV) in Los Angeles. As a founding member of our team, you will be a part of creating our organization’s culture along with our staff and you will establish the baseline for a best-in-class operation. If you are excited about the prospect of unlocking the collective potential of an emerging franchise and shaping the culture of a women’s professional team from the ground up, we want you in LA.
We are seeking a Head of Corporate Partnerships for our brand-new professional women's volleyball franchise as part of Major League Volleyball (MLV) in Los Angeles. As a founding member of our team, you will be a part of creating our organization’s culture along with our staff and you will establish the baseline for a best-in-class operation. If you are excited about the prospect of unlocking the collective potential of an emerging franchise and shaping the culture of a women’s professional team from the ground up, we want you in LA.
About the Position
Reporting to the President, the Head of Corporate Partnerships will build and lead the franchise’s corporate partnership business from the ground up. This is equal parts strategist, seller and builder: this role will create the commercial strategy, define and price partnership inventory, establish the sales process and CRM discipline, develop our founding-partner platform, and personally lead the pursuit and closing of high-value local, regional and national partnerships. This role will also create the operating foundation for exceptional partner activation, measurement, renewal and long-term growth. As the first person in this function, you must be comfortable moving from a C-suite pitch to a pricing model, CRM workflow or match-day activation plan in the same day.
Reporting to the President, the Head of Corporate Partnerships will build and lead the franchise’s corporate partnership business from the ground up. This is equal parts strategist, seller and builder: this role will create the commercial strategy, define and price partnership inventory, establish the sales process and CRM discipline, develop our founding-partner platform, and personally lead the pursuit and closing of high-value local, regional and national partnerships. This role will also create the operating foundation for exceptional partner activation, measurement, renewal and long-term growth. As the first person in this function, you must be comfortable moving from a C-suite pitch to a pricing model, CRM workflow or match-day activation plan in the same day.
What You Will Do
- Create the franchise’s corporate partnership strategy and annual business plan, including revenue goals, category priorities, prospecting strategy, sales cadence, forecasting and KPIs.
- Build the partnership product: audit and define sellable assets across team IP, venue, jersey/uniform, digital and social, content, broadcast/streaming, signage, hospitality, community programs, experiential and match-day platforms.
- Develop the pricing and valuation framework for partnership assets, including rate cards, packaging architecture, category exclusivity, discounting guardrails and inventory controls that maximize both revenue and long-term value.
- Design a compelling founding-partner program and lead sales of marquee opportunities, including presenting partner, founding partner, official partner, entitlement and other high-value multi-year platforms.
- Own the full new-business sales cycle: build target lists, prospect and network, conduct discovery, develop customized solutions, create presentations, negotiate business terms and contracts, and close partnerships.
- Build and maintain a disciplined CRM and pipeline-management system, including stages, activity standards, account ownership, data hygiene, probability-weighted forecasting, weekly reporting and executive dashboards.
- Develop the core tools and processes required to scale the function, including proposal templates, benefits matrices, inventory trackers, approval workflows, contract handoffs, fulfillment tracking, recap reporting and renewal calendars.
- Establish relationships with senior decision-makers across the Los Angeles business community while developing a strong network of agencies, brands and national prospects aligned with women’s sports, volleyball and the LA market.
- Partner closely with marketing, ticketing, communications, community relations, finance, legal, league leadership and match operations to create integrated programs that achieve partner objectives and enhance the fan experience.
- Set the standard for partner service and activation, ensuring contractual commitments are delivered at a high level and that partners receive clear measurement, insights and business reviews that support renewal and upsell.
- Stay current on sponsorship trends, competitive properties, category activity and the evolving women’s sports marketplace; use market intelligence and data to identify whitespace and create differentiated partnership ideas.
- Build the team over time: help define future partnership sales and activation roles, participate in hiring, and create a high-accountability, collaborative and entrepreneurial revenue culture.
Qualifications
- 6–10+ years of experience in corporate partnerships, sponsorship sales, sports revenue generation, business development or a closely related field; professional sports, live entertainment or media experience strongly preferred.
- Proven track record of meeting or exceeding significant revenue targets and personally closing complex, high-value, multi-year partnerships.
- Demonstrated ability to build strategy and operating infrastructure, not simply inherit it; experience with a new team, venue, property, product or other start-up environment is a strong plus.
- Strong command of sponsorship inventory, packaging, pricing/valuation, category strategy, negotiation and contract development.
- Strong sales leadership instincts, including pipeline management, forecasting, goal setting, coaching and the ability to eventually recruit and develop a high-performing team.
- Strong understanding of CRM systems, sales processes and revenue analytics; experience configuring or establishing CRM workflows and reporting is a plus.
- Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation and relationship-building skills, with the executive presence to engage C-suite brand and agency leaders.
- Knowledge and existing network within the Los Angeles sports, business, entertainment or volleyball community is a plus.
- Competitive, organized and results-oriented, with excellent judgment, attention to detail and a strong commitment to partner experience.
- Entrepreneurial mindset and willingness to work hands-on in a growing organization where priorities evolve quickly and no task is beneath the role.
- Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays and matches as required.
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.
