Senior Director, Business Development

WORK OPTION: Hybrid

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2023-24 season featured a record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.3 billion likes and followers globally across all leagues, team and player platforms.  NBA Cares, the NBA’s global social responsibility platform, partners with renowned community-based organizations around the world to address important social issues in the areas of education, inclusion, youth and family development, and health and wellness. 
 

Job Summary:

The Senior Director, Business Development will be responsible for generating revenue by developing and selling integrated marketing partnerships for the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and USA Basketball. 

Major Responsibilities:

• Serve as a sales lead on the Business Development team, responsible for generating revenue by developing and selling integrated marketing partnerships across the league’s portfolio of properties, including the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and USA Basketball
• Lead all aspects of the partnership sales process, including prospecting and sourcing leads, delivery of sales presentations and proposals, negotiating deal terms and contracts
• Build and progress an active pipeline with qualified prospects within key categories
• Develop and maintain relationships with corporate decision makers at Fortune 500 companies (e.g., C-Suite, Heads of Sponsorship, etc.), as well as key agency contacts 
• Direct cross-functional teams consisting of key internal stakeholders (e.g., Media, Activation, Partnership Solutions, Social Responsibility, etc.) to develop customized marketing platforms that align with prospective partner objectives
• Lead the development of strategic, customized proposals for prospective partners
• Manage and support the growth of 1-2 direct report(s) 
• Attend industry conferences/events and leverage personal network to develop new business opportunities
• Actively contribute to a collaborative and inclusive culture and bring forth innovative ideas to help team exceed annual goals 

Required Education/Professional Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree
• 10+ years of sponsorship sales experience at a league, team, and/or agency

Required Skills/Knowledge Attributes:

• Experienced sales leader with a consistent track record of sourcing and securing multi-year, high-value sponsorship deals 
• Highly motivated, self-starter with a consultative sales approach and proven ability to drive large-scale partnership discussions from initial contact through contracting stage
• Existing brand relationships with C-level executives and/or marketing decision makers 
• Strategic thinker with ability to advance multiple business opportunities at once
• Strong written communication and presentation skills
• In-depth knowledge of the sports marketing and sponsorship landscape
• Effective people manager with a proven history of creating a positive culture 
• Successful at leveraging network to initiate and build relationships with corporate decision makers 
• Proficient with MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint 

Salary Range: Senior Director 

Job Posting Title: $185,000 - $230,000

The NBA does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or any other third parties. Any unsolicited resume sent to the NBA will be considered NBA property, and the NBA will not pay a fee should it hire the subject of any unsolicited resume. 

The NBA considers applicants for all positions on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs, and without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, alienage or citizenship status, ancestry, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, veteran status, familial status, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

About the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 countries.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.