Vice President, Partnerships at Houston Dynamo Football Club

RESPONSIBLE TO: Chief Revenue Officer

SUPERVISES: Partnership Sales

STATUS: Full-Time

Company Background

The Houston Dynamo Football Club (HDFC) is a multi-faceted organization dedicated to inspiring and supporting soccer participation and growth in Houston, TX and beyond. The Club’s brands include men's and women's professional teams - the Houston Dynamo (MLS) and Houston Dash (NWSL), a development academy, Houston Dynamo Dash Charities, as well as Shell Energy Stadium and Houston Sports Park.

The Club has a rich history, including MLS Cup titles (2006, 2007) and in-season tournament championships for both the Dynamo (2018) and Dash (2020) and is focused on building toward the next championships, inspiring and uniting the city of Houston through the sport of soccer and community outreach, and creating the most inclusive sporting experience and diverse fan base in the city and state.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The Houston Dynamo Football Club is seeking a seasoned leader to join our executive team as Vice President of Partnerships. This executive will be responsible for leading the strategy, development, and execution of all corporate partnership programs, thereby helping the team achieve its revenue and broader organizational goals. This individual will focus on managing, expanding upon, and renewing existing partnership agreements. In addition, they will be accountable for identifying and developing new partnerships. They will work closely with other departments and external vendors to ensure success.

Reporting to the Chief Revenue Officer, this leader will play a critical role in driving long-term revenue growth for the team, enhancing the fan experience, and expanding our brand presence in the market. This executive will be directly responsible for leading a dynamic partnership marketing team, driving partnership strategy, and supporting new business development.

In order to be successful, this leader must bring extensive experience in building and activating mutually beneficial sports partnerships. The Vice President will need to understand sports marketing and partnership marketing from a brand, sports property, and customer point of view. In addition, they will have a strong perspective on both men’s and women’s sports, HDFC’s brand, and how to promote them in the Houston market. This individual must bring a creative approach and leverage HDFC’s full range of assets in order to deliver maximum value via existing and prospective partnerships.

Duties And Responsibilities

Partnership Activation / Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all corporate partners, overseeing all parts of partnership management and activation.
• Collaborate internally with brand, marketing, fan experience, communications, gameday operations, community, and other functions to ensure flawless activation of partnerships for both the club and our leagues.
• Monitor the performance of partnership obligations, using data/insights to track key metrics and results and adjust approach accordingly
• Identify opportunities to cultivate/expand upon existing relationships with partners and drive renewals
  
  

Partnership Strategy

• Contribute to the design and implementation a comprehensive multi-year partnership strategy to effectively meet HDFC’s revenue goals
  
  

Partnership Sales

• Help identify potential new partnership opportunities across industries that align with HDFC’s brand and broader strategy
• Contribute to the development of pitch materials leveraging data, case studies, and other insights that are tailored to partner’s brand / marketing goals and that leverage a range of HDFC assets
• Assist with negotiations with partners, ensuring that all deals are mutually beneficial and financially sound, maximizing returns for HDFC
• Help manage a team of internal and third party sales resources
  
  

Team Management

• Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing Partnerships team
• Provide critical learning opportunities for all individuals and set high standards for results and accountability
• Foster a culture of collaboration and collegiality between the Partnerships team and other HDFC business and sporting teams
  
  

Other

• Work closely with other executive leaders to provide commercial updates and adjust strategy based on revenue goals
• Liaise with the MLS and NWSL in order to ensure coordination of partnership efforts with the leagues and effective execution of league partnerships at the club level
• Help drive greater brand awareness and fan development via efforts, building the next generation of HDFC supporters Represent HDFC at league and industry events and conferences, serving as an effective steward for the organization
• Other duties as assigned
  
  

Qualification Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Marketing, Business, or a related field; MBA preferred
• 10+ years of experience managing sports partnerships, preferably working for professional sports teams or leagues
• Proven track record of sourcing, developing, and closing high-value, multi-year sponsorship deals with leading brands across industries
• Established connections with senior leaders at top companies across industries, with the ability to leverage these relationships to develop new partnerships
• 7+ years of experience leading teams, with a proven ability to recruit, motivate, and develop team members
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, And Other Attributes

• Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with a range of stakeholders (internally and externally) and work cross-functionally to drive results
• Experience managing a portfolio of partnerships requiring high touch and flawless delivery of partnership programs and assets
• Strong new business development skills, including negotiation skills and the ability to mediate/arbitrate to allow for the structuring of mutually beneficial partnerships
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills
• Results-orientation, with a focus on driving revenue growth and hitting broader organizational goals
• Ability to work in a fast-moving, dynamic work environment
• High level of professionalism and accountability
• Exceptional project management and attention to detail
• Experience working in and passion for growing women's sports is a plus
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends as needed
• Maintains Organizational Core Competencies.
  
  

ORGANIZATIONAL CORE COMPETENCIES

• Accountable – Holds themselves (and when appropriate others) accountable for achieving goals and objectives.
• Collaborative – Works collaboratively with others to achieve organizational outcomes.
• Progressive – Open minded, accepting, creative, and innovative in approach.
• Values Driven – Being ethical in decision making and operating with professional integrity.
• Agile – Achieves personal and organizational success within a changing, dynamic and complex environment. Ability to handle ambiguity.
  
  

Other Information

Diverse candidates of all backgrounds are welcome, and the Club seeks individuals passionate about sport, inspiring the city and devoted to the organization's growth. While duties and responsibilities vary across positions, we are seeking individuals who are accountable, collaborative, progressive, agile and ethical/values driven.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.