Director, Partnership Sales

Chicago Fire Football Club is a Major League Soccer team that was founded in 1997. Under new ownership, the Club recently returned to Chicago’s iconic Soldier Field, opened a new 50,000-square foot office in the heart of the city, and unveiled a premium state-of-the-art Performance Center in January 2025. With tremendous growth and expansion, the Club is laying the foundation for an audacious and ambitious vision that will transform the brand and the company in the coming years.
 
At Chicago Fire Football Club, we’re on a mission to entertain, serve, and unite Chicago by delivering excellence on and off the pitch to ensure a world-class experience. As a club we let our values guide everything we do: we uphold uncompromising integrity, show respect for all at all times, never settle for less, constantly innovate, and hold ourselves relentlessly accountable.

Position Overview:

Chicago Fire FC is seeking a Director of Partnership Sales to join our team and grow the Club’s corporate partnership department. The Club’s partnerships team is responsible for creating dynamic and comprehensive marketing platforms to reach the objectives of and drive ROI for our corporate partners. The partnership sales team is responsible for identifying, prospecting, proposing, and acquiring new partnerships and driving business development for the Club. The individual hired for this role will be responsible for leading sales, marketing efforts, and the development of new corporate partnerships, as well as assisting the VP of Partnership Sales with the buildout of a commercial strategy. The Director of Partnership Sales will identify emerging sponsorship categories, build relationships across a variety of industries, generate sales leads through networking and research, conduct client presentations, and negotiate high-value contracts to meet and exceed annual revenue goals. 

Job Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with colleagues across the Club to develop dynamic and innovative marketing platforms geared toward securing new corporate partnerships
•  Identify emerging sponsorship categories with a focus on identifying forward-thinking companies who will push the envelope on creative activations and programming
• Regularly identify and pursue opportunities that deliver mutual growth for the prospective partner and the Club
• Develop a strong understanding of industry trends and competitive landscapes to enable effective positioning of partnership opportunities
• Generate sales leads through networking and research
• Interpret data for sales presentations; leverage this information for partner proposals and pitches
• Regularly conduct cold calls to secure appointments, creating opportunities to sell to new prospects among local and national companies
• Assist with the development of storytelling materials and client presentations
• Collaborate with colleagues to identify specific activation concepts for each prospect to align with brand objectives
• Negotiate high-value contracts to meet and exceed annual revenue goals
• Build a strategic plan around engaging corporate communities in Chicago
• Conduct necessary in-market research
• Build and expand the network around this community—brands and agencies
• Facilitate discussions cross-functionally to create alignment internally
• Present strategic plan to the department’s VP of Partnership Sales and Chicago Fire’s senior leadership team
• Align with other department directors to maximize all corporate revenue streams (e.g., special projects, strategy, categories, partnership marketing)
• Engage other corporate communities in Chicago with varied backgrounds
• Coordinate any sponsor-related projects as assigned by the department’s VP of Partnership Sales
• Other duties as assigned 

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum 7 years of relevant work experience in partnerships, sales, or a related industry
• Proven track record of securing new business and selling multi-year corporate partnerships
• Strong presentation, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Demonstrated experience developing innovative marketing platforms with cross-functional teams
• Ability to generate sales leads through networking, research, and cold outreach
• Ability to interpret data for proposals and sales presentations
• Willingness to learn and adapt in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Strong problem-solving and prioritization skills; capable of working independently and collaboratively
• Ability to give constructive, candid feedback to colleagues
• Detail-oriented with strong multi-tasking abilities

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Experience negotiating high-value contracts
• Background working with national and local brands or agencies
• Experience engaging diverse corporate communities
• Familiarity with in-market research practices

Compensation:

• This role offers a salary range of $85,000-100,000 and is commission eligible 
• Final salary is determined by carefully considering the applicant's background, experience, and qualifications. Base pay may vary significantly based on geographic location, job-specific knowledge, skills, and overall experience. This role is classified as Full-time, exempt
• This role is bonus eligible based on club-wide goals
• Additional benefits & perks: https://www.chicagofirefc.com/careers

Please note:

• Chicago Fire FC is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Our diversity initiatives start with the recruitment and selection process; therefore, we’d like to welcome all diverse candidates to apply to opportunities within our Club.
• CFFC is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and maintaining a workplace for employees and applicants for employment that is free from discrimination.   The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, age, veteran or military status, disability, sexual orientation, sexual orientation or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.
  • If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the People and Culture Department at peopleandculture@chicagofirefc.com to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.   

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