Director, Partnerships (Sports)

Director, Partnerships

Fanatics Commerce is the global leader in licensed sports merchandise, operating a vertically integrated platform that designs, manufactures, and delivers officially licensed apparel, jerseys, headwear, and collectibles for major leagues, teams, and events worldwide. With more than 900 e-commerce sites and a global omnichannel presence across digital, in-venue, and retail, Fanatics Commerce reaches fans in over 180 countries and powers official fan experiences for many of the world's most iconic sports properties.

At Fanatics, we bring our BOLD Leadership Principles to life every day—building championship teams, obsessing over fans, acting with limitless entrepreneurial spirit, and delivering with a determined and relentless mindset.

As we continue to scale our global platform, the Director, Partnerships will play a critical role in growing and commercialising strategic football partnerships across global markets.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Director, Partnerships will lead and develop strategic relationships with key partners, including national federations, premier league, league 1, and championship clubs, as well as global governing bodies and football associations. Serving as the primary strategic contact, this role drives revenue growth, elevates brand presence, and delivers exceptional commercial value to partners' retail businesses through cross-functional collaboration and senior-level relationship management. The Director, Partnerships delivers business and fan impact through BOLD leadership and execution excellence, leveraging data, automation, and AI-enabled insights.

HOW WILL YOU DRIVE IMPACT

Success is measured by the ability to deliver results through BOLD capabilities and measurable outcomes.

Fan & Customer Impact (Obsessed with Fans)

• Represent Fanatics as the trusted face of the brand within the sports community, building advisor-level relationships with senior stakeholders to ensure mutual satisfaction and long-term partner retention.
• Introduce innovative ideas and best practices that enhance partnership value and deepen fan engagement across digital, in-venue, and retail touchpoints.
• Drive revenue growth through partner activations and joint marketing initiatives that elevate the fan experience and strengthen commercial outcomes.
• Monitor and analyse performance metrics to continuously optimise financial returns for both Fanatics and its partners, keeping the fan at the centre of every decision.

Innovation & Problem Solving (Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit)

• Stay current with industry trends, competitor activities, and developments in sports retail to proactively identify new commercialisation and renewal opportunities.
• Develop and execute forward-thinking strategies that grow and commercially enhance partnerships with associations, leagues, and clubs.
• Leverage data and market analysis to identify emerging opportunities, solve complex challenges, and inform strategic direction across the partnership portfolio.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement by introducing best practices that push the boundaries of what partnership value can deliver.

Ownership & Execution (Determined & Relentless Mindset)

• Lead strategic business reviews against contracts and business plans, presenting relevant performance data with internal teams to drive accountability and results.
• Manage the full partnership lifecycle end-to-end, including onboarding, ongoing reviews, escalations, and relationship nurturing, ensuring every commitment is met on time and within plan.
• Proactively identify risks and opportunities within the portfolio and take decisive action to protect and grow the value of each partnership.
• Hold cross-functional teams accountable for delivering on partner goals, maintaining high standards of execution across all touchpoints.

Team & Leadership Impact (Build Championship Teams)

Cross-Functional Leadership:

• Collaborate with senior leadership, ecommerce, product development, licensing, new business, buying, marketing, and operations to align on launches and partner goals, ensuring seamless communication and delivery of commitments.
• Drive alignment across internal stakeholders to ensure the organisation is consistently positioned to meet and exceed partner expectations.
• Oversee internal teams supporting the partnership portfolio, fostering a high-performance environment built on clarity, collaboration, and shared accountability.

People Leadership:

• Provide strong, inspiring leadership that builds confidence, drives effective change, and develops talent within the partnerships function.
• Create a team culture grounded in BOLD principles, empowering individuals to take ownership, innovate, and deliver outstanding results for partners and fans alike.

AI & DIGITAL CAPABILITY

We are building a future-ready organization. This role is expected to:

• Apply AI and technology to improve efficiency, quality, and outcomes
• Use data and digital tools to inform decisions and enhance performance
• Demonstrate curiosity and adaptability in adopting new technologies and ways of working
• Contribute to a culture of innovation and continuous improvement

CAPABILITIES & EXPERIENCE YOU BRING

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in partnerships, account management, or business development, preferably within sports, sports retail, or ecommerce environments.
• Demonstrated ability to manage senior client relationships with strong negotiation and strategic thinking skills, and a proven track record of driving revenue growth through strategic partnerships.
• Deep understanding of football club operations, league structures, and fan engagement strategies, with the ability to operate credibly at the highest levels of the sports industry.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to analyse complex data and market trends to inform strategy and optimise financial performance.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels, internally and externally.
• Proven project management capability, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Willingness to travel internationally as required to support partner relationships and business objectives.

If you do not meet all of the requirements for the role, but still have relevant partnerships or account management experience please do reach out.

Education:

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Sports Management, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.

At Fanatics, we operate with a BOLD mindset—We Build Championship Teams, we're Obsessed with Fans, we embrace a Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit, and we approach every challenge with a Determined & Relentless Mindset. If you're ready to contribute to a dynamic, fast-paced environment that thrives on collaboration and growth, we want you to be part of our team.

WORK LOCATION

Hybrid: The primary place of performance of this role is the Company's office located in Paris, subject to the Company's current hybrid work policy. This role currently requires in-office presence 3 days per week in Paris and frequent travel to the Manchester Head office.

At Fanatics, we operate with a BOLD mindset—We Build Championship Teams, we're Obsessed with Fans, we embrace a Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit, and we approach every challenge with a Determined & Relentless Mindset. If you're ready to contribute to a dynamic, fast-paced environment that thrives on collaboration and growth, we want you to be part of our team.