Senior Director of Sports Partnerships

Stand Together is a philanthropic community that helps America’s boldest changemakers tackle the root causes of our country’s biggest problems, from education to the economy, broken communities, and toxic division, among dozens of other pressing issues. We provide our partners with access to resources including funding, thought leadership, a network of peers, and a playbook for applying proven principles to transform lives and society.

As Senior Director of Sports Partnerships on our growing Stand Together Music, Sports, and Entertainment team, you will lead the development and execution of partnerships that use the reach and credibility of sports to achieve meaningful social impact. You’ll build and manage long‑term relationships with athletes, teams, leagues, and related organizations, aligning their priorities with Stand Together’s focus areas to create initiatives that deliver real results at the community level.

Success in this role looks like identifying high‑leverage opportunities, bringing the right partners together, and translating shared values into action—not representing individual players, but enabling collaboration that lasts.

Creating deeper engagement in these important social issues beyond the transactional, the day‑to‑day duties of this position will include partnership building, managing, and execution, communication updates, strategic planning, and partner‑facing meetings.

We welcome remote candidates located in major sports markets, or this role may be based at our Arlington, VA headquarters.

• Develop and Execute Strategies:
  Create long‑term, impactful partnership strategies that align with STMSE’s vision, ensuring mutual benefit and measurable outcomes.
• Lead Partnership Execution:
  Drive the success of partnerships by uniting internal and external stakeholders around shared goals and objectives.
• Streamline and Optimize Processes:
  Enhance partnership strategies by refining processes and adapting objectives to STMSE’s evolving priorities.
• Identify Gaps and Deliver Solutions:
  Collaborate with internal teams to address challenges and deliver innovative partnership solutions.
• Ensure Clear Communication:
  Maintain consistent, timely updates to keep internal teams and external partners aligned on progress.
• Craft Partnership Frameworks:
  Develop deal structures, frameworks, and statements of work in collaboration with STMSE leaders.
• Spot and Act on Opportunities:
  Monitor industry trends to identify growth opportunities that expand STMSE’s reach and impact.
• Provide Expertise:
  Act as a go‑to resource for industry insights and partnership opportunities within the broader Stand Together network.
• Collaborate Across Teams:
  Work seamlessly across Stand Together’s diverse capabilities, from communications to issue‑focused initiatives.

• 12+ years of experience managing partnerships in the sports industry or working closely with athletes. Background in a major professional sports league with an understanding of what those leagues value is a strong plus.
• Growth‑oriented mindset. Demonstrates humility and openness, with a commitment to applying industry knowledge within the context of our management philosophy to drive transformative results.
• Established network. Strong relationships with athletes, teams, leagues, and affiliated organizations within the sports ecosystem.
• A proven track record of working effectively across multiple entities and stakeholders.
• Strong, strategic thinking where you can quickly connect the dots between people, priorities, and goals. The ability to operationalize strategy in the real world with real‑time flexibility and application of learning.
• Passion for social impact. A deep understanding of the intersection between major US sports leagues and social change work.
• Proven ability to navigate complexity, prioritize effectively and thrive in a fast‑paced, matrixed organization.
• The ability to drive for clarity with a bias toward action, guided by purpose and strategy rather than impulse.
• Clear and effective communicator. Skilled in delivering concise, timely communication (written and spoken) and translating complex ideas into actionable…